Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

Senior Director of Marketing & CommunicationsDenver Scholarship Foundation is seeking a passionate, driven individual with the desire to learn, grow, and excel in a culture that values every member of the team. DSF was named one of the Denver's Top Workplaces in 2026 (7 year recipient of Top Workplaces), a testament to our team and to our intentionality in co-creating a positive, inclusive work environment. When you join the DSF team, you will enjoy a supportive, and innovative environment where your work has a profound impact on the lives of students and their families.As a nonprofit organization, DSF's mission is to inspire and empower DPS students to enroll in and graduate from postsecondary institutions of higher education, by providing the tools, knowledge, and financial resources essential for success. By embodying the core values of equity, innovation, leadership, learning, relationships, and integrity in everything we do. DSF strives to be a leader within the community, as we constantly seek to improve our services, we build strong relationships with college staff members, partners, students, team members and the broader community. We are committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, believing in the value and ability of all students and team members.We seek candidates who will model, live, and reinforce DSF's mission and core values with colleagues, students, families, and the broader community. If you are passionate about the philosophy and mission of DSF, then we invite you to join us and help make college possible for Denver's students.Job Summary The Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, serves as the strategic leader of DSF's brand, storytelling and communications efforts and is a key member of the Growth and Engagement leadership team. This role oversees and supervises the development and implementation of DSF's overall marketing, communications, public relations, and media strategies that strengthen DSF's visibility, deepen engagement with key audiences and directly support the organization 's programmatic, fundraising, and community impact goals. This position works to ensure that the highest strategic priorities of the organization are realized through branding, messaging and externally facing channels. The Senior Director of Marketing & Communications is a visionary, creative, energetic, and strategic-minded professional who is responsible for stewarding all aspects of communication and marketing while overseeing a multifunctional team to do the same. This role partners closely with other members of the Growth and Engagement leadership team, Programs and Executive Leadership to ensure communications effectively reach and resonate with donors, partners, students, and the broader community. Successful candidates for this role demonstrate strong leadership skills, manage multiple projects simultaneously, thrive in a fast-paced environment, value working collaboratively with colleagues while showing concern for people and community— demonstrate presence, self-confidence, common sense, public speaking, good listening, and bring experience in staff supervision, motivation, media, public relations, and professional development.Strategic OwnershipOrganizational brand, voice, and messaging strategyCommunications planning, prioritization, and alignment across departmentsFundraising communications strategy (campaigns, appeals, donor engagement)Program communications strategy supporting students, Scholars, families and partnersContent and storytelling strategy across all platformsMedia relations and public positioningAudience engagement and channel strategyMarketing data analysis and interpretationJob ResponsibilitiesStrategic LeadershipLead the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy aligned with DSF's strategic plan, organizational, and Growth and Engagement Team goalsServe as a strategic partner to the Chief Growth & Engagement Officer and Growth and Sr. Director of Individual Philanthropy to ensure communications directly support fundraising outcomes, donor acquisition, and engagement strategiesAlign messaging, storytelling, and campaigns across fundraising, programs, and community engagementParticipate in Growth and Engagement planning, contributing to revenue strategy, campaign planning, and audience segmentationPartner with Executive Leadership to align strategic communications with organizational priorities and external positioningDevelop strategic, creative marketing, content, and campaigns across diverse media channels to increase target audience participation in and support of key initiativesOversee research and interpretation of customer and audience informationNarrative, Brand & Content StrategyDefine and steward DSF's organizational narrative to ensure clarity, consistency, and emotional resonance across all audiencesEnsure all communications reflect DSF's mission, values, and impact while supporting both fundraising and programmatic prioritiesOversee development and approval of high-quality content including campaigns, digital communications, publications, program-facing materials, and leadership communicationsMaintain and evolve DSF's brand standards, ensuring consistency across all materials and platformsCreate and share talking points with DSF Board members and staffMedia, Public Relations & External PositioningLead DSF's media and public relations strategy to increase visibility and strengthen public positioningBuild and steward relationships with key media outlets and partnersServe as spokesperson as needed and prepare organizational leaders for media engagementCollaborate and lead joint messaging, media and PR opportunities with partner organizationsProgram and Engagement CommunicationsCollaborate with Sr. Director of Individual Philanthropy to design and execute messaging and engagement in support of integrated fundraising campaigns, including annual giving, Colorado Gives Day, major gift storytelling, and event-related communicationsDevelop messaging strategies that support donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade across giving levelsEnsure communications effectively support donor stewardship, cultivation, and engagement experiencesCollaborate with the Events team to align communications with event strategy and outcomesPartner with Program teams to ensure clear, accessible, and effective communications for students, Scholars, families, and partnersEnsure messaging reflects DSF's impact across the full student journey and community ecosystemWork with external partners including college partners, funding, and community partners on joint messaging opportunitiesData, Performance & Audience InsightsDefine and track key performance indicators for communications effectiveness, including engagement, reach, conversion, and fundraising impactUse data (digital analytics, campaign performance, audience insights) to inform strategy and decision-makingContinuously refine audience segmentation and channel strategies to improve engagement and outcomesCoaching and Workflow ManagementProvide oversight, supervision, and mentorship to the Communications Manager, Digital Marketing and Social Media Coordinator, and Creative Design ManagerEstablish clear systems for prioritizing communications requests across departments, ensuring alignment with strategic prioritiesCreate and manage editorial calendars and campaign planning processes that support organizational goalsImplement workflows that improve efficiency, clarity, and cross-team coordinationBuild and manage an annual budget to achieve marketing and communications goalsProvide oversight to outside agencies, vendors, and consultantsRequirementsEducation and ExperienceBachelor's degree, preferably with a concentration in advertising, marketing, business administration, or communications with a minimum of 10 years in successful marketing and management experience.Experience using digital and social advertising platforms, tools, and campaigns to support fundraising initiatives and increase brand awareness.Experience creating high-quality content for consumption, including writing for the web, print, and social media, and editing and proofreading to ensure a high level of quality controlOverarching brand ownership and storytelling expertise for an organization of our sizeTranslating data and organizational performance metrics into storytellingBenefits$114,000 to $142,000401(k) plan with $ for $ match of up to 5%Group health, dental, and vision insurance, low-cost premium plans offered. DSF pays for 90% of employee only and 70% of dependent plans.Life Insurance that provides 2 Times Your Annual SalaryFree Annual Eco RTD Bus PassShort Term and Long Term Disability InsuranceShort Term Disability Supplement (Based on Years of Service)Paid holidays (includes Winter Break