Executive Director of Communications

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: 160,000 - 200,000

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

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  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.

  
  
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  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.

  
  
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  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.

  
  
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  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.

  
  
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  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.

  
  
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  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.

  
  
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  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.