Director of Public Relations and Issues Management
About The Position
The Director of Public Relations and Issues Management will lead and execute reputation-enhancing and protecting communication initiatives, including media relations, issues management, crisis communications and executive positioning. The Director plays a crucial role in supporting and enhancing the university’s position among its stakeholders, the community and within the higher education landscape. This role exists in a marketing and communications and higher education environment that moves quickly, changes often, and rewards curiosity, adaptability and strategic thinking. Successful team members are collaborative, forward thinking, and comfortable working across functions to solve problems, seize opportunities to advance institutional goals and adapt with intention and data rather than instinct alone. This role requires a commitment to continuous learning; how audiences discover, evaluate, and engage with institutions across all channels (i.e. search, earned, social, AI-driven platforms). That means bringing a genuine appetite for learning, a willingness to test and iterate, and the judgment to know when a new tool, technology or idea serves our goals and when it does not. We view change as a source of insight rather than disruption and approach our work with agility, transparency, accountability and honesty. We move quickly, we learn out loud, and remain focused on outcomes that support the University’s mission and strategic priorities.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Public Relation, Communications, Journalism, English or a related field.
- 7+ years of substantial demonstrated experience in public relations and/or related fields including media, journalism or equivalent combination of experience and education.
- Strong writing ability across media, from journalistic writing to social media, including solid research and editing skills.
- Demonstrated experience with media relations and social media tools, including media databases and media coverage/social media analysis software.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask, work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to establish relationships with news media.
- Demonstrated experience in crisis and issues management.
- Working knowledge of marketing and communications (social media, advertising, promotion, web, etc.).
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Drupal and Cision.
- Multimedia experience including photography, videography, graphic design, and graphic design.
- Master’s degree
Responsibilities
- Serve as Saint Joseph’s University spokesperson and primary contact for all news media requests. Represent the University during interactions with the press.
- Lead University-wide issues and crisis communications strategy during high-risk incidents, reputational threats and emergency situations.
- Alongside the Vice President of Marketing and Communications and University Counsel, advise senior leadership during situations with reputational risk, providing strategic messaging guidance and media response recommendations.
- Develop a media relations strategy that is opportunistic and aligns press coverage and university news during key enrollment dates to ensure a positive narrative for the university.
- Build, develop and maintain strong working relationships with reporters locally and nationally within key industry verticals to effectively communicate major University initiatives and news.
- Serve as a critical leader on the University Bias Activity Reporting Group and the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). Distribute messages through the University’s emergency notification system, as needed.
- Manage University standards and guidelines for media relations.
- Lead media monitoring, reporting and analysis to support the division, oversee the production of a news monitor for business intelligence.
- Liaise with media, coordinating requests for interviews with faculty experts, escorting crews, sitting in on interviews with experts and conducting necessary follow-up including researching answers to questions.
- Media train faculty experts and senior leadership throughout the University, and ensure they feel prepared and empowered to engage with the media. Provide feedback and coaching after interviews.
- Conduct industry and trend research. Brainstorm and develop fresh ideas for public relations campaigns and activations.
Benefits
- Pay will be commensurate with work experience and educational background.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
