Communications Officer

SPARK Schools is a social impact disruptor and is leading change in the education space through its network of affordable private schools. The SPARK Schools network provide transformational education innovation through Africa’s first blended learning model, which elevates student achievement and provides the tools teachers need to serve their students effectively.

The blended learning model, which combines classroom teaching and online instruction, allows teachers to anticipate student needs and equips schools to provide personalized education at an affordable cost. SPARK Schools is pioneering this transformative education model to ensure the accessibility of university and careers for all.

SPARK Schools has a culture of collaboration, because getting South Africa to lead global education takes a team effort. We are innovators who strive for excellence through persistence and a sense of urgency to achieve SPARK Schools’ vision, mission and social transformational objectives. Our work environment is vibrant/cheerful, fast-paced/dynamic, engaging/stimulating, tech-enabled and data driven.

SPARK Schools is a high growth, mission and values-driven, entrepreneurial organisation, operating 19 primary schools and 1 high school and serving over 14,000 families. We are looking for dynamic people to join our team.

**Purpose of Role**:
The Communications Officer role exists to ensure that the organisation communicates with its stakeholders (employees, customers, board, shareholders and the general public) in a timely and comprehensive manner and is a pivotal part of building and sustaining the SPARK Schools brand.

The Communications Officer enables the departments of the organisation to deliver key communication to internal and external stakeholders in an effective and organised way (according to communication best practices). The role is also responsible for supporting schools in communications to parents to ensure that they are informed and ensure that all communications have an appropriate and consistent tone and content.

**Reports To**:Communications Manager

**Responsibilities**:

- Ensure brand communications are aligned to the intended audience and that the audience’s communication strategy is applied consistently across all channels.
- Ensure organisational initiatives and projects are successfully communicated to employees and any other relevant stakeholders.
- Schedule the distribution of communications in alignment with company initiatives and project milestones.
- Conduct social media analysis (including competitor analyses) using social listening tools and deliver standardised as well as ad hoc custom social media reports.
- Manage the company’s public relations (PR) agency deliverables, ensuring quality control and that deadlines are always met.
- Collaborate cross-functionally, including with SPARK’s school leadership teams, to generate PR content and create coverage opportunities.
- Gather, draft and refine content to maximise PR opportunities as they arise.
- Collaborate with the organisation’s PR Agency and media to strategically address any crisis communication needs which affect SPARK’s reputation.
- Track analytics and create reports detailing the performance of communications campaigns.
- Design and develop effective communication processes, procedures and policies for various stakeholder groups, scenarios and objectives, including training materials as required.
- Research and analysis of trends and new technologies within the communications discipline and adoption recommendations.

**Requirements**:
**Qualifications**:

- A degree or diploma in journalism, communications, public relations, marketing or advertising management.

**Experience**:

- 2-4 years of experience in marketing communications or a closely related field.
- Experience working with social listening tools and social media management tools is essential.

**Skills and Mindset**:

- Proactive
- Strategic thinker
- Good interpersonal and relationship-building skills
- Confidence in dealing with senior leaders and training on communication techniques
- Must be organised and have great attention to detail
- Must be able to prioritise, schedule and work according to strict deadlines
- Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills
- Excellent presentation skills, including sensitivity to the needs and interests of the audience
- Must have the journalistic ability to source stories from employees, investors, strategic partners and existing customers
- Ability to keep organisational goals and values top of mind when communicating with internal and external stakeholders

**Values**: Service, Persistence, Achievement, Responsibility, Kindness

**Benefits**

**SPARK offers**:

- fair market linked remuneration
- performance-based annual bonuses and increases
- above average/good annual leave
- life, disability and funeral cover
- employee wellness support
- educational support & study leave
- individualised professi