Associate Director of Communications

University of Notre Dame • Notre Dame, IN

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About The Position

The Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame is hiring an Associate Director of Communications to elevate the school’s reputation and support student recruitment. Working within the Marketing and Brand Strategy team, this professional will develop and execute creative communication initiatives that showcase Mendoza's academic excellence, faculty research, and values-based education. The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer and storyteller who thrives in a collaborative environment and can seamlessly manage content across digital, print, social media, and public relations platforms.

Position Summary: Reporting to the Director of Strategic Communications, the Associate Director serves as a strategic communications leader responsible for increasing awareness, engagement and affinity among prospective students, alumni, corporate partners, media and other key stakeholders. The role will focus particularly on advancing Mendoza’s graduate programs—especially the MBA program—through targeted editorial campaigns, reputation-building initiatives and compelling storytelling that attracts talented students seeking a world-class, mission-focused business education. The successful candidate will possess a strong record of developing communications strategies, producing exceptional content, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and building trusted relationships with faculty, academic leaders, and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, English, marketing or a related field.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, journalism, public relations, higher education communications, content marketing or a related field.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with a portfolio demonstrating the ability to create compelling content for diverse audiences and channels.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic communications plans that advance organizational goals.
• Proven ability to translate complex topics into engaging, accessible and audience-centered content.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience building productive relationships with senior leaders, faculty, subject matter experts or other stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to editorial excellence.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in higher education, business education, academic communications, research communications or journalism.
• Proficiency with the Associated Press Styleguide.
• Experience supporting student recruitment, enrollment marketing or audience acquisition initiatives.
• Familiarity with media relations, reputation management and thought leadership strategies.
• Experience with content management systems, email marketing platforms, analytics tools and social media management.
• Knowledge of emerging communications technologies, digital listening tools and AI-enabled content workflows.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic communications initiatives that strengthen Mendoza’s reputation among prospective students, alumni, corporate partners, peer institutions and media audiences.
• Partner with the Integrated Marketing team to create communications strategies that support enrollment goals and differentiate Mendoza in a competitive higher education landscape.
• Lead editorial and content marketing campaigns designed to attract high-achieving students who seek a values-based, purpose-driven business education.
• Develop audience-focused communications plans that support awareness, consideration and engagement across the prospective student journey.
• Identify, research, write and edit compelling stories that showcase Mendoza’s faculty expertise, research impact, student experiences, alumni success and academic excellence.
• Produce high-quality content across multiple platforms, including websites, newsletters, magazines, social media, videos and marketing materials.
• Develop long-form editorial content and thought leadership initiatives that advance the College’s strategic priorities and strengthen its reputation.
• Contribute to annual publications and special projects highlighting Mendoza’s academic programs, faculty achievements and institutional impact.
• Lead proactive reputation-building efforts through targeted media pitching, strategic storytelling and content placement opportunities.
• Develop and manage paid editorial and sponsored content opportunities that support the College’s reputation and enrollment objectives.
• Design and implement targeted editorial campaigns across media outlets, social platforms, websites and newsletters to increase awareness among key audiences.
• Create external engagement strategies that strengthen relationships with alumni, corporate recruiters, industry leaders and other influential stakeholders.

Benefits

• The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment.
• Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level