Director of Strategic Communication

Duke Careers•Durham, NC

20h•$78,161 - $156,319•Onsite

About The Position

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business is a top-ranked business school within a leading multi-discipline university, dedicated to advancing the understanding of management through research and providing the highest quality education. Fuqua attracts and develops those who thrive on difference, have the ability to bring out strength from others to move toward a common purpose, and who inspire entire organizations to win the right way. The school enrolls more than 1,900 students a year across ten degree programs in formats for working professional and full-time students. Fuqua also offers a portfolio of open-enrollment and tailored non-degree programs for executives. Fuqua’s faculty receive international acclaim with their research leveraged by organizations worldwide. While its home campus is in the United States, the school maintains presence in East Asia, Europe, India, and Latin America. Fuqua enjoys long-standing relationships with firms in key industries such as energy, financial services, consulting, health care, consumer goods, technology, media and entertainment. Our network of over 30,000 alumni, many of whom maintain a high level of engagement with the school, has great functional depth and industry breadth with graduates making a significant impact in their organizations and communities. Fuqua’s Global Marketing group is a centralized function responsible for understanding the school’s customers and markets; generating program revenue through campaigns; stewarding and building the brand via owned, earned, paid and shared media; promoting program and faculty thought leadership; and leading strategic school initiatives. This unit is known for agility in responding to the fundamental changes in customer behavior, channels and tactics emerging within each of the markets we serve. We focus on allocating limited resources as effectively as possible, measuring overall ROI and engagement metrics within different channels and media sources to hold ourselves accountable for improving performance in different dimensions of our work. Given our dynamic environment we value versatility and adaptability in teammates who can excel in various aspects of our function and contribute significantly to the school’s success. Fuqua seeks a Director of Strategic Communication (level 16) to shape and maintain the school’s reputation and messaging across various platforms. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Global Marketing, this position leads a 3-person team of strategic communications experts to manage public and media relations, faculty research communications, social media and community management.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
7+ years of experience in strategic communications, public relations or related field
Excellent written and verbal communications skills
Demonstrated ability in developing and executing comprehensive PR and communication strategies
Strong media relations skills and established network of media contacts
Crisis communications experience
Exceptional editorial capabilities
Familiarity with SEO principles and their application in content strategy
Proficiency in social media strategy and management
Understanding and adherence to ethical guidelines in communication, especially in an academic setting

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree in a relevant discipline
Experience in one or more of these areas: higher education, management consulting, startups, corporate communications, non-profit, agency, health care, financial services, technology, media
Understanding of international communication and global markets
Experience in executive communications and ghostwriting
Proficiency in Brandwatch, Muck Rack, Drupal, SEMrush, Sprout, Google Data Studio

Responsibilities

Develop overarching PR strategies aligned with school goals and brand positioning
Identify key narratives and storytelling opportunities to enhance the school’s reputation
Cultivate and maintain relationships with key journalists and media outlets
Approve major media releases and pitches
Oversee development and distribution of press materials
Identify opportunities to showcase faculty expertise and research
Develop and implement strategies to position the school as a thought leader in key areas
Oversee initiatives to amplify faculty, staff, alumni and student voices on external platforms
Provide strategic editorial oversight for Duke Fuqua Insights articles and podcasts
Prepare talking points and briefing materials for high-profile events and interviews
Ghostwrite speeches, opinion pieces, and social content for school leadership
Lead strategy across all owned channels to ensure each serves a distinct role in Fuqua’s strategic communications ecosystem
Develop overarching social media strategy, identifying key platforms and setting strategic objectives
Oversee the school’s blog program and social channels, ensuring authenticity and relevance
Seek opportunities to repurpose and amplify content across channels to maximize impact
Provide guidance on content themes and campaigns, and advise on the development of relevant influencer strategies and partnerships
Lead development and creation of school messaging
Develop communication plans to support organizational changes and initiatives
Advise leadership on effective communication strategies for stakeholders
Collaborate with the Associate Dean to align communication strategy with school objectives
Lead and mentor Strategic Communication team (PR Manager, Faculty Research Communications Manager, Community Manager)
Partner with the Director of Brand Marketing to align messaging and content development across earned and owned channels
Serve on Global Marketing Leadership Team
Leverage data to inform communications strategies and develop forward-thinking approaches
Steward relationships with school and faculty leadership
Develop and maintain crisis communications plans
Manage communications response during reputational issues or emergencies
Develop protocols for handling potential crises or negative situations on social media and oversee response to sensitive issues or complaints