Head of Marketing & Communications

Position Objective

The Head of Marketing & Communications will be an experienced, dynamic and highly motivated individual responsible for driving the marketing and communications strategy across all areas of the school. Branding and positioning of the school within the increasingly competitive landscape of Singapore will be a key focus moving forward. The successful candidate will be expected to develop long-term strategic goals, foster collaborative relationships both within and outside of the school, and continue to showcase Stamford American International School (SAIS) as a world-class school to the local and international community. Reporting directly to the Director of Admission & Marketing, the successful candidate will contribute to the strategic direction of the whole school and will play a vital role in its ongoing success.

The Head of Marketing & Communications will be a member of the Operations Leadership Team, reflecting the position's importance and enabling the brand to permeate across functions.

Responsibilities

The job holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young person’s for whom they are responsible, or with whom they come into contact will be to adhered to and ensure compliance with the relevant Cognita Safeguarding; Child Protection Policy and Procedures at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the role, the job holder identifies any instance that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm either at school or at home, they must report any concerns to the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Head or indeed to the Cognita Regional Safeguarding Manager so that a referral can be made accordingly to the relevant third party services.

Management & Strategy:

• Provide innovative leadership in creating a marketing, branding and communication strategy, including developing long-term goals and an annual operating process to optimise the positioning of SAIS in an increasingly competitive market;
• Lead the Marketing and Communications team to ensure a cohesive and collaborative approach to external marketing and internal communications using an omnichannel approach;
• Foster collaboration with other departments to create streamlined marketing programmes to support all areas of the school;
• Understand and keep up with industry best practices and emerging strategies that will keep marketing and communications up to date and ensure the school maintains a competitive edge, in particular, the use of digital channels and customer data, keeping GDPR as well as PDPA compliance in mind at all times;
• Develop new creative, innovative and out-of-the-box approaches in applying the school’s messages;
• Liaise with the Managing Director, Director of Marketing and Admissions and Finance Director to develop marketing and communications financial strategies by estimating, forecasting, and anticipating requirements, trends, and variances, aligning monetary resources, developing action plans, measuring and analysing results;
• Be a member of the crisis management team, managing the response to and communications around both planned and unplanned situations across multiple media to both the internal and external community as appropriate;
• Work alongside other senior leaders to contribute to and shape the whole school strategy, infusing our brand thinking and elevating SAIS’s position as the school of choice for families in Singapore.
• Own and manage the marketing and communication budget to generate desired output.

Marketing:

• Lead the development and execution of a thorough and integrated external marketing strategy aligned with the school’s strategic objectives, including digital marketing, 3rd party media, outdoor advertising and others.
• Elevate SAIS’s brand awareness and competitive positioning to create a clear and transparent brand strategy, successfully leading the marketing team from the conceptualization of a strategy to execution;
• Effectively lead and manage the Marketing team by communicating and demonstrating the school’s values, policies, and procedures; work closely with the marketing team to ensure that they are functioning effectively and efficiently;
• Oversee the ongoing development of the school’s website and portals, including brand, design, content, layout, functionality and search engine optimization and measurement;
• Review and oversee the development and maintenance of a range of marketing collateral (both online and print) to support the school’s brand and proposition, including digital marketing assets (Statics and Video), marketing brochures, exhibitions assets, corporate premiums and translation of materials.
• Lead the PR/Advertising strategy to reinforce the school’s brand and proposition and optimize its exposure on online sites and coverage in printed publications;
• Lead the school’s digital and social media strategy for branding and leads generation and long-term marketing goals
• Ensure a presence on key listings and directories and an integrated content strategy across relevant social networking platforms, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
• Formulate an effective SEO strategy for growth and market share, including on-page and off-page SEO.
• Oversee the execution of Marketing and Admissions events, including Open Houses, Exhibitions, Seminars and Webinars, and any other lead-generation events.
• Effectively utilize CRM and Marketing automation tools in customer journey management and lead nurturing
• Perform regular market research and gather market intelligence for decision-making
• Work closely with the Director of Marketing and Admissions to develop and execute an effective marketing program that promotes positive relationships and reputation with the community (internal and external) and attracts prospective parents and students.

