Executive Director of Strategic Communications

Cal Poly Humboldt University•Humboldt, SK

2d•$6,891 - $12,084•Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Director of Strategic Communications at Cal Poly Humboldt, within the University Advancement department, serves as the official voice of the university. This role is responsible for articulating the President's vision, values, and priorities through unified messaging that highlights the university's unique story. The position supervises the News & Information team and leads the planning, implementation, and execution of integrated, compelling communications strategies that align with the overall university brand. The Executive Director is expected to actively engage with the community, represent the university publicly, and model professional communication standards. This role also involves staying current with communications industry trends, evaluating audience expectations, and understanding the communication preferences of the Cal Poly Humboldt community.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications, graphic design, English or a related communication field.
At least six (6) years of related professional experience.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience leading a dynamic communications and marketing organization in a higher education setting is highly preferred.
Minimum of eight (8) years of related professional experience, with higher education experience preferred.
Established relationships with reporters in national markets.
Graduate degree in a related field is preferred.
Experience with successfully leading a media relations program and strategy attentive to both earned and paid media.
Experience as an on-camera spokesperson.
Superior writing, editing and proofreading ability and oral communication skills.
Knowledge and/or experience producing communications materials for both English and Spanish speakers.

Responsibilities

Serve as the university spokesperson and manage the creation and direction of strategic communications.
Provide proactive guidance to departments and units on their communications strategies and tactics.
Lead emergency and crisis communications, including planning.
Write and edit speeches, remarks, talking points, scripts, letters, email messages, and reports on behalf of senior leadership.
Develop communication plans for leadership and strategic priorities under the direction of the Vice President of University Advancement.
Collaborate with the Director of Marketing, News & Information team, and campus communicators to identify opportunities for elevating university leadership priorities and brand messaging in storytelling content.
Create written, visual, and audio content for web, social media, email, and other outlets in partnership with the Director of Marketing and News & Information and Creative Services teams.
Direct all public relations activities for the university and serve as the public information officer.
Direct media relations strategy and engagement with media outlets.
Provide guidance to stakeholders who are contacted by the media.
Lead and direct the work of the News & Information staff, including hiring, performance management, and termination.
Ensure that output aligns with the university's mission, vision, values, and priorities.
Manage the day-to-day functions of the communications unit.
Define performance metrics and measure the success of specific communications or campaigns.
Establish departmental policies, practices, and procedures.
Provide input and manage the communications budget in consultation with the Vice President of University Advancement.
Provide content and strategic input for earned and paid media projects in partnership with the Director of Marketing and other campus partners.
Perform other duties as assigned.