Director of Advancement Communications

Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.

Job Description:

Amherst College invites applications for the Director of Advancement Communications position. The Director of Advancement Communications is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $125,000, commensurate with experience. Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

The Director of Advancement Communications will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing a strategic communications vision for Amherst College’s advancement efforts, ensuring that all messaging across the division aligns with the College’s strategic priorities and resonates with diverse audiences. This role encompasses a strategic and comprehensive approach to communications that spans alumni engagement, fundraising, the Amherst Fund, and beyond, ensuring a cohesive and impactful narrative across all platforms and initiatives.

Reporting to the Associate Chief Advancement Officer, the Director will be a strategic thought partner and collaborator with the Office of Communications, the President’s Office, and departments across the College. They will guide and refine messaging to consistently reflect key institutional values and a clear case for support, using data-driven insights to adjust strategies for different audience segments, including younger alumni and other targeted groups.

In this role, the Director will:

• Lead Strategic Communications Planning: Develop and oversee a comprehensive communications plan that addresses all areas within Advancement, including the Amherst Fund and alumni relations, eliminating friction points and ensuring alignment with College-wide priorities. This will involve not only crafting messages but also aligning the team and resources needed to execute these effectively.
• Serve as a Thought Partner in Institutional Communications: Work closely with other campus leaders to build a fully realized Advancement communications plan, contributing to campus-wide discussions on overarching themes and values. This role demands an understanding of messaging that resonates well with internal and external stakeholders, while also aligning with the broader College community.
• Enhance Messaging and Audience Engagement: Tailor and strategically adapt messaging across platforms to reach specific audience groups, such as young alumni, and right-size the approach to maximize impact. The Director will leverage data to shape decision-making and continually refine the effectiveness of each communication strategy.
• Advance an Integrated Editorial Approach: As an editorial partner to the alumni magazine and other divisions,, the Director will bring an alumni advancement perspective to storytelling, ensuring that alumni narratives are meaningfully connected to broader College goals. They will represent Advancement in editorial planning, offering recommendations and building partnerships to integrate alumni stories more strategically into College-wide content.
• Foster Cross-Divisional Partnerships: Collaborate with partners across the Advancement Division and other College departments to track and respond to communication trends. The Director will assess which messaging and channels resonate most strongly with various constituencies and will seek opportunities to re-engage those who support the College in non-philanthropic ways.

The Director will oversee a team of three and ensure that all Advancement communications are impactful, consistent, and support the College's mission. The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with outstanding writing, editing, and communications skills who brings both strategic vision

The person in this role is expected to work as part of a collaborative and inclusive team including taking appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participating in the College’s efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. In addition, all advancement staff members are required to support and staff key events such as Reunion, Homecoming, and Family Weekend. These events may require occasional evening and weekend hours.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy and Communications Development

• Develop and implement a forward-thinking innovative communications strategy that supports the goals of advanceme