Communications:

• Formulate a communications strategy aligning internal and external communication channels and messaging in accordance with brand voice;
• Review and monitor the effectiveness of existing internal communication processes and practices and work closely with the Communications Manager to develop and shape an ongoing and effective internal communications strategy;
• Contribute to producing a high volume of communications and content to an elevated standard that is in line with the School’s vision and values. This includes writing high-level marketing copy and editing/refining the work of others to sharpen the messaging and apply tonal consistency.
• Drive the Communications Team to define, shape, and follow a clear process to provide accurate, tonally appropriate communications relevant to all types of situations and delivered to the right target audience.
• Effectively lead and manage the Communications team by communicating and demonstrating the school’s values, policies, and procedures; work closely with the Communications Manager to ensure that the Communications team is functioning effectively and efficiently;
• Oversee the execution of the internal communications strategy, led by the Communications Manager;
• Oversee the collaboration and communication with different members of the community to build support and understanding and collate feedback to shape the communications strategy;
• Support the Communications Manager in working with the Management and Leadership Teams to ensure the timely and effective communication of important messages to the community via the school’s communication channels;
• Oversee a consistent and clear communication of Stamford’s corporate identity and communication processes to staff and ensure all internal communications support the brand.
• Oversee the creation and development of various internal communication initiatives, including key publications such as the Superintendent Weekly Wrap-up, Stamford Pride, Year Books.

Photography and Videography:

• Oversee the management of photography and videography of all school events;
• Oversee the effective use of photography and videography across all internal and external communication tools, according to the school’s Photo and Video Policy.
• Maintain a library of assets for various marketing and communication purposes.

Position Requirements

Experiences:

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in managing brands and developing creative and innovative marketing strategies for both offline and online mediums/channels in formulating effective marketing outreach.
• Experience in managing a marketing and communication team from conceptualisation of a strategy to execution.
• Proficient in digital marketing and online and offline marketing integration, accompanied by SEO knowledge for sustainable results.
• Experience in marketing technology and modern marketing approaches in accordance with marketing intelligence and media consumption patterns of the target audience.
• Experience in data-driven strategies and able to incorporate ROI and metric-driven models, CRM systems, databases and marketing automation
• Proficiency in using various software such as Microsoft Dynamics, Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, CMS, SEMRush/Ahref, Mailchimp, and Adobe Creative Suite, for example.

Personal Attributes:

• Exceptional leadership and communication skills to inspire and collaborate with a cross-functional group for a unified direction in accordance with the organization’s vision.
• Strong strategic thinker with a passion for tactical and detailed marcoms execution.
• Strong project management and time management skills in driving cross-functional projects
• Effective analytical skills to properly evaluate market situations and competitions and adapt quickly for results.
• Excellent people management skills to effectively manage the Marketing and Communications team while driving performance for lead acquisition through various avenues.
• Passionate about the education industry and supporting a community of students, staff, and the larger Stamford American Community.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to communicate across all levels of the school and its community.
• High cultural quotient to engage a community with a wide variety of cultural and religious backgrounds.
• The ability to be efficient, flexible and adaptable in a pressurized environment.
• The ability to work independently, to be self-motivated, proactive and forward-thinking.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing, communications or a related field (essential).
• A Master’s in Business Administration or Marketing will be an advantage.

Working Conditions

• Role will be based out of the SAIS Woodleigh campus.
• 40 hours of work per week, some flexibility (weekend, evenings).
• Occasional staff meetings and trainings.
• Expected to participate in some duties outside of work hours.

Terms of Employement

• Annual Leave: 21 working days
• Medical Benefits: Medical insurance provided where applicable
• Sick Leave/Hosp: 14 days sick leave and 60 days hospitalization leave
• Probation Period: 3 months from date of commencement
• Referee request: Required
• Background Check: Required

Stamford American International School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Pre-employment background checks are mandatory and appointments are strictly subject to confirmation that all reference and background checks are completed to the satisfaction of Cognita, Stamford’s parent organization.

We are an equal opportunity employer and disallow discrimination of age, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, family status, pregnancy, marital status, medical or mental health history, physical characteristics or disability. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.