"Director, Executive Communications"

Job Details

Reporting to the AVP for Strategic Communication, the Director of Executive Communications is responsible for proactively planning and creating communication content for the President, Provost, Board of Visitors, Office of Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives and First Lady to support a range of activities, including internal and external speeches and presentations, meetings with elected officials, invitations and videos for special events and the President’s social media platforms. In addition, the Director will produce official university updates and reports for strategic university initiatives (e.g., strategic plans, employee surveys, annual reports) while ensuring proper alignment with the university’s strategic priorities and the President’s priorities, as well as strict adherence to the university’s branding and writing style guidelines.

The Director will work closely with the Chief of Staff and tap into subject matter experts from the offices of Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives, Institutional Research, Enrollment Management, Finance and Administration, and Academic Affairs, among others, to ensure executive communications reflect accurate, up-to-date information from across the university. In addition, the Director will leverage the full range of Marketing and Communication resources to support executive communications, including photography, videography, public relations, and graphic and digital design.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience developing and implementing executive communication plans across a variety of platforms (speeches, presentations, video, social media) and measuring their effectiveness
• Strong writing, verbal communication, research and interpersonal skills, including collaborating with senior leaders to understand their needs and meet their expectations
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work on multiple projects and assignments simultaneously
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a team player and independently to produce high-quality results
• Demonstrated experience establishing strong relationships with senior leaders and handling confidential information with the utmost discretion
• Working knowledge of email marketing software, such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, EMMA or a similar program
• Working knowledge of social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Instagram
• Strong portfolio of executive communications materials, including print, digital and multimedia.
• Proficiency with the full suite of Microsoft Office products, including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Education and Years of Experience

• Master’s degree in a related field required (English, journalism, communication, public relations, public policy, business, organizational leadership) or a bachelor's degree with related experience equivalent to the master's level
• 7 to 10 years of relevant work experience supporting executive communications in a higher education, corporate, government, or nonprofit setting

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting presidents or chancellors and working closely with chiefs of staff in higher education settings
• Experience using project management software, such as Lytho, Asana, Hive, Basecamp, Kantata