San Francisco
CCA is at an exciting inflection point in its 115-year history as it unifies operations on a single campus in the heart of San Francisco's Design District and builds an innovative new campus, currently under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2024. The college seeks an experienced, energetic, and collaborative Director of Integrated Communications to lead its communications team with strategic foresight and creativity during this exciting time.
The Director of Integrated Communications is a key member of CCA's Marketing and Communications team, an in-house creative and strategic group that partners with colleagues across the college to inform and inspire audiences by sharing compelling stories about CCA's vibrant community of students, faculty, and alumni. Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, the Director of Integrated Communications develops and implements CCA's marketing communications strategy. Working in close collaboration with others in the MarCom division and throughout the college, the Director leads the creation of integrated messaging to effectively tell CCA's story and advance the college's visibility, advancement, enrollment, and retention goals.
In collaboration with the Vice President and the Senior Director of Content and Creative Strategy, the Director of Integrated Communications develops, implements, and evaluates a multi-year integrated communications plan to inform and raise awareness about CCA and support the institution's strategic plan, mission, vision, and goals. Areas of responsibility include public and media relations, editorial, publications, marketing, internal communications, and crisis communications.
The Director supervises three full-time staff (Writer and Editor, Marketing Communications Manager, and Communications Associate) who produce compelling stories, informative communications, marketing and advertising plans and materials, and publicity materials for the college's internal and external audiences. The Director may also supervise temporary, freelance, and student staff as needed, and manage relationships with PR consultants and agencies.
Internally, the Director creates and implements strategies to inspire and inform faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, and donors through engaging brand- and mission-aligned communications. Externally, the Director creates public relations campaigns and proactively communicates with media and other interested parties to share important developments, institutional initiatives, and other news to maintain an informed, positive image of the college. The Director also oversees the creation of timely and relevant editorial content and information for the college's website, with a particular focus on prospective-student audiences.
The Director will be an active participant in the department's and the college's efforts to identify and dismantle structural inequities and promote anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and belonging at CCA and in our society. The successful candidate will contribute to the diversity of personal and professional perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that support these efforts.
As the college's lead publicist, the Director is a key player in the execution and ongoing refinement of the campus unification communication plan as CCA expands its San Francisco campus and positions itself as a central factor in the city's and region's rejuvenation. This position also works closely with the Vice President and the college's senior leadership team to develop communications related to emergent or sensitive issues with the goal of providing transparency and timely, accurate information to the CCA community and the public.
**All applicants must submit a resume/cv, cover letter, and three writing samples that effectively demonstrate the required skills and experience.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
Editorial - 30%

• Oversee the creation, production, and distribution of key publications and communications such as the semi-annual college magazine (Glance), president's newsletter, biweekly newsletter (The Creative Brief), faculty/staff updates, etc.
• Integrate messaging and storytelling across media, collaboratively planning and maintaining the department's content calendar, including editorial calendars for various channels and publications while ensuring alignment within the department's goals and vision
• Maintain project list of stories in progress, including ideas, assignments, deadlines, and publication plans

Internal Communications - 20%

• Maintain, update, and implement communications plans for major initiatives, roll-out of new programs, major gift announcements, etc. Strategize integrated campaigns using all communication tools (digital, print, in-person, etc.)
• Take a lead role in planning agendas and developing content for key staff and faculty meetings; develop consistent, broad-based messaging to these groups
• Support communications related to emergent and sensitive issues (examples include COVID-19, labor negotiations, budget-reduction measures, and capital projects)
• Develop opportunities for college leadership to share plans with and hear from representatives of key constituents
• Serve as liaison with key neighborhood groups and city officials

Public Relations - 20%

• Collaborate with VP to develop and execute proactive media relations strategy
• Serve as a spokesperson and a communication lead on media interactions
• Prioritize media opportunities to obtain significant and impactful coverage that reinforces the organizational goals and brand
• Support cultivation and management of press relationships
• Manage and partner with communication staff and consultants to maximize efforts to shape awareness and understanding of CCA through media coverage and PR
• With input from Enrollