Assistant Director, College Communications

Department
 

COMM College Communications

About the Department
 

University Communications aims to increase the understanding, recognition, and advocacy of UChicago’s impact as one of the world’s leading research universities. Our teams focus on building the University brand, enhancing and protecting its reputation, and engaging our University community.

Job Summary
 

The Assistant Director, College Communications is a member of the University Communications team dedicated to the University of Chicago College. Reporting to the Associate Dean of the College, Director of College Communications, the Assistant Director manages content development and digital communications to support the College’s achievement of strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes upon content strategies for each academic year across the College’s social and editorial channels, aligned with College priorities.
• Conceptualizes, researches, develops and executes editorial content that further awareness of the College’s distinct identity and engage its constituents, both internally and externally. Areas of focus include academic programs, career advancement, residential life, achievements of faculty, students, and alumni, access and inclusion, and free expression.
• Creates detailed editorial and content plans for large campus and student events such as Orientation Week and Convocation, as well as capturing and creating content for editorial and social media coverage.
• Curates and publishes quarterly e-newsletter to share top-line news and events taking place around the College with students, families, faculty and staff.
• Oversees content development by managing student staff and supporting the production of editorial, social media content and photography for the College’s website, University News website and social media channels.
• Guides management of the College’s social media channels, overseeing strategy, planning, and posting content that drives measurable brand awareness and engagement.
• Manages the College’s news bureau. Recruits and hires student talent, and manages and oversees operations of the team throughout the academic year. Includes running weekly meetings, assigning students to story and social media coverage assignments, editing student-written features, teaching students journalistic conventions and working with them to create content.
• Works closely with College staff to provide content and multi-media assets for written and digital communication channels and vehicles and, as needed, event support.
• Supports cross-departmental collaboration for content related to announcements and leadership communications about the College and its priorities.
• Maintains monthly College metrics and contributes to University Communications metrics reports.
• Ensures that the College website remains up to date, developing copy and new pages for the site as needed and assisting/advising College partners with publishing updates to their respective pages.
• Assumes additional responsibilities assigned by the Associate Dean and Director.
• Develops, plans, and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or point of view.
• Solves moderate to complex problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications
 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism or a related field.

Experience:

• 5-7 years of experience in journalism, public relations, or communications within an organization.
• Proven success managing or supporting internal communications, public relations, and digital communications campaigns, preferably in a large, decentralized organization.

Preferred Competencies

• Exceptional written and verbal communication, problem-solving, decision-making, client service, and cross-department collaboration skills.
• Strong business acumen, emotional intelligence, and understanding of the relationship between traditional and digital communications, e.g. how to further engagement.
• Manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Self-motivated.

Working Conditions

• Office environment.

Application Documents