Director, Public Affairs & Internal Communications

College/Division

Marketing and Communications

Required Application Documents

Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae or Resume

Employment Category

Fulltime

Additional Details

In compliance with NYS's Pay Transparency Act, the salary range for this position is listed above. Rochester Institute of Technology considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The hiring process for this position may require a criminal background check and/or motor vehicle records check. Any verbal or written offer made is contingent on satisfactory results, as determined by Human Resources. RIT provides equal opportunity to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, marital status, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status or disability in its hiring, admissions, educational programs and activities. RIT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities under the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York Human Rights Law, or similar applicable law. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Human Resources office at 585-475-2424 or email your request to hr@rit.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Required Minimum Education Level

Bachelors or Equivalent Experience

How To Apply

In order to be considered for this position, you must apply for it at: http://careers.rit.edu/staff. Click the link for search openings and in the keyword search field, enter the title of the position or the BR number.
 

Wage Band

122A

Required Qualifications

Education/Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of experience with a focus on crisis communications, issues/reputation management, litigation communications, and public affairs.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Skills:

• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience developing crisis communications plans, programs, and guidelines.  
• Demonstrated ability to think in new, dynamic ways regarding managing reputation and crisis response.
• Ability to communicate information effectively and accurately, verbally, and in writing across multiple channels.
• Track record of successfully managing communications during times of crisis in a global, matrixed organization.
• Experience counseling executives during times of crisis.
• Experience managing public affairs efforts.
• Ability to achieve results in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, where timely response is critical.
• The ideal candidate will have experience engaging with reporters on a regular basis on challenging issues.  Experience as a spokesperson.
• Experience and understanding of social media.
• Must be able to balance strategic thinking with tactical execution.
• Ability to positively contribute to a team environment.  
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Attributes:

• Experience in higher education or large, mission-driven organizations.
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence and calm in high pressure situations.
• Ability to synthesize large amounts of data and distill key points clearly, succinctly, and quickly

Work Location

Henrietta Campus — 100%

Job Summary

The Director of Public Affairs and Internal Communications serves as a strategic leader responsible for safeguarding and enhancing Rochester Institute of Technology’s reputation. This role focuses on proactive issues management, crisis communications, and high-level internal messaging to ensure transparency, trust, and alignment across the university community.
The director monitors emerging risks, develops rapid-response strategies, and leads communications efforts during crises or reputational challenges. Additionally, the position oversees internal communications that foster engagement and clarity among faculty, staff, and students.
The Director will be responsible for identifying and tracking potential threats to the university, developing and implementing rapid communications efforts to mitigate those threats, and leading crisis communications and response efforts. The director will be responsible for real-time