Director of Marketing

Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of Marketing at a pivotal and energizing moment in the School’s history. Under the leadership of its newly appointed Head of School, SHA is experiencing a renewed spirit, clarity of vision and momentum across its community. With a deep commitment to its mission and the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria, the School is strengthening its foundation while positioning itself for long-term sustainability and growth.
The Director of Marketing will play a critical and highly visible leadership role in this next chapter, working in close partnership with the Head of School, Director of Enrollment Management, Director of Development, Board of Trustees and colleagues across the School to strengthen SHA’s brand, expand its reach and tell the School’s story in compelling and meaningful ways.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic and creative marketing leader to shape and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy with a particular focus on enrollment growth, brand awareness, institutional visibility and advancement priorities.
The Director of Marketing reports directly to the Head of School, serves on the Senior Leadership Team and provides strategic leadership for the School’s marketing, communications and brand efforts.
The Director supervises the Marketing Coordinator and provides the strategy, direction and priorities that guide the School’s day-to-day marketing and communications work.
The Director will work in especially close partnership with the Director of Enrollment Management, developing marketing strategies that support student recruitment, enrollment and retention. The Director will also partner closely with the Director of Development to support fundraising, alumnae engagement, campaign communications, donor stewardship and other advancement priorities.
The Director serves as a key staff partner to the Enrollment/Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees, supporting its work and ensuring that marketing strategy is informed by institutional priorities, enrollment goals, market data and best practices.
The Director of Marketing oversees the School’s overall brand and marketing strategy, digital marketing, communications, content strategy, website and social media presence, advertising, public relations and marketing analytics.
Key Priorities for the Director of Marketing

Lead SHA’s Marketing and Brand Strategy

Develop and execute a comprehensive annual and multi-year marketing strategy aligned with the School’s mission, enrollment goals, advancement priorities and broader institutional objectives.
Serve as the primary steward of the SHA brand, ensuring a clear, compelling and consistent identity across all audiences and platforms.
Strengthen SHA’s positioning within the highly competitive independent and Catholic school marketplace.
Clearly articulate the distinctive value of a Sacred Heart education and the benefits and outcomes of an all-girls educational experience.
Increase awareness and visibility of SHA throughout the greater Philadelphia region.
Ensure that marketing investments and activities are strategically focused on advancing the School’s highest priorities.

Drive Enrollment Marketing

Partner closely with the Director of Enrollment Management to develop and execute comprehensive enrollment marketing and student recruitment strategies.
Develop targeted campaigns designed to increase awareness, inquiries, campus visits, applications and enrollment across Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.
Develop differentiated strategies for key entry points and priority audiences.
Support Open Houses, shadow visits, admissions events, feeder-school outreach and other recruitment initiatives through compelling messaging, materials, advertising and promotion.
Develop strategies that engage prospective families throughout the enrollment journey, from initial awareness through enrollment.
Use enrollment and marketing data to evaluate results, identify opportunities and continually refine strategy.

Strengthen Institutional Storytelling and Communications

Lead the School’s overall communications and content strategy, ensuring that SHA tells its story in an authentic, engaging and mission-centered way.
Identify and elevate stories highlighting students, faculty, alumnae, programs, achievements, traditions and the impact of a Sacred Heart education.
Develop a coordinated content strategy across digital, print, social media and other platforms.
Partner with the Head of School and senior leadership on significant institutional communications and strategic initiatives.
Ensure that communications effectively engage prospective and current families, alumnae, donors and the broader community.
Identify opportunities for earned media, public relations and increased external visibility.
Provide strategic communications counsel to the Head of School and leadership team as needed.

Partner with Development to Advance Philanthropic Priorities

Work closely with the Director of Development to develop marketing and communications strategies that support fundraising, alumnae engagement and donor relations.
Support Annual Fund, capital campaign, major-gift and other philanthropic communications through compelling messaging and storytelling.
Help demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on students, faculty, programs, facilities and the future of SHA.
Collaborate on communications and marketing strategies for alumnae, donor and community events.
Support donor stewardship through effective impact storytelling and communications.
Ensure alignment between the School’s institutional brand and its advancement and campaign messaging.

