Chief Communications Officer

Responsibilities

• Core Duties:
• Responsible for overseeing strategic communication developing long-term initiatives to meet university/organizational objectives.
• Develop strategic direction and oversee implementation of long- and short-term communication plans with direct impact to the university.
• Devise and implement creative, compelling, and effective means of communicating the innovations, employee experience, academic excellence, and essential nature of the university and its components.
• Oversee school/unit/functional area and university key messages and develop strategies impacting multiple audiences, channels, and constituencies.
• Direct staff and provide leadership to achieve communication goals supporting the university’s mission and vision. Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, personal development for direct reports and accountable for the performance of employees.
• Develop guidance on protocols and best practices for a communications functional area of responsibility.
• Collaborate with University Communications leadership and school/unit/functional areas to ensure strategic plans and activities are aligned with overall university outreach and communications.
• Direct crisis communication response including emergency matters as well as issues with reputational impact and training communication leads in the school/units in various situations.
• Minimum Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree and ten years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Depth of experience, sound judgement, and confidence befitting a strategic leadership position.
• Advanced strategic and tactical thinking ability.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large and complex issues through diverse and competing interests.
• Advanced understanding of the communications role in institutions. Excellence in communicating at all levels and for all audiences.
• Excellent influencing, negotiating, and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to earn credibility and influence opinion leaders.
• Excels at managing, editing, writing, analyzing and synthesizing complex materials and with demonstrated ability to communicate highly technical or nuanced information in a manner easily understood under time constraints.
• Creative thinker with a desire and ability to seek and optimize opportunities.
• Proven management skills and the ability to build and sustain a best in class communications team.
• Demonstrated ability to lead communication efforts across functions and school/units towards a common goal.
• Demonstrated ability to discern a strategy to move forward and make or escalate decisions as appropriate.