Director of Strategic Communications

The Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies invites applications for a Director of Strategic Communications.

The Director of Strategic Communications oversees campus marketing, advertising, public relations, and strategic communication initiatives and provides marketing, communications, and website support for campus-wide initiatives, credit and non-credit academic programs, and other campus units within the Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies.

The Director coordinates these activities with the university and with colleagues in other Penn State entities throughout the regional and international media markets.

• Develops and implements the overall marketing and communications strategy.
  
• Has responsibility for external communications in support of the dissemination of news, research and/or strategic communications, and the delivery of events for a diverse audience, including the news media, and internal and external stakeholders through the campus website and other forms of electronic communications.
  
• Serves as a member of the Chancellor's Management Team to assist in the overall management of the campus' affairs.

Oversees a wide variety of external communication functions including website management and administration; social media strategy and communication; executive communications; internal communications; public information such as story ideas, research, and writing; marketing; advertising; publications and public relations.

Marketing/Advertising/Publications Management:

• Working with campus leadership, is responsible for the creation and implementation of the Penn State Great Valley marketing strategy and related budget(s).
  
• Work with internal clients to shape strategies and develop appropriate advertising tactics to effectively communicate and integrate messages across all platforms - web, social media, stories, photos, video, etc.
  
• Work with campus clients and Marketing & Strat Comm staff to determine messaging, layout and design of all advertising; determine and make media buys; create publications; determine digital and e-mail marketing and advertising efforts, and related vendor selection and contracts.
  
• Coordinate with Strategic Communications at University Park in the development of marketing strategy and messaging for regional enrollment campaigns.

Issues Management/Leadership Communications:

• Working with the Chancellor, OSVPCC, and the issues management team in the Strategic Communications Office at University Park, oversee issues management, crisis communications and provide guidance on official Chancellor statements in response to campus issues and emergencies, as well as external issues that impact the campus.
  
• Develop and maintain the crisis communications plan and serves as the primary point of contact for media in a crisis.
  
• Develop solutions to complex and often controversial problems and cultivate quality improvement practices and policies within the unit and campus-wide.

Website/Media:

• Oversee web marketing to ensure the website is an effective marketing instrument for the campus, a valuable enrollment tool and communications tool for students, faculty and staff, and consistent with University policy.
  
• Work with campus leadership and Marketing & Strat Comm staff to shape strategy and develop digital media as a tool for communications.

Press/Public Relations:

• Work with campus leadership to provide all story content for press releases and articles for Great Valley website, the University-wide news system, and messages from the Chancellor.
  
• Convene editorial meetings with staff to review story ideas and determine written and photo coverage for earned (press) and owned (web, social media) outlets. Integrates these stories and messages across all platforms.
  
• Serve as primary spokesperson and point-of-contact for all press and media.

Government and Community Relations:

• Meet on a regular basis with regional political and opinion leaders to maintain relationships and positive image for the college and university.
  
• Serve as college representative and steward of community relationships where necessary.

Additional duties include:

• Collaborate with the Office of Enrollment and Student Services on the development and implementation of marketing strategies that will support the campus' student recruitment initiatives.
  
• Oversee GPP management of CRM (Salesforce) and marketing automation software (Pardot).
  
• Oversee Great Valley website(s) content and maintenance.
  
• Monitor, track, and analyze marketing and strategic communications trends.
  
• Develop and analyze Salesforce reports to track funnel conversion and compare performance, month over month, term over term, and year over year.
  
• Utilize Salesforce report to analyze marketing spend and performance throughout the enrollment funnel.
  
• Budget management of all marketing and advertising expenses.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Minimum of eight years' experience in marketing, strategic communications, or a similar field (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).
  
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related discipline. Masters degree is preferred.
  
• Access to industry knowledge to stay up-to-date on trends and best practices.
  
• Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a diverse campus and corporate community.
  
• A high degree of flexibility and strong external relationship management, negotiation, and public speaking skills.
  
• Well-developed skills in critical thinking and attention-to-detail.
  
• The ability to manage and develop others while working as a team member.
  
• The ability to be on-call and available to address communications issues at any time of day.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related field.
  
• At least 10 years' experience in marketing, strategic communications, or a similar field (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).

This position offers the possibility of a flexible work arrangement that combines remote and on-campus work. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process. Occasional travel to University Park is also expected.

Candidates for consideration must submit a cover letter and a resume. Review of applicant materials will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

This position also requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver's license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks in accordance with university policies.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.



Apply online at https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Staff/job/Penn-State-Great-Valley-Graduate-Center/Director-of-Strategic-Communications_REQ_0000043377

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to http://www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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