Executive Director of Communication
Company: Columbia University
Location: New York
Posted on: April 16, 2024
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Job Description:
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based
on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental
budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses,
specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the
University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of
possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Summary
The Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is the
finest liberal arts college in the United States dedicated to
making Ivy League education accessible to nontraditional students.
GS was founded in 1947 with the mission of expanding access to
elite higher education, and it remains the most diverse college in
the Ivy League, with many transfer, first-generation, and
international students. GS students are fully integrated with
Columbia's broader undergraduate population and are taught by
Columbia's celebrated faculty.
Responsibilities
The Executive Director has oversight of strategic marketing efforts
for Columbia GS, involving collaboration with relevant stakeholders
to develop and implement targeted marketing strategies aligned with
the overall communication plan for the School of General Studies.
The Executive Director oversees planning, executing, and managing
print and online communication efforts for the School of General
Studies. Responsibilities include research, conceptualization,
planning, execution, and supervision of the GS publications'
campaign. Additionally, the Executive Director assumes a
supervisory role of the teams responsible for editing and
production of all existing GS marketing materials and offers
overall project management for future publications.
Managing public relations activities on behalf of the senior team
and department heads is a key responsibility. This involves acting
as the primary liaison to the Office of Communications and Public
Affairs and overseeing all external media relations for Columbia
GS, including responding to inquiries and pitching media. The
Executive Director serves as the main spokesperson for the school
on all media matters.
Oversight of the School's admissions marketing efforts falls within
the Executive Director's purview. This includes managing the team
that plans all marketing efforts for the School and the
relationship with outside vendors, advertising agencies, design
firms, writers, graphic illustrators, and other third-party
contractors working on behalf of Columbia GS to support
communication and marketing efforts. The executive director is
responsible for directing and supervising a multi-million dollar
media plan for the School of General Studies, managing
communication staff, and formulating strategies for advertising and
marketing activities. The Executive Director works closely with the
Enrollment Management Team at GS to plan and execute a fully
integrated marketing program.
Responsible for maintaining GS's online and social media presence,
the Executive Director oversees the site design and information
architecture of the suite of GS websites, consistently monitoring
and reporting on engagement rates to inform content strategy. This
role extends to planning and executing new technology initiatives
related to the GS website or GS technology plan. Participation in
the vendor selection process for the back-end maintenance, design,
and support of the GS website is also part of the Executive
Director's responsibilities.
The Executive Director works closely with the Vice Dean and Deputy
Chief of Staff in executive communications for the Dean and Vice
Dean, contributing to developing impactful messages and speeches.
This includes researching, analyzing, and crafting communication
materials that reflect the Dean's vision and objectives. The
Executive Director ensures a consistent and authentic executive
voice, providing media training and coordinating logistics for
high-profile engagements to enhance the Dean's public presence. The
Executive Director remains attuned to current events, industry
trends, and academic developments, incorporating relevant
information into executive communications to maintain the Dean's
relevance and thought leadership. This proactive approach ensures
that the Dean's messages align with the broader discourse within
academia and related fields.
Proficiently managing crisis communications within the Dean's
office, the Executive Director strategically formulates and
implements communication plans to address unforeseen challenges,
ensuring timely and effective responses. This includes coordinating
with relevant stakeholders, crafting crisis messaging, and guiding
the Dean and senior leadership through sensitive situations to
uphold the school's reputation and integrity.
The Executive Director will also play a leading role in the
redesign and maintenance of the Columbia GS staff intranet,
collaborating with members of the Operations and HR teams to
increase engagement and utilization.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: A Bachelor's degree is required, along with
8 to 10 years of related experience. Familiarity with CRM platforms
(Salesforce, Slate, etc.) and related email marketing tools
(Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp, etc.) new and emerging web
technologies, social media platforms, and analytics tools (Google
Analytics, Hootsuite, etc.), is essential. The Executive Director
must possess excellent communication skills, demonstrated
successful leadership, and administrative/supervisory experience.
Thorough organization, goal orientation, persistence, and patience
are crucial, along with the ability to work effectively with
diverse internal and external stakeholders. A demonstrated ability
to collaborate with senior-level staff of academic and
administrative divisions, handle multiple priorities, and lead team
efforts is essential. Exceptional written and oral presentation
skills are required, and applicants must submit writing samples or
a portfolio with their application. The ability to handle
confidential information with discretion is a key requirement.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local
residents.
Keywords: Columbia University, Hamden , Executive Director of Communication, Executive , New York, Connecticut
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