Senior Director, Communications - SE Communications

Southern New Hampshire University

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director of Student Experience Communications leads strategic communications for one of SNHU's most critical portfolios, ensuring communications are proactive, aligned with institutional priorities, and drive understanding, engagement, and measurable impact. This role shapes and advances high-impact communications strategies for complex, university-wide initiatives, delivering clear, audience-centered messaging that supports SNHU's mission and goals. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Communications, within the Office of External Affairs and Communications (OEAC), you will be a strategic advisor to Student Experience leadership, partnering to guide messaging, support change management, and ensure early engagement in planning and decision-making. This role also oversees and develops an advocate team, driving consistency, quality, and best practices, while ensuring communications efforts are coordinated, measurable, and executed with excellence across the portfolio.

Requirements

Ten years of communications experience, including senior-level advising.
Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or related field.
Demonstrated mastery in strategic communications, executive communications, and organizational change.
Proven people leadership experience (supervision, coaching, mentoring).
Exceptional writing, storytelling, and narrative framing skills.
Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills; ability to work effectively with diverse constituencies.

Responsibilities

Serve as senior strategic advisor to SNHU's Chief Experience Officer.
Leads communication strategy for major institutional initiatives within Student Experience, change efforts, and leader communications.
Provide expert counsel on narrative framing, strategic messaging, and risk mitigation.
Accountable for communications outcomes across the assigned portfolio, including strategic alignment, effectiveness, and partner experience.
Supervise a team, providing coaching, feedback, and professional development.
Set strategic direction for the advocate function Student Experience and ensure consistency, quality, and best-practice adoption.
Set expectations and ensure consistent adoption of advocate best practices and OEAC standards.
Balance workload and allocate resources within the portfolio in collaboration with OEAC partners.
Lead development of comprehensive communications plans, message architecture, and key narratives for major initiatives.
Oversee execution quality, ensuring communications are audience-centered, clear, and aligned to strategy.
Lead or contribute to crisis communications and executive messaging within the portfolio as needed.
Evaluate effectiveness of strategies, messages, and channels using data, feedback, and insights.
Identify improvements and share learnings to strengthen OEAC practices.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.