YES Prep Public Schools is hiring: Managing Director of Communications and Publi

Managing Director of Communications and Public Relations

Join to apply for the Managing Director of Communications and Public Relations role at YES Prep Public Schools.

Position: Managing Director of Communications and Public Relations

Reports To: Chief External Officer

Position Type: 12-month

Start Date: January 2026

Compensation: $119,363 - $149,204, Home Office Grade 12

About Us

At YES Prep, we work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best‑in‑class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high‑performing, team‑oriented culture.

• 21,000 Students
• 2,400 Team Members
• 16 Secondary Campuses
• 11 Elementary Campuses
• 92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced‑Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African‑American Students
• 90% Students Accepted to a 4‑Year University
• 88% First‑Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public‑school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population. We are a rapidly growing organization, committed to creating life‑changing opportunities for over 23,000 students by 2025.

Opportunity

YES Prep needs a dynamic Managing Director of Communications and Public Relations with a robust set of experiences to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw‑dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, and build transformative relationships.

To put it simply, you will build, saturate, and sustain YES Prep’s reputation as the school district of choice for families and staff.

Creative Strategy and Storytelling

• Designing and executing a comprehensive creative strategy that elevates YES Prep’s storytelling and amplifies our impact across all audiences.
• Developing a cohesive narrative framework that highlights the organization’s mission, vision, values, and achievements, ensuring stories connect emotionally and strategically with stakeholders.
• Driving innovative approaches to storytelling that integrate written, visual, and impactful data to inspire, inform, and mobilize action.
• Ensuring that YES Prep’s story is told consistently and compellingly across all platforms and channels.

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Leading the communications function with responsibility for internal communications, external communications, crisis communications, and storytelling milestones.
• Serving as the central communications strategist, ensuring alignment of messaging across families, students, staff, board members, donors, community partners, policymakers, and the broader public.
• Building and maintaining systems that ensure proactive, timely, and clear messaging for organizational priorities, changes, and initiatives.
• Acting as a trusted advisor to Chief External Officer on communications strategy and execution during key organizational moments.
• Representing YES Prep with media outlets, serving as a spokesperson, cultivating press relationships, and securing coverage that strengthens the organization’s reputation and visibility.

Crisis Communication and Reputation Management

• Establishing, maintaining, and leading protocols for crisis communication to protect YES Prep’s reputation and stakeholder confidence.
• Preparing the organization with messaging frameworks and response plans for high‑stakes or sensitive situations.
• Partnering with senior leaders and external counsel as needed to ensure compliance and consistency in all public‑facing messaging.

Brand Stewardship and Organizational Impact

• Serving as the steward of YES Prep’s brand identity, ensuring all communication aligns with the organization’s tone, values, and positioning.
• Elevating the public presence and reputation of YES Prep in Houston and across Texas through storytelling that showcases student and community impact.
• Championing a culture of storytelling internally, encouraging leaders and staff across the organization to amplify their voices in alignment with brand standards.
• Establishing benchmarks, metrics, and feedback loops to measure the impact of communications strategies on brand strength and stakeholder engagement.

Public Relations Management

• Serve as the lead spokesperson for YES Prep, representing the organization with professionalism and authenticity.