Beaver Country Day School

Director of Marketing and Communications

DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES has been retained by Beaver Country Day School, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to conduct a national search for a Director of Marketing and Communications.

Beaver Country Day School, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, seeks a Director of Marketing and Communications.

Beaver Country Day School is an independent day school serving 460 students in grades 6-12. Founded in 1920 and propelled by our progressive roots, our goal is to expand the nature of school. With over 40 local and national partnerships, almost daily field trips, a thriving performing and visual arts program, and a best-in-class Research + Design Center, we are able to combine rigorous academics with real-world application, focusing on teaching content combined with experience applying it to current issues. Our athletic program offers first-rate athletic and fitness opportunities that prioritize the whole athlete. The school fosters a joyful environment where students feel confident taking risks and being their authentic selves, where everyone—students and adults alike—feels a sense of belonging, and where teachers have the freedom to innovate and grow alongside their students. For more background on the school, please visit: www.bcdschool.org. This opportunity is available immediately and will be filled following a national search, once the candidate of choice is identified and selected.

The Director of Marketing and Communications is responsible for strengthening awareness and understanding of Beaver’s distinctive programs, history, and mission across key constituencies and within the wider community. Leading a team of three, the director ensures an integrated approach to the school’s creative and messaging platforms across all channels. Reporting directly to the Head of School, the Director works closely with multiple departments, including Admissions, Philanthropy and Engagement, College Counseling, Performing Arts, and Athletics, as well as senior administrators and faculty and staff.

More about Beaver

Today’s world is dynamic and demanding. Mastering facts is essential, but only the beginning. Students must know how to apply their knowledge, adapt to change, and lead with confidence and empathy. As a future-focused school, we design curriculum that goes beyond the basics, building crucial skills alongside deep content knowledge by immersing students in complex challenges and meaningful work—where ideas spark action, exploration is encouraged, and the classroom can be anywhere.

A unique aspect of our academic program includes two signature resources that not only help hone critical skills in areas such as research, technology, human-centered design thinking, and entrepreneurship, but also imbue a series of mindsets that will serve our students long after their time at Beaver. The Research + Design Center, a state-of-the-art building located at the center of campus, provides students with the tools, space, resources, and technical expertise to create, innovate, explore, and build. The Hiatt Center’s core tenets of leadership, civic engagement, and social justice help students leverage creativity & design for social impact. Each center has a dedicated staff of experts that partner with faculty and students in 6th through 12th grade to brainstorm, plan, and facilitate hands-on projects in and out of the classroom.

Fast Facts

• Co-educational, Grades 6-12
• Founded in 1920 as an all-girls independent and college-preparatory school
• Became co-educational in 1971
• 115 students in the middle school
• 350 students in the upper school
• 32% students of color, 20% faculty/staff of color
• 50% of students come from public and charter schools, 50% from independent and parochial schools
• 26% of students receive financial aid
• Located 3 miles west of Boston in Chestnut Hill (on Brookline/Newton line)
• 17-acre wooded campus in a suburban neighborhood
• Easy access to public transportation via the MBTA Green Line (Chestnut Hill stop)
• Students come from over 64 communities in and around Boston and speak 20 different languages at home

Sarah Pelmas P’25
Interim Head of School

Sarah Pelmas P’25 joined Beaver as the Interim Head of School in July 2025. Prior to that, she was Head of School at The Winsor School in Boston from 2016-2025. Previously, she held the roles of Associate Head of School and Upper School Head at the National Cathedral School in Washington, DC. She began her independent school career at San Francisco University High School where, over her 10 years there, she served as English Teacher, Interim Athletic Director, and Dean Of Students. She is currently a trustee of Belmont Hill School and serves on the boards of The 1911 Group and Heads Collegiate Forum, and is the former chair of the board of AISNE. She earned her AB from Princeton University, MA from Syracuse University and PhD from UC Berkeley. Currently, she lives in Brookline with her husband, an environmental consultant, and her younger son, a 9th-grader at BB&N. Her 2025 Beaver graduate attends Emerson College.

Major responsibilities and duties include:

• Communicate and celebrate the Beaver story with clarity and authenticity across all platforms, building on its history as a country day school and its commitment to real-world learning.
• Support the Head of School’s role as chief narrator and storyteller for Beaver.
• Advise the Head of School and senior administrators on strategic communication, especially in times of crisis.
• Create and maintain an integrated marketing plan that reinforces and shapes Beaver’s standing within the Boston market and the education community nationwide.
• Together with the Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, manage the creation of exciting and inspiring communication assets for engagement strategies, as well as donor stewardship letters, endowment reports, and the Annual Report.
• Create and maintain an overall messaging strategy for all online communication tools; evaluate and guide the school’s website design and content development; and enhance the school’s social media presence and strategy.
• Guide the planning, design, and content for a new printed Beaver Magazine, as well as the materials associated with Admissions, Philanthropy and Engagement, and other needs of the school.
• Proactively source content by engaging with faculty, students, parents, and alumni to highlight school happenings and individual profiles.
• Build and maintain key strategic relationships with internal partners to establish and foster communication among all school community members, including trustees, faculty and staff, parents, students, alumni, and volunteers.
• Oversee all aspects of the workflow in the Marketing and Communications Department, including managing all outside contractors and in-house talent, and ensuring visual and narrative consistency with Beaver’s brand.
• Develop a Beaver style guide and train the community in its use.
• Maintain understanding of new developments within the field and foster ongoing relationships with professionals at peer institutions through association involvement and professional gatherings.
• Monitor the impact of communications activities by analyzing the website, social media, and related survey metrics.
• Respond to media requests, manage public relations, and oversee the school’s crisis communications plan.
• Supervise a three-member team and manage the department budget.
• Connect fully with the life of the school and perform other duties as assigned by the Head of School.

Competitive candidates will have many, if not all, of the following work experiences, skill sets and professional characteristics:

• A deep commitment to understanding Beaver’s mission, goals, and history.
• Significant experience in communications and marketing leadership for complex institutions.
• A strong background in writing, and demonstrated skills in editing, marketing, and web and print management.
• Experience in working and building relationships with the media and an understanding of crisis communications.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking with a strong grasp of industry best practices around all aspects of communications, positioning, and messaging.
• High standards of excellence and professionalism, as well as the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Commitment to continual growth and improvement, professionally and on behalf of the department.
• Sense of humor, love of collaboration, and enthusiastic commitment to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the work.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a related field preferred.

Target Hiring Salary Range

The target hiring salary range for this position is $180k – $220k, with the final salary determined based on the candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications.

Beaver Country Day School Benefits

Beaver Country Day School offers a dynamic and supportive work environment, competitive salaries and a generous benefits package including a retirement plan, paid vacations and the full complement of health and welfare plans.

Beaver Country Day School is an Equal Opportunity employer. Beaver Country Day School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, disabilities, or sexual orientation in the administration of its policies and programs. Candidates are selected by their qualifications to meet the needs of the position.

For the candidate of choice, a thorough background check including a criminal background check is required as a condition of employment.

Contact Information

Beaver Country Day School has retained the executive search firm of Deerfield Associates Executive Search, Inc. to conduct this high-profile search.

To explore this superb career opportunity on a highly confidential basis please send a resume, a letter of interest, and four references (which will only be contacted if mutual interest is determined) to:

Doug Cooney
Executive Search Consultant
DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES Executive Search, Inc.
572 Washington Street, Suite 15
Wellesley, MA 02482
Telephone: 781-237-2800
Email: jobs@deerfieldassociates.com