Elevate Digital Marketing and Analytics

Lead the School’s digital marketing strategy, including paid search, social media advertising, email marketing, retargeting and other appropriate channels.
Oversee website strategy and ensure the School’s digital presence effectively communicates SHA’s value proposition and supports enrollment and engagement goals.
Establish meaningful marketing metrics and regularly evaluate campaign performance, digital engagement, inquiry generation and return on investment.
Use data, analytics, market research and competitive intelligence to inform strategy and resource allocation.
Stay current on emerging technologies, platforms and artificial intelligence tools that can strengthen the School’s marketing effectiveness.

Expand SHA’s Reach and Market Presence

Monitor the independent and Catholic school landscape and identify opportunities to differentiate SHA in a competitive marketplace.
Use demographic research, audience insights and competitive analysis to identify opportunities for enrollment growth and increased awareness.
Develop strategies to reach new audiences and communities throughout the region.
Identify partnerships, media opportunities and community relationships that can extend SHA’s visibility and reach.
Help position SHA as a leading voice in girls’ education and Catholic independent education.

Lead and Develop the Marketing Function

Supervise, mentor and establish priorities for the Marketing Coordinator.
Translate institutional strategy into clear marketing priorities and an actionable annual communications and marketing calendar.
Manage external marketing, advertising, design, photography, video, website, printing and other vendors as appropriate.
Develop and manage the marketing budget in partnership with the Head of School and CFO.
Work collaboratively with the Director of Enrollment Management and Director of Development to coordinate priorities, campaigns and communications.
Build strong relationships across the School and establish effective systems for gathering stories, accomplishments, photography, video and other content.
The ideal candidate is an experienced marketing and communications leader who combines strategic thinking with strong execution skills and has a passion for mission-driven education. In addition, the successful candidate will bring:

5–7 years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, brand management, enrollment marketing or a related field, with increasing levels of responsibility.
Demonstrated success developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies that produce measurable results.
Experience developing marketing strategies that support enrollment, admissions, customer acquisition or organizational growth.
Strong understanding of brand strategy, digital marketing, social media, website strategy, email marketing, paid advertising and analytics.
Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, presentation and interpersonal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to use data, market research and analytics to inform strategy and evaluate effectiveness.
Experience supervising staff and managing external agencies, consultants and vendors.
A collaborative leadership style and the ability to partner effectively with a Head of School, senior leaders and Board of Trustees.
The ability to work effectively across departments, particularly in close partnership with enrollment and development professionals.
Strategic thinking paired with the willingness and ability to execute in a lean, highly collaborative environment.
Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Experience in a Catholic independent school setting is strongly preferred, with an understanding of the mission, culture and competitive dynamics of faith-based independent education.
Experience in a single-sex school environment, particularly an all-girls school, is highly valued, along with a demonstrated understanding of the distinctive benefits and value proposition of girls’ education.
A genuine commitment to the mission and values of Sacred Heart education.

Why This Role Matters
The Director of Marketing role at Sacred Heart Academy is not simply a traditional communications position, it is a mission-critical strategic leadership role at a school poised for growth.
With new leadership, a re-energized community and clear strategic priorities, the next Director of Marketing will have the opportunity to:

Shape and lead the School’s comprehensive marketing and brand strategy.
Play a central role in achieving SHA’s enrollment growth goals.
Strengthen SHA’s visibility and competitive position throughout the region.
Build a compelling and consistent narrative around the value of a Sacred Heart and all-girls education.
Partner with Development to amplify philanthropy, alumnae engagement and campaign priorities.
Use data, digital strategy and market intelligence to drive decision-making.
Build a strong and sustainable marketing function that supports the School’s long-term growth.