Director of Strategic Communication

The Director of Strategic Communication will support the University of Iowa’s Graduate College. The Graduate College supports nearly 5,000 students and about 300 postdoctoral researchers in more than 100 graduate programs ranging from the humanities to the hard sciences. Collegiate priorities include improving communication to graduate students, better supporting graduate student employees, raising national visibility of graduate student research, identifying and boosting fundraising opportunities, and improving alignment with the university’s brand identity. The director of strategic communication will work closely with collegiate leadership to achieve these goals, using communication to highlight key programs and initiatives and provide transparent and timely information that drives engagement with the college and university.

This position will lead a creative team charged with coordinating, producing, and disseminating informative, audience-centered content that builds trust and assists students, faculty, and staff, including about 2,000 graduate assistants. Other important audiences include alumni, donors, elected officials, and the public.

The role requires building and maintaining relationships with campus leaders, fellow communicators and government relations, developing and sharing best practices, and communicating appropriate policies and procedures. It will also include supporting some student and alumni events. The ideal candidate will have a background in building teams, working across departments, and using communication to support strategic goals.

This position reports to the assistant vice president for external relations in the Office of Strategic Communication with a secondary reporting line to the dean of the Graduate College.
There is an expectation that the person in this position will maintain effective, civil, and respectful working relationships with the University of Iowa campus community and uphold the University’s commitment to creating welcoming and respectful environments for all.

To obtain the full job description including key areas of responsibility, technical competencies, and desirable qualifications, please contact Jade Rogers at jade-o-rogers@uiowa.edu.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in strategic communication, public relations, higher education administration, journalism, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, or marketing, preferably in higher education.
• Proven ability to develop an effective communication plan to achieve organizational goals.
• Superb strategic planning, writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks while achieving a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of issues facing higher education, including relations with state and federal governments, and other important external and internal constituencies and audiences.
• Demonstrated experience developing communication strategies using various channels to reach and engage key stakeholder audiences.
• Demonstrated success in effectively managing people and teams.
• Professional experience working effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience in crisis communication and crisis communication.
• Knowledge of graduate education trends and challenges in