CGU- Director of Executive and Advancement Communications

Claremont Graduate University

10d • $90,000 - $105,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Claremont Graduate University (CGU) seeks an accomplished writer, editor, and communications strategist to serve as Director of Executive and Advancement Communications for a 12-month term appointment during a consequential period of institutional transformation. Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Director will lead the development, shaping, and coordination of executive communications that articulate CGU’s direction, priorities, decisions, and evolving story to internal and external audiences. Working closely with the President, executive leadership, and other university partners, the Director will help ensure that communications are clear, consistent, timely, credible, and aligned with the university’s strategic objectives. This is a highly collaborative and hands-on role for an exceptional writer and editor who can translate complex institutional issues into compelling, engaging communications. The Director will play a particularly important role in communicating CGU’s transformation — helping university leaders explain not only what is changing, but why it matters and how those changes advance CGU’s mission and future. The Director will also serve as a key point of coordination for media relations, including responding to media inquiries, preparing university leaders for interviews, and helping shape external messaging on issues affecting the institution. The ability to act proactively, strategically, and punctually is essential.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and significant professional experience in executive communications, strategic communications, journalism, public relations, higher education, or a related field
• 10 or more years of relevant professional experience.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with strong editorial judgment — the ability to identify the essential message within complicated subject matter and shape it for different audiences and purposes.
• Demonstrated experience developing communications for organizational change, institutional transformation, reputation management, crisis communications, and other high-stakes environments.
• Proven ability to communicate complex or rapidly evolving issues clearly and effectively to multiple constituencies.
• Experience working directly with university presidents, CEOs, or other senior executives, providing candid and strategic communications counsel, with an understanding of the collaborative and iterative nature of that work.
• Experience managing media inquiries, developing institutional responses, and preparing senior leaders for interviews and external engagements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, shifting circumstances, and tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• High degree of discretion, diplomacy, and professionalism when handling confidential or sensitive institutional matters.
• Strong understanding of the audiences, governance structures, and communications dynamics characteristic of higher education or similarly complex institutions.
• Ability to work collaboratively across executive leadership, Advancement, Marketing, academic leadership, and other university functions while maintaining a consistent institutional voice and message.

Nice To Haves

• An exceptional writer who values clarity over jargon.
• A sophisticated editor who can strengthen both message and voice, often in nuanced ways.
• A strategic thinker who understands that communications can help institutions navigate change, build trust, and create understanding.
• Comfortable operating in an environment where circumstances and information may evolve quickly.
• Diplomatic but willing to offer candid counsel to senior leaders.
• Able to rapidly develop fluency in complex subjects.
• Highly collaborative while also capable of independently driving work from concept through completion.
• Attentive to accuracy, confidentiality, and institutional reputation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of communications for the President and other senior university leaders, working in close partnership with the Vice President for Advancement and Associate Vice President of Marketing to ensure alignment across executive, advancement, and institutional communications.
• Write, shape, and edit speeches, remarks, presentations, correspondence, institutional messages, statements, opinion pieces, and other executive materials, capturing the distinct voice of university leaders while advancing CGU’s priorities and institutional narrative.
• Translate complex academic, financial, operational, and strategic matters into clear and accessible communications for internal and external audiences.
• Provide senior-level editorial judgment and counsel on message, tone, timing, audience, and communications strategy.
• Lead communications supporting CGU’s institutional transformation, helping executive leadership articulate the university’s direction, priorities, decisions, milestones, and progress.
• Develop clear narrative and messaging frameworks for complex or evolving issues, anticipating stakeholder questions, and adapting communications quickly as circumstances change.
• Coordinate the sequencing of major institutional communications across audiences and channels in partnership with Advancement and Marketing.
• Ensure that communications about institutional change are timely, accurate, consistent, and grounded in CGU’s mission and long-term direction.
• Serve as a principal point of contact for media inquiries and coordinate institutional responses in consultation with appropriate university leadership.
• Develop media statements, talking points, background materials, interview preparation, and other external communications, and prepare senior leaders for media and public engagements.
• Anticipate and monitor emerging issues that may affect the university’s reputation, advising leadership on communications strategy and leading rapid-response and crisis communications when needed.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with journalists and media contacts.
• Partner with Advancement colleagues to strengthen the quality, clarity, and consistency of university content and storytelling across platforms and audiences.
• Provide senior-level editorial review and guidance on priority stories, features, profiles, campaign content, institutional narratives, and other high-visibility communications.
• Help identify, write, and shape compelling stories that demonstrate CGU’s academic strengths, student and alumni impact, faculty expertise, philanthropic priorities, and distinctive role in graduate education.
• Support the development of strong narrative frameworks, messaging, and editorial standards that enable Marketing and Advancement teams to create content that is accurate, engaging, and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Serve as a trusted communications advisor to the President and executive leadership, working in close partnership with the Vice President for Advancement and Associate Vice President of Marketing on institutional positioning, reputation, and major communications priorities.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen CGU’s external profile by communicating the university’s distinctive academic strengths, impact, leadership, and future direction.
• Help ensure alignment across executive communications, advancement communications, marketing and brand communications, and other major university messaging.
• Exercise sound judgment in confidential, sensitive, and rapidly evolving situations, proactively presenting leadership with communications options, implications, and recommended approaches.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
• Group life insurance
• Retirement plan with a 8% employer contribution — no employee match required (after 1 year of service)
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Winter closure in December, subject to institutional approval
• Tuition reimbursement program available to eligible employees and their dependents for approved coursework, subject to plan guidelines and institutional policies

What This Job Offers

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