Role: Director of Marketing and Communications
Location: Oxford High School (GDST)
Required from: September 2026 or sooner if possible
Contract term: Permanent
Hours: Full time
Salary: £78,000–£88,000 pa depending on experience, plus excellent benefits
Shape the next chapter of one of Oxford’s leading independent schools.
Oxford High School, part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), is seeking an experienced marketing leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as Director of Communications, Marketing and Admissions.
Founded in 1875, Oxford High is the city's oldest girls' school and one of the country's most academically distinguished, with a reputation built on genuine intellectual rigour and exceptional pastoral care. This is a strategic leadership role, reporting directly to the Head, with responsibility for marketing, admissions, philanthropy and alumnae engagement across our Senior and Prep schools.
You will be joining a school with a compelling story to tell, and the strategic room to tell it well. Oxford High's ethos of intellectual challenge combined with real heart gives girls the freedom to take risks, find their voice and become confident, original thinkers - an identity that resonates strongly with prospective families once they encounter it. As Director of Communications, Marketing and Admissions, you will drive recruitment and retention at key transition points (Junior, Year 7, Sixth Form), take ownership of digital marketing, PR and events, and work alongside the GDST's central Marketing and Philanthropy teams.
About you
We're looking for an accomplished marketing professional with a strong track record in customer acquisition, retention and brand growth, whether gained within independent education or in a comparably competitive, consumer-facing corporate environment.
You'll bring evidence of driving enquiries, conversions or retention, confidence with data and digital marketing, and the ambition to lead a team and shape strategy rather than just execute it. Experience of the independent education sector is an advantage but not essential. What matters most is a genuine motivation to apply your skills to girls' education and excitement at the opportunity to grow within one of the UK's leading school trusts.
About the School:
Since its foundation over 150 years ago, Oxford High School has been innovative and pioneering in its approach to girls’ education.
Today, Oxford High School is a happy and vibrant place to work: our students are highly motivated and ambitious, supportive yet self-aware. From our youngest Reception pupils through to our longest-serving members of staff, there is a real sense of pride at being part of the Oxford High community.
Benefits:
As part of the GDST, the UK's leading network of independent girls' schools, we can offer a variety of benefits, such as:
Competitive salaries and pay progression
Access to extensive professional development opportunities
Training grants for qualifications
Generous pension schemes
Free life assurance benefit
A discount of up to 50% on fees for children at GDST schools
Interest free loans for training, computer purchase loans and travel season ticket loans
A Cycle to Work scheme
Competitive terms and conditions of employment
Application Deadline: 18:00 pm Monday 24th August.
Interviews will take place in the week commencing Tuesday 1st September 2026
References for candidates invited to interview will be taken before the interview.
We reserve the right to interview at any point during the recruitment process, so early applications are encouraged.
The GDST are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers, online checks and the Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
We welcome applications regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion. Your current or last employer will be asked for a reference and will be contacted prior to interview. Verification of right to work, and qualifications will be required at interview.
The Girls’ Day School Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection checks appropriate to the post, including online searches and checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.
