Executive Director - Strategic Communications

Southwest Tennessee Community College is a comprehensive, multicultural, public, open—access college. Southwest has four campuses/centers from which it offers over 100 programs and over 20 technical certificate programs.

We foster student success, transform lives, and increase the educational level of a growing community in Shelby County. Southwest is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Title: Executive Director - Strategic Communications

Employee Classification: Other Professionals

Institution: Southwest Tennessee Community College

Department: Communications

Campus Location: SWTCC - Multiple Campus Locations

Job Summary

The Executive Director of Strategic Communications serves as the College's senior communications strategist and provides leadership for the development, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive internal and external communications strategies that advance the mission, vision, strategic plan, and institutional priorities of Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement & Communications, the Executive Director is responsible for protecting and enhancing the College's reputation, strengthening stakeholder engagement, increasing institutional visibility, and supporting strategic enrollment, workforce development, student success, community engagement, and fundraising objectives through effective communications and storytelling.

The Executive Director serves as a trusted communications advisor to the President, Vice President, and Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for executive communications, media relations, crisis communications, public relations, institutional messaging, content strategy, and brand management. The position provides leadership for integrated communications efforts across all college divisions and ensures alignment of messaging, communications priorities, and brand standards across all platforms and audiences.

The Executive Director will leverage strategic communications to elevate the College's position as a leading workforce development institution, strengthen community and governmental relationships, and increase awareness of the transformative impact Southwest Tennessee Community College has on students, employers, and the Mid-South region.

Job Duties

• Strategic Communications Leadership
  • Develops and implements a comprehensive annual strategic communications plan aligned with the College's strategic priorities, enrollment goals, workforce development initiatives, and institutional advancement objectives.
  • Provides strategic leadership for all internal and external communications activities, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with institutional priorities.
  • Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) and communications metrics to evaluate campaign effectiveness, media impact, audience engagement, and institutional visibility.
  • Oversees the development of annual communications reports and executive dashboards demonstrating communications outcomes and organizational impact.
• Executive Communications
  • Serves as principal communications advisor to the President, Vice President, and Executive Leadership Team regarding communications strategy, public messaging, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Develops executive communications including speeches, presentations, talking points, correspondence, opinion editorials, video messaging, public remarks, and leadership communications for the President and senior administrators.
  • Provides communications counsel and strategic guidance to executive leadership and senior administrators regarding highly visible and sensitive issues.
• Media Relations and Public Affairs
  • Serves as the College's primary liaison to local, regional, and national media outlets, including television, radio, print, podcast, and digital media.
  • Cultivates and maintains strong professional relationships with reporters, editors, producers, radio personalities, media executives, and community influencers throughout the Mid-South region.
  • Coordinates proactive media outreach efforts to increase positive visibility and storytelling opportunities for the College.
  • Develops and executes media strategies that enhance the College's reputation and strengthen awareness of inst