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Title: Senior Director, Strategic Communications

VP Area: Marketing & Communications

Department: Marketing & Communications

Work Schedule: Fixed daytime hours Monday-Friday

Telework Availability: Occasional Telework Available

FLSA Status: Exempt

Employee Classification: Regular full-time (staff 30+ hours)

Hours per week: 40

Months per year: 12

Required Application Materials: Resume and Cover Letter

Job Purpose:

The Senior Director of Strategic Communications serves as Gonzaga’s lead strategist for external and executive communications. Part of the leadership team in Gonzaga’s central Marketing & Communications office, the position is responsible for advancing and protecting the University’s reputation, managing issues and crisis communications, overseeing media relations, and ensuring alignment of institutional messaging with the University’s Jesuit, Catholic, and humanistic mission. This role supervises the Assistant Director of Media Relations, provides counsel to senior leadership, and partners closely with the Director of Presidential Communications, the Office of the President, Cabinet and other leadership and key strategic partners to provide counsel and develop communications strategies.

Essential Functions:

• 70% - Strategic Communications, Issues Management, Reputational and Crisis Communications.
  • Lead the development and implementation of integrated communications strategies that elevate Gonzaga’s reputation locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. 
  • Serve as a spokesperson when appropriate and advise on sensitive or high-profile media engagements.
  • Develop and implement proactive communications plans centered on topics critical to Gonzaga’s mission and Strategic Plan. 
  • Oversee media relations, issues management, and crisis communications in coordination with the President’s Offices, Chief Marketing and Communications Offices (CMCO), General Counsel, Government Relations, Risk Management, Campus Security & Public Safety, and other leadership. 
  • Maintain awareness of Gonzaga community, regional, national and worldwide developments that interrelate with Gonzaga’s mission and Strategic Plan to advise the President, Director of Presidential Communications and other leaders on communications response, proactive communications strategies, and to deliver information and resources to inform decisions. 
  • Create and maintain proactive documentation and plans regarding known or anticipated reputational issues that includes situational analysis, risk evaluation, key messages and holding statements. 
  • Work with colleagues to update and maintain reputational crisis response process/protocol, and lead implementation of this protocol when reputational situations emerge. 
  • Develop communications plans for emergent issues and crises, including situational analysis, goals and objectives, strategies and tactics, key messages, talking points, holding statements and outcomes measurements. 
  • Consult frequently with the University President, Chief of Staff, Director of Presidential Communications, General Counsel, Cabinet, Deans, and other leaders about reputational or crisis communications situations, plans, and implementation. 
  • Develop and maintain relationships and contracts with outside consultants and firms to support strategic communications, issues management and reputational crisis response. 
  • Ensure all communications reflect Gonzaga’s mission, values and strategic priorities.
• 10% - Emergency Communications
  • Represent Marketing and Communications in an assigned role on the University’s Emergency Management Team in an.
  • In an emergency, crisis, or reputational response situation, lead the communications strategy, planning, and writing vital communications for Gonzaga audiences. 
  • In partnership with Campus Security and Public Safety, oversee creation and distribution of “ZagAlert” messages that alert and instruct campus members in times of emergency and/or disrupted operations. - (Essential)
• 20% - Oversight and Management of Strategic Communications Functions
  • Oversight of the department’s strategic communications, media relations, and public relations functions.
  • Partner with the Director of Presidential Communications to ensure alignment of messaging and development of a strategic communication plan that promotes the President’s vision and voice and proactively manages the President’s reputation.
  • Maintain close collaboration with the Director of Presidential Communications, Assistant Director of Media Relations, and other Marketing and Communications leadership.
  • Collaborate with Senior Advisor to the President/Laison for External and Government Relations to develop mutually beneficial relationships between the University and key audiences, including community and business leaders, local government, and non-profit organizations.
  • Ensures community, media, and public relations strategies align with University Strategic Plan goals in support of brand, fundraising and enrollment.
    • Media Relations oversight to include: Supervision of the Assistant Director of Media Relations. In collaboration with this position, oversee the University’s media and public relations functions. This includes guiding media relations plans and strategies, making certain that messages distributed through stories, news releases, public speaking opportunities, web, social media and all forms of external communication align with the University’s Strategic Plan, mission, vision and brand. 
    • Participating in – and at times leading – media training and preparation sessions with University leadership and other key stakeholders.
    • Guiding and collaborating with team members to design and implement proactive media relations efforts involving the development and pitching of relevant, strategic stories to local, regional, and national media.
    • Overseeing the University’s news operation, including staff, website and e-newsletter, assuring news is communicated in a timely, personalized way across multiple channels.
    • Overseeing staff members’ response to incoming media requests.
  • General Support 
    • Serve as a mentor and resource for staff and student workers.
    • Maintain strong relationships with departmental colleagues, internal partners, and external consultants to support strategic communications initiatives.

• Additional Duties as Assigned by the Department

Educational Requirement:

Bachelor's Degree

Years of Related Experience Requirement:

8+ years

In lieu of the educational qualifications, candidates may qualify with equivalent professional experience at a ratio of one year of experience for each year of required education. 

Certifications and/or Licensures:

Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to understand and synthesize the complex: to take multiple, complicated, disparate input from a variety of sources (e.g. evidence, long-form messages, and individuals) and transform it into clear and compelling communications such as media statements, talking points, stories and plans.
• Demonstrated ability to use of social media and web communications to build reputation, reach influencers, promote two-way communication, track brand positioning and organizational reputation and communicate stories and key messages.
• Proven ability to listen and collaborate: building and drawing upon a wide network, sparking great ideas, gathering and incorporating feedback from multiple stakeholders and teams.
• Demonstrated knowledge of computer applications, particularly Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple tasks/projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders at all levels of the university and ranging from students to faculty, staff and administration.
• Proven ability to deal with confidential, sensitive, and/or emotionally difficult information in a professional manner.
• Ability and willingness to put personal views or feelings aside when recommending strategy or communicating on behalf of the University, its leadership or other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated history of strong relationships with key community individuals and constituencies such as non-profit groups, city government, county government, neighborhood councils, state government, and educational institutions.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal, oral, written and management skills.
• Ability to work outside of typical office hours (M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.), including nights and weekends, as needed to attend events or assist with emergencies, crises, or timely communications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in strategic communications, public policy, or related field and/or APR certified.
• Experience serving as a spokesperson for an organization and/or as a broadcast journalist
• Experience working as a consultant or with a firm that specializes in public and media relations and/or issues management and crisis communications desired.
• Experience in higher ed or mission-driven institution.
• Familiarity with Jesuit values and Catholic higher education contexts.
• APR public relations accreditation strongly preferred.

Physical & On-Campus Requirements:

In-Office Presence - Ability to work on-site in typical office setting and participate in in-person meetings with colleagues: 5 days/week

Standing/Sitting - Ability to remain in a stationary position for a prolonged period: Often (50%-75% of time)

Walking - Ability to move about on foot to accomplish tasks: Often (50%-75% of time)

Lifting/Carrying - Ability to move or transport objects up to a specified weight (e.g., 50 pounds): Rarely (1%-49% of time)

Attention to Detail - Ability to focus on detailed tasks for extended periods: Often (50%-75% of time)

Problem-Solving - Ability to identify and resolve issues effectively: Daily (>75% of time)

The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to offer for this position: $99,450 - $110,000

Pay Range:

Minimum Salary (Annualized 12 months and 40 hours/week): 99450

Midpoint Salary (Annualized 12 months and 40 hours/week): 132600

Maximum Salary (Annualized 12 months and 40 hours/week): 165750

Is this position eligible for relocation reimbursement or a signing bonus?: True