Director, Communications & External Relations

Auburn University•Auburn, AL

94d

About The Position

The College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC) at Auburn University is seeking a Director of Communications & External Relations. This strategic leadership role is crucial as the college undergoes an ambitious institutional repositioning over the next five years. Key initiatives include leading a capital campaign, planning and fundraising for a new research and teaching facility, developing a new brand identity and website, and launching a publication platform. The Director will lead a dedicated communications team, reporting to the Dean, and serve as a strategic partner in the college's leadership circle. The CADC comprises three schools: Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture; Building Science; and Industrial and Graphic Design, offering a range of undergraduate and graduate programs. The college emphasizes inquiry, making, and public engagement, aiming to shape the built and informational environment through creative practice, research, teaching, and outreach, aligning with Auburn University’s land-grant mission.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
10 years of experience in external relations and communications industry related to academic, media, marketing, and/or public relations.
2 years of experience supervising full time employees.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated fluency in design culture and the ability to communicate across creative, technical, and construction fields.
Exceptional writing and editorial judgment, able to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
Experience leading multi-platform storytelling across digital, print, video, and emerging media.
Experience supporting advancement and campaign communications in academic, cultural, or design-driven organizations.
Capacity to operate strategically and tactically within a dynamic, intellectually rigorous, multidisciplinary environment.
Established relationships with media and communication outlets.

Responsibilities

Partner directly with the CADC Dean to define and execute a communications strategy aligned with capital campaign priorities, facilities planning, and institutional repositioning, serving as a senior advisor on institutional messaging and public positioning.
Lead the college’s marketing, communications, public relations, and external engagement initiatives across all schools and programs.
Serve as a strategic advisor on messaging related to advancement, major gifts, naming opportunities, and donor engagement.
Work in partnership with the Dean, external strategy consultants, and university partners to steward the development and implementation of a college-wide brand identity system.
Strengthen relationships with alumni, industry partners, and key stakeholders through thoughtfully designed programming, events, and communications.
Serve as the primary point of contact for media inquiries and collaborate closely with Auburn University’s central Office of Communications and Marketing.
Shape and communicate narratives around the college’s research, design, and outreach-situating faculty and student work within broader disciplinary and public conversations-across print, digital, video, social, exhibition, and public programming platforms.
Provide strategic oversight for the CADC website and digital platforms, guiding the design and implementation of a new college website while ensuring clarity, coherence and alignment with broader communications priorities.
Oversee the launch and cultivation of CADC PRESS, advancing publication initiatives that promote, circulate, and archive faculty and student work.
Provide leadership, mentorship, and professional development for the college’s communications team, including designers, writers, and student staff.