Director of Communications and Public Relations

NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) provides quality and affordable higher education to empower lives and strengthen communities within Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas.

As the largest community college in Arkansas, NWACC is recognized as a leader in education. NWACC offers a full range of associate degrees, certificates and workforce training programs that prepare students for rewarding futures and careers.

NWACC employees are dedicated to fostering a diverse educational community and cultural learning environment that supports student success.

The Director of Communications and Public Relations, reporting to the Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Government and Public Relations, is responsible for executing a comprehensive college communications plan for all college communications and focuses on enhancing the college’s visibility. This is accomplished through messaging, media advisories, press releases and a range of internal and external communication strategies, initiatives, and campaigns. The director supervises the college photographer/videographer and collaborates with Marketing to enhance the college’s marketing efforts. This position is on site, no remote option.

Essential Duties:

Communications and Media:

• Builds and maintains relationships within the college community to facilitate consistent and creative storytelling while providing excellent customer service to internal clients

• Manages the internal MyNWACC intranet portal with support from IT and coordinates with content owners to ensure effective internal college communication

• Manages and completes publicity requests submitted by the college community through an Asana software portal

• Prepares and disseminates college announcements and other internal communications to ensure timely information flows within the college community.

• Prepares and manages social media postings regarding the college's activities and events and collaborates with Marketing on social media ads and related social media

• Provides communications content for the college website and collaborates with Marketing on the effectiveness of the website as a college communications tool

• Prepares and issues media advisories and press releases on a weekly basis about the college and staff, faculty, and student achievements for general news media placement

• Responds to media inquiries in coordination with the official college spokesperson and other designated college personnel and provides media training.

• Collaborates with the college’s Sports Information Director and others in communications roles within various college programs and schools to maintain a consistency of information sharing

• Cultivates and maintains strong and positive media relationships, secures news placements, and maintains updated news outlet distribution lists to adapt to changes in the media environment.

• Tracks and provides data about media interactions and responses to evaluate the success of communication efforts.

• Supervises the official college photographer/videographer to ensure the effective completion of all photography and videography requests by Marketing and other college personnel including faculty and staff

• Coordinates with Marketing to help maintain a consistent editorial voice and style across all college communications, advertising, and marketing.

• Coordinates with the Board or Trustees Liaison to issue notifications ensuring compliance with the Freedom of Information Act

• Assists in crisis response management by developing messaging and communication plans to effectively inform the college community and external stakeholders

• Serves on college committees

• Represents that college at community events

• Performs other related duties as required or assigned

Public Relations:

• Assists with developing and maintaining relationships with associations, chambers of commerce, education and professional institutes, and non-profits

• Monitors external organizations’ membership requirements and benefits, schedules meetings, coordinates event attendance, and tracks participation

• Represents the college at meetings and events of external organizations.

• Assists with developing and maintaining strong relationships with federal, state, and local government officials to support the college’s priorities and initiatives

• As requested, coordinates meetings and discussions between college leadership and government representatives to ensure alignment and collaboration

• Prepares briefing materials, reports, and presentations as needed