Director of Strategic Communications

UIOWA•Iowa City, IA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

University Human Resources (UHR) at the University of Iowa supports approximately 30,000 faculty and staff, aiming to create a welcoming, respectful, and supportive workplace. UHR's work directly contributes to the university's success in education, research, and patient care by supporting employees throughout their careers. The Director of Strategic Communications will collaborate with UHR leadership to achieve these goals by using communication to highlight key programs and initiatives. This role oversees and manages important employee programs such as Discover Your University and Hawkeyes for Charity. The position requires an innovative and creative internal communications leader skilled in conceptualizing, coordinating, and disseminating audience-focused content to build trust and assist UI employees. The director will need to build and maintain relationships within UHR and across campus, and translate complex operational and strategic initiatives into clear and concise messages for faculty and staff. The director will report to the senior director of internal communication and public relations in the Office of Strategic Communication (OSC) with a secondary reporting line to the chief human resources officer in UHR, and will serve as a member of the UHR leadership team. The ideal candidate will have experience in internal and/or employee communications, cross-departmental collaboration, and using communication to support strategic goals. The position is primarily on-site during training, with a potential for a hybrid arrangement afterward. This position is eligible for hybrid work within Iowa, requiring a work arrangement form upon employment, with annual reviews to ensure compliance with remote work policies.

Requirements

Master’s degree in strategic communication, public relations, higher education administration, journalism, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, or marketing, preferably in higher education.
Proven ability to develop an effective communication plan to achieve organizational goals.
Superb strategic planning, writing, editing, and communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks while achieving a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
Knowledge of issues facing higher education, including relations with state and federal governments, and other important external and internal constituencies and audiences.
Demonstrated experience developing communication strategies using various channels to reach and engage key stakeholder audiences.
Demonstrated success in effectively managing people and teams.
Professional experience working effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Nice To Haves

Experience in crisis communication and crisis communication.
Knowledge of graduate education trends and challenges in higher education.
Experience with media relations, story pitching, and digital content strategy.
Familiarity with alumni engagement and donor communication strategies.
Experience supporting senior leaders as spokespeople, writing talking points, remarks, and providing media training.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement strategic communication plans for the faculty and staff audience.
Lead internal and external communication efforts that provide clear, accurate, and consistent communication of strategic themes, messages, strategic vision, goals, and priorities.
Develop and implement communication strategies, plans, and messaging frameworks around existing operations and new initiatives.
Work with the OSC media relations team to respond to media inquiries.
Build strong partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders to advance communication efforts across campus and UHR.
Implement website strategy and oversight for UHR webpages, including technical and creative functions; monitoring metrics and quality to improve user experience and engagement.
Oversee strategic communication integration within enterprise HR systems, including the recruitment CRM, through a cross-unit content strategy.
Use data, metrics, and analytics to assess, forecast, evaluate, and refine communication strategies and initiatives.
Contribute to the development and implementation of the HR strategic plan and strategic initiatives, including multi-year strategic roadmaps.
Create and maintain an annual communication plan for UHR that integrates communication strategies with UHR initiatives and university strategic plan priorities.
Regularly assess and report progress toward communication goals, adjusting strategies as needed.
Supervise other communications staff within OSC/UHR, ensuring high quality work and adherence to university policies.
Lead and mentor the communications team, fostering collaboration and accountability.
Serve on the UHR leadership team, representing OSC, UHR, and the CHRO on campus committees and initiatives.