Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing
Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing
St. Lawrence University invites applications for a Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing position. Reporting to the Vice President for University Communications, the Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing is part of the divisional leadership team and is responsible for promoting and strengthening the visibility, stature, and reputation of the University and actively positioning it with key constituents and critical audiences.
This position helps to establish the conceptual and strategic direction for content development and leads the content production team in creating, integrating, disseminating, measuring, and repurposing content through all University channels, including the website, social media, presidential communications, and various marketing campaigns. This position will be forward thinking about integrating technology into the University’s communications and marketing efforts and will push content creators to think innovatively about how they produce and distribute the content they create.
As part of the crisis communications team, this position will help to develop and execute crisis and emergency communications plans, strategies, and tactics and serve as the University spokesperson when needed.
Supervisory and Managerial Responsibilities
The director supervises all operations related to marketing, strategic communications, and content strategy. This includes monitoring and directing the day-to-day activities of marketing and content production staff, in supporting the mission of University Communications.
The director initiates and fosters strategic relationships on campus, especially with colleagues in admissions, advancement, and athletics, and with members of external constituencies.
The director is responsible for assuring that the functions of the department are conducted and completed in a timely, professional manner, and in keeping with the direction set by the Vice President for University Communications.
Related responsibilities as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience
- Demonstrated skills of supervision and leadership of team members
- Excellent writing, grammar, and editing skills with experience writing for both print and digital communications
- Ability to work independently as well as within a team; ability to manage student interns to implement tactics and achieve planned goals
- Possess the cross-cultural abilities to build relationships and work effectively with diverse groups of students, colleagues, and community members
Preferred Qualifications
- Understanding of a liberal arts, higher education, or nonprofit setting
- A bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in English, communications, journalism, marketing, history, or another writing-intensive field
- 7 years of relevant experience
- Skills in creativity, analysis, and problem solving, and the ability to evaluate, synthesize, and incorporate ideas and feedback from multiple stakeholders; ability to synthesize complex ideas and concepts into compelling writing
- Familiarity with brand marketing concepts and campaign management best practices
- Extensive knowledge and experience managing social media strategy, execution, and analysis
- Understanding and experience with crisis communications and serving as an organizational spokesperson
- Demonstrate experience leading and supervising team members
Interested applicants must apply online at http://employment.stlawu.edu uploading all required materials which are defined in the “special instructions to applicant” section. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled. Questions about the position may be directed to Paul Redfern, Vice President for University Communications, at predfern@stlawu.edu.
All offers of employment are contingent upon the finalist successfully passing a background (including criminal records) check.
Located at 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY, St. Lawrence University is a coeducational, private, independent liberal arts institution of about 2,400 students from more than 40 states and 40 nations. The educational opportunities at St. Lawrence inspire students and prepare them to be critical and creative thinkers, to find a compass for their lives and careers, and to pursue knowledge and understanding for the benefit of themselves, humanity and the planet. Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence education leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global.
The University is committed to and seeks diversity among its faculty, staff and students. Such a commitment ensures an atmosphere that is diverse and complex in ways that are intellectually and socially enriching for the entire campus community. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups, as well as from individuals with experience teaching or working in a multicultural environment, are encouraged. St. Lawrence University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For additional information about St. Lawrence, please visit http://www.stlawu.edu.