Director of Communications

UCSF•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Director of Communications is responsible for developing and leading a comprehensive communications strategy that advances the School of Nursing’s mission and strengthens its visibility and reputation within UCSF and externally. The Director provides strategic oversight of communications planning, public affairs coordination, media relations, digital communications, and executive messaging, ensuring alignment with School priorities and UCSF institutional standards. Operating at a strategic level, the Director advises School leadership, including the Dean and senior administrative leaders, on communications strategy, messaging, and reputational considerations. The role regularly addresses complex, high-visibility communications issues—often without precedent—requiring sophisticated judgment, risk assessment, and deep expertise across written, digital, visual, and media platforms. The Director serves as the School’s primary liaison to UCSF campus communications offices and collaborates with communications leaders across the university, the University of California system, and UCOP initiatives to support coordinated institutional communications efforts. The Director participates in campus and systemwide communications networks that shape messaging and public positioning for the university. Through these partnerships, the Director ensures alignment between School communications and broader institutional priorities, contributing to cohesive messaging that supports UCSF’s strategic initiatives. As the School’s senior communications strategist, the Director leads the development of cohesive messaging and storytelling that highlights the School’s impact in education, research, and clinical care. The Director provides editorial leadership for major publications and executive communications and oversees digital platforms and content strategy to ensure alignment with institutional standards, accessibility requirements, and user experience best practices. The Director leads a small communications team and manages external vendors and freelancers, setting priorities, allocating resources, and ensuring effective execution of communications initiatives.

Requirements

Strategic communications planning
Public affairs coordination
Media relations
Digital communications
Executive messaging
Sophisticated judgment
Risk assessment
Deep expertise across written, digital, visual, and media platforms
Liaison skills with UCSF campus communications offices
Collaboration with communications leaders across the university, UC system, and UCOP
Messaging and public positioning development
Storytelling
Editorial leadership
Digital platform and content strategy oversight
Team leadership
Vendor and freelancer management

Responsibilities

Developing and leading a comprehensive communications strategy that advances the School of Nursing’s mission and strengthens its visibility and reputation.
Providing strategic oversight of communications planning, public affairs coordination, media relations, digital communications, and executive messaging.
Advising School leadership on communications strategy, messaging, and reputational considerations.
Serving as the School’s primary liaison to UCSF campus communications offices and collaborating with communications leaders across the university, the University of California system, and UCOP initiatives.
Participating in campus and systemwide communications networks that shape messaging and public positioning for the university.
Leading the development of cohesive messaging and storytelling that highlights the School’s impact in education, research, and clinical care.
Providing editorial leadership for major publications and executive communications.
Overseeing digital platforms and content strategy.
Leading a small communications team and managing external vendors and freelancers, setting priorities, allocating resources, and ensuring effective execution of communications initiatives.