Director of Communications & Public Relations

National Center for Urban Solutions•Columbus, OH

About The Position

The Communications and Public Relations Director will establish and lead a coordinated communications and public relations function for NCUS and its affiliated programs and organizations. This department-building leadership role sets strategy, creates operating systems and standards, coordinates communications across the organization, and builds the capacity to deliver consistent, timely, measurable work. The Director translates NCUS’s mission, organizational priorities, and program outcomes into clear communications for employees, students, participants, partners, funders, media, and the public. The role leads brand management, media relations, executive communications, digital and social media, content production, internal communications, and issues and crisis communications. The successful candidate is both a strategic leader and a hands-on operator who can set direction, manage projects, produce high-quality written content, advise leadership, and guide communications from request through approval, publication, and evaluation. The Director is responsible for building the department, developing organizational communications strategy, leading public and media relations, directing digital communications and content, maintaining brand standards and assets, leading internal and executive communications, managing issues and crisis communications, supporting events and organizational initiatives, and measuring performance and managing resources. During the first year, the Director will assess communications needs and capacity, recommend a department structure and resource plan, implement core workflows and standards, establish media and crisis response plans, set baseline performance measures, and report on progress and next-year priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a related field.
At least seven years of progressive experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field, including leading major initiatives or building communications capacity.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement communications strategies that support organizational goals and produce measurable results.
Experience creating or improving department workflows, communications standards, approval processes, editorial calendars, or service models.
Strong writing and editing skills across press releases, executive communications, web content, newsletters, reports, presentations, and social media.
Experience managing media relations, preparing spokespeople, responding to media inquiries, and supporting sensitive or time-critical communications.
Strong knowledge of digital communications, social platforms, web content management, email marketing, search optimization, paid digital media, and analytics.
Experience managing projects, budgets, vendors, contractors, or staff.
Ability to manage competing deadlines, exercise sound judgment, and maintain accuracy and discretion.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Teams, and Canva.
Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Commitment to collaboration, diversity, and advancing the mission of NCUS.
Demonstrated strategic judgment and ability to connect communications work to organizational priorities; strong ownership, follow-through, and transparent communication.
Ability to establish clear standards and dependable processes while remaining responsive to organizational needs.
Sound editorial judgment, attention to detail, and respect for confidentiality.
Skill in advising senior leaders and working effectively across teams, programs, and organizational levels.
Initiative, adaptability, and ability to lead through changing priorities.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a related field.
Supervisory experience.
Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and web analytics tools.

Responsibilities

Design and implement the communications department’s structure, annual work plan, service model, and priorities in alignment with NCUS’s strategic goals.
Assess communications practices, resources, channels, vendors, and organizational needs; recommend a plan to build departmental capacity.
Create and maintain procedures for intake, prioritization, assignments, editorial planning, content review and approval, brand review, media response, and asset management.
Establish service expectations, timelines, decision rights, and escalation paths for communications requests.
Develop a centralized editorial and campaign calendar for announcements, program milestones, events, recruitment, fundraising, and other priority communications.
Recommend staffing, freelance, agency, technology, and budget needs; recruit, supervise, coach, and evaluate communications staff or contractors as approved.
Build relationships with organizational leaders and staff, include communications early in planning, and update executive leadership on capacity, priorities, risks, results, and resource needs.
Develop and manage an annual communications strategy and translate leadership priorities into plans with defined audiences, messages, channels, timelines, and measures of success.
Build consistent organizational messaging and coordinate communications across NCUS entities and programs while addressing the needs of distinct audiences.
Advise the CEO and senior leaders on communications opportunities, public positioning, sensitive issues, and audience response.
Develop and implement a proactive public relations plan and build relationships with journalists, media outlets, influencers, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Prepare and distribute press releases, media advisories, statements, pitches, background materials, talking points, and interview briefs.
Coordinate media inquiries, interview requests, spokesperson preparation, and follow-up; serve as an NCUS spokesperson when designated.
Maintain media response procedures, contact lists, press archives, fact sheets, leadership biographies, key messages, and other public relations resources; track and assess media coverage.
Lead digital communications strategy, including website governance and content, search visibility, email, social media, and paid digital campaigns.
Set channel goals, audience standards, publishing practices, accessibility expectations, and response protocols; oversee content planning, production, review, publishing, and community management.
Ensure websites and digital channels are current, accurate, accessible, and consistent with NCUS messaging and brand standards.
Develop content about NCUS programs and outcomes, including articles, profiles, interviews, photography, video, newsletters, and impact reports.
Coordinate internal staff and external creative vendors to produce approved content, and establish processes for releases and permissions.
Monitor channel performance, audience feedback, and emerging issues and use findings to adjust content and channel plans.
Develop, maintain, and enforce organization-wide brand guidelines and support departments, campuses, and partners in using brand elements and messaging correctly.
Oversee quality control of communications collateral and maintain an organized library of approved assets, templates, media, boilerplate language, and published materials.
Review external-facing materials for accuracy, consistency, readability, accessibility, and alignment with organizational standards; coordinate design and production work, vendors, budgets, timelines, specifications, and approvals.
Develop an internal communications approach and partner with leadership, Human Resources, program teams, and other departments to deliver timely employee communications.
Draft and edit executive messages, speeches, presentations, talking points, announcements, reports, and other leadership communications; help leaders communicate complex or sensitive information clearly.
Establish internal announcement channels and practices and measure employee receipt and understanding of key communications.
Develop and maintain an issues and crisis communications plan, including notification procedures, roles, approvals, spokesperson protocols, holding statements, and response timelines.
Work with executive leadership and departments to assess reputational and communications risks, prepare response materials, coordinate verified and approved communications during urgent situations, and escalate emerging public concerns.
Conduct post-incident reviews as appropriate and recommend improvements to communications procedures.
Provide communications leadership for events, campaigns, announcements, launches, and organizational initiatives; develop event communications plans and represent NCUS at selected events and meetings.
Coordinate communications with partners and sponsors, including joint messaging, logo use, announcements, and public acknowledgments; ensure teams and vendors have needed information, materials, approvals, and deadlines.
Establish a performance framework tied to organizational objectives and track media, website, social, email, campaign, content, and project measures.
Report performance and recommendations to executive leadership and relevant teams; use data, audience feedback, and project reviews to improve work and resource use.
Develop and manage the communications budget, monitor spending, approve expenses within delegated authority, assess vendor performance, and maintain project records and results.
During the first year, assess communications needs, assets, channels, workflows, staffing, and external support; present a recommended department structure, resource plan, and annual strategy.
During the first year, implement a centralized request and prioritization process, editorial calendar, approval workflow, and shared asset library; publish brand standards and establish a review process.
During the first year, create media relations and response resources, an issues and crisis communications plan, baseline performance measures, and a regular reporting schedule; deliver an annual progress and priorities review.