Responsibilities

• Provides executive leadership, vision, and operational oversight for a high-performing strategic communications team and serves as senior advisor on strategic communications, reputation management, stakeholder engagement, and organizational messaging.
• Develops, implements, and continuously evaluates a comprehensive, division-wide strategic communications plan aligned with the LCPS Strategic Plan and organizational priorities.
• Leads integrated enterprise-wide communications campaigns that influence understanding, engagement, trust, coordinated use of earned, owned, shared and paid media.
• Provides strategic communications counsel and executive messaging support to the Superintendent, Cabinet, School Board, and Senior Leadership on high-profile initiatives, emerging issues and organizational priorities.
• Serves as steward of the LCPS brand, ensuring consistent messaging, visual identity, editorial standards, and communications quality across all division communications.
• Protects and enhances the division's reputation through proactive communications, issues management
• Leads, mentors, develops, and evaluates a multidisciplinary communications team responsible for writing, editing, video production, digital communications, marketing, social media, graphic design, analytics, and stakeholder engagement.
• Establishes performance expectations, encourages innovation, and fosters a highly collaborative, customer-focused culture emphasizing creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Uses marketing research, audience insights, engagement metrics, and performance analytics to evaluate communications effectiveness and guide strategic decision-making.
• Oversees advisory committees and community engagement initiatives that promote two-way communication and meaningful stakeholder participation, including the School Board Advisory committee, LEAF (Loudoun Education Alliance of Families).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in English, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in strategic communications, public relations, marketing, journalism, or corporate communications.
• Five (5) years leading high-performing communications teams in complex organizations.
• Demonstrated experience advising executive leadership and governing boards.
• Experience leading enterprise communications initiatives across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience managing organizational reputation, issues management, and developing integrated communications campaigns informed by audience research and performance analytics.
• Experience managing cross-functional initiatives involving multiple departments and executive stakeholders.
• Expert knowledge of strategic communications, integrated marketing, public relations, reputation management, branding, stakeholder engagement and change management.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and executive communication skills with mastery of AP Style.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex organizational initiatives into compelling communications for diverse audiences.

Preferred

• Experience in public education, government, higher education, healthcare, or other complex public-sector organizations.
• Experience leading digital transformation or enterprise communications technology implementations.