Senior Director of Media Production, Communications Office - 25110

Position Summary: The Office of Communications is dedicated to disseminating important news, critical information, and compelling stories about New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to families, students, educators, staff, and all New Yorkers. Using multiple media platforms, the office keeps audiences informed and inspired by developing trusted resources and delivering them in a consistent, approachable, and engaging manner.

The Communications Office is responsible for the important work of fast, accurate, and responsive communication and engagement with school leadership, Central offices, parents, students, and other key stakeholders throughout the city. Under the direction of the Chief of Communications, the Senior Director of Media Production will lead creative and video production initiatives across the agency, overseeing a team of creative and production professionals, strategic planning, project management, and budget management. With operational oversight, this role will ensure the production of high-quality, impactful creative content that effectively communicates key messages across multiple platforms, including social media, the NYCPS website, and other digital and traditional communication channels.

The ideal candidate will have deep industry experience, proven leadership skills, and a passion for education, bringing innovative storytelling and creative vision to NYCPS’s communications efforts. This position is critical in supporting NYCPS’s mission by delivering engaging and accessible content that reaches students, families, educators, and the broader public, fostering transparency, engagement, and trust. Additionally, the Senior Director will collaborate with internal and external partners to align creative initiatives with organizational goals, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across all media platforms while maximizing audience reach and impact. Performs related work.

Reports to: Chief of Communications, Communications Office

Direct Reports: Director of Creative Media, Director of Digital Media.

Key Relationships: Collaborates regularly with the central communications team, including the Executive Director of Marketing & Digital Communications, Executive Director of Media Relations, Communications Directors across NYCPS, and other internal stakeholders from across the agency.

Responsibilities

Creative Leadership & Team Management

• Lead a team of creative and digital media professionals while managing a flexible roster of vendors, as needed, to produce high-quality content and optimize resource management.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture while mentoring staff and supporting their professional development.
• Provide creative direction for multimedia storytelling, ensuring alignment with NYCPS branding, tone, and voice.
• Supervise the development of multimedia content, including photography and videography, for the Chancellor, schools, events, social media, and other communications initiatives as needed.
• Oversee postproduction processes, including video editing, motion graphics, and audio production.
• Ensure all content meets accessibility compliance, including captioning, audio descriptions, and other accessibility standards.
• Maintain organized archives, files, and inventories of media assets while managing sourcing of specialized equipment, as needed.
  
  

Digital Media & Social Strategy

• Develop overarching strategies for NYCPS digital communications, ensuring effective engagement across all social media channels.
• Oversee all NYCPS social media accounts and assets, including photos and videos, ensuring content is engaging, timely, and aligned with NYCPS’s messaging priorities.
• Leverage cutting-edge digital tools and strategies to strengthen engagement with students, families, educators, and external stakeholders.
• Ensure the seamless integration of video and photography assets across NYCPS’s digital platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other channels.
• Manage multimedia assets for public announcements, including livestreaming key events, and ensure PR strategies align with media production efforts in collaboration with the Press Secretary.
  
  

Multimedia Production & Storytelling

• Oversee quality multimedia storytelling, including short-form and long-form video production for digital platforms, social media, promotional campaigns, and broader communications initiatives.
• Lead the production of photography and videography for school-based initiatives, student features, staff features, and system-wide projects.
• Coordinate visual content coverage for key events, conferences, and school visits to enhance NYCPS public messaging.
• Supervise the creation of compelling video content that amplifies student voices, showcases school achievements, and supports district-wide initiatives.
• Ensure video and creative assets are optimized for diverse platforms and audiences to maximize engagement and impact.
  
  

Podcast & Specialized Media Production

• Lead creative direction and media room staging for podcasts, including lighting, equipment setup, and video production.
• Support podcast recording, content capture, and the creation of promotional social media assets.
• Distribute podcast content across platforms, maximizing reach and engagement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams and external partners to ensure high-quality and cost-effective service delivery.
  
  

Strategy, Execution & Performance Oversight

• Plan and document detailed media production workflows, including pre-production, scheduling, post-production, and distribution strategies, to enhance efficiency and output.
• Codify workflows in writing and standardize best practices by creating and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all aspects of media production, from content creation to asset management.
• Lead and execute full production processes, ensuring projects adhere to strict timelines and budgets while delivering high-quality, engaging content across multiple media channels.
• Provide creative direction on video and multimedia projects, balancing innovation with responsiveness to feedback from senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Develop and implement creative concepts, guidelines, and strategies that align with NYCPS’s goals across digital, social, and traditional media platforms.
• Oversee project resourcing, ensuring adequate staffing, vendor support, and equipment availability to meet production demands efficiently.
• Implement sustainability practices in production operations to optimize efficiency and reduce costs.
• Use data-driven insights from analytics tools (e.g., social media engagement, video viewership, audience feedback) to refine content strategies and storytelling approaches.
• Ensure content optimization by tailoring creative assets for diverse platforms and audiences to maximize reach and engagement.
• Manage project timelines, quality assurance, and results, ensuring all content aligns with NYCPS standards and messaging priorities.
• Train teams in data-driven decision-making and present performance reports to leadership, identifying key trends and recommending strategic adjustments.
• Develop contingency plans to mitigate production risks and ensure accessibility compliance across platforms.
• Review and approve scope of work documents, budgets, and reconciliations for all creative and video production projects.
  
  

Budget Management & Resource Allocation

• Develop and oversee the budget for all media production and digital content initiatives, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Monitor costs related to video, photography, and social media asset production, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.
• Optimize the use of in-house resources versus external vendors to maximize cost efficiency while maintaining high production standards.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies and manage vendor contracts to secure cost-effective, high-quality production services.
• Work closely with finance teams to track expenditures and adjust budgets based on project needs and organizational priorities.
  
  

Qualification Requirements

Minimum

• High school graduation or equivalent and two years of training in an approved technical school in oils, watercolors, painting, design, black and white, layout and other art media and seven years full-time paid experience as a commercial artist, four years of which must have been in supervision and planning of artwork done by a staff; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1". However, all candidates must have four years of supervisory experience as described above.
  
  

Salary: $140,000 – $155,000

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

• New York City Residency is NOT Required *
  
  

We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DOE Non- Discrimination Policy

The Department of Education of the City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.