Senior Director of Strategic Communications & Media Relations: College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies - UTK

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

15h

About The Position

The Senior Director of Strategic Communications & Media Relations reports directly to the Dean of the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) and serves as a key member of the Dean’s Cabinet Leadership Team. This highly visible, strategic leadership role shapes and amplifies the College’s voice, positioning CECS as a national leader in the future of higher education within emerging, interdisciplinary, and workforce-driven education. The Senior Director provides executive-level direction for strategic marketing, communications, and external affairs, driving cohesive branding, compelling storytelling, and high-impact visibility initiatives. The role aligns the Dean’s public presence that includes speeches, media engagements, and high-profile appearances with the College’s mission, priorities, and growth strategy, while overseeing the creation of integrated digital, print, and social media content that is accurate, engaging, and brand consistent. The Senior Director also spearheads special initiatives and signature visibility campaigns, develops and executes comprehensive annual communications plans with measurable outcomes, and serves as the central strategic connector among the Dean’s Office, marketing and communications teams, and key campus and external partners. The Senior Director will provide strategic supervision and mentorship to the Director of Campus Marketing and Communications, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, and Events Manager with a dotted line to the Student Success Coordinator. In close partnership with the Dean, the Senior Director will build a high-performing, collaborative team culture that values innovation, accountability, and excellence. Collectively, this leadership ensures CECS’s story is told with clarity, purpose, and impact, advancing the College’s reputation, influence, and long-term success on a national and global stage. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service. UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone. The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Responsibilities

Shapes and amplifies the College’s voice, positioning CECS as a national leader
Provides executive-level direction for strategic marketing, communications, and external affairs
Drives cohesive branding, compelling storytelling, and high-impact visibility initiatives
Aligns the Dean’s public presence with the College’s mission, priorities, and growth strategy
Oversees the creation of integrated digital, print, and social media content
Spearheads special initiatives and signature visibility campaigns
Develops and executes comprehensive annual communications plans with measurable outcomes
Serves as the central strategic connector among the Dean’s Office, marketing and communications teams, and key campus and external partners
Provides strategic supervision and mentorship to the Director of Campus Marketing and Communications, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, and Events Manager
Builds a high-performing, collaborative team culture that values innovation, accountability, and excellence