Careers

Title: Director, Senior Communications

Department: Marketing and Promotion

Duration: Indefinite

Employment Status: Exempt, Full Time

Job Summary

Reporting to the Vice President for Marketing & Communications, the Senior Director, Communications leads the development and implementation of a strategic communication plan that aligns with the college’s mission, vision, and values. This role is responsible for overseeing the production and distribution of key communication materials, including media content, and press releases, to enhance the college's visibility and reputation. The Senior Director also serves as the college’s chief media spokesperson and plays a central role in crisis management, coordinating responses to issues and high-priority situations. Working closely with senior leadership, this position ensures that communications efforts support the institution’s strategic goals and objectives.

Job Duties

• 30% - Strategic Communication Development and Execution - Develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy that aligns with the College’s overarching goals and priorities. Create a communication strategy that effectively delivers key messages to the public, internal stakeholders, and media outlets, ensuring alignment with institutional objectives. Regularly review and adjust strategies to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness. Coordinate with other senior leaders to ensure the strategy supports institutional initiatives. Leads the strategic direction of communication efforts, ensuring a long-term vision that integrates all communication channels, both internal and external. Works closely with senior leadership to incorporate the College’s evolving strategic goals into communication plans. - (Essential)
• 20% - Newsroom and Content Oversight - Oversee and manage the College’s newsroom to ensure fresh, engaging content is produced and shared. Supervise the creation of news releases, media advisories, op-eds, and feature stories. Ensure that all materials reflect the College’s values, achievements, and events. Maintain a steady flow of new content that appeals to different audience segments, including the media, students, faculty, and the general public. Ensures that content aligns with institutional goals and emerging trends in higher education media. Guides strategic communication efforts around key institutional events, leadership initiatives, and crisis communication. - (Essential)
• 15% - Media Relations and Public Outreach - Serve as the College’s media spokesperson and build strong relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets. Actively generate media coverage that reflects the College’s key initiatives and achievements. Engage with media to position the College as an expert resource, proactively pitching stories and securing interviews with faculty and leadership. - (Essential)
• 15% - Content Creation and Copyediting - Write and edit content for both internal and external audiences, ensuring consistency and high-quality messaging. Write speeches, talking points, remarks, video scripts, and magazine columns for the president and senior staff. Copyedit and proofread content created by other departments to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with College messaging. Oversees the tone, messaging, and strategic direction of all written content produced by the College. - (Essential)
• 10% - Internal Communication Oversight - Manage regular internal communications to ensure timely, transparent, and effective dissemination of information to staff, faculty, and students. Collaborate with various departments to ensure employees and students receive critical updates about College activities, policies, and achievements. Coordinate the production of newsletters, announcements, and other communications for internal audiences. Ensures alignment between external communications and internal messages to reinforce the College’s branding and strategic goals. Lead crisis communication efforts and coordinate responses to emergencies and critical incidents. - (Marginal)
• 10% - Leadership Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement - Collaborate with senior leadership and engage with key stakeholders to align communication efforts and foster valuable partnerships. Act as a key advisor in high-level decision-making, ensuring that communications reflect institutional priorities and strategies. Engage with potential partners, donors, and key community stakeholders to create new opportunities for collaboration and support. Participate in strategic planning sessions and assist in shaping communication strategies that support long-term objectives. Plays a major role in shaping the College’s overall public relations and media strategy, collaborating closely with the executive team to reinforce institutional messaging. Cultivates high-level relationships with external partners and stakeholders, aligning partnerships with the College’s long-term goals and strategic priorities. Represents the College at high-profile external events and establishes connections that support institutional growth. - (Marginal)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a related field to position duties or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Nine years of experience in media relations, public relations, or journalism.
• Two years of supervisory experience.
• Proven track record of securing positive media coverage for an organization or institution across print, broadcast, and digital platforms.
• Demonstrated creative and strategic approach to communications planning and execution.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google drives/folders/forms, Adobe Acrobat, Web Editing, and social media applications or any combination of productivity programs applicable to position responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and thorough; skilled at anticipating and preventing potential problems and handling a wide variety of tasks with efficiency and accuracy.
• Strong commitment to a quality work product.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally, in writing and electronically.
• Effective interpersonal skills as evidenced in the ability to collaborate with a variety of constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, inclusion & diversity.
• Demonstrated skill in adapting to and performing work effectively in high-volume, high accountability, confidential environment with multiple and changing priorities.
• Effective organizational, logistical, time management and planning skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects simultaneously, prioritize and fulfill the functions of an office in a timely manner.
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently.
• Ability to provide effective leadership and training, and to work effectively and professionally across functions, disciplines, levels, and with diverse groups.
• Knowledge of contemporary leadership and management methods to ensure employee success and achievement, and demonstration of related and applicable skills as evidenced by the ability to effectively direct, assess and evaluate performance of direct reports.
• Ability to effectively design, define, describe and document job functions, responsibilities, tasks, and required qualifications associated with supervised positions, and the demonstrated skills in assessing candidates’ experience, knowledge, skills and abilities when hiring for vacant positions, ensuring the best choice of candidate.
• Ability to provide employee development, training and opportunities for direct reports to demonstrate performance achievement and success; recognizing performance of both above standards and needs improvement and respond accordingly.
• Skilled at communicating feedback verbally, in writing and electronically; and documenting performance via introductory and annual performance appraisals.
• Skilled in developing and determining corrective employment/performance/behavioral strategies, as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute performance improvement plans, conducting disciplinary action and/or determining the appropriateness of employment continuation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or other professional certifications.
• Higher education experience. Accreditation in Public Relations (APR).
• Network of contacts with local, regional, national, and international media outlets and journalists.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE:  $107,400/yr-$125,000/yr

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.  We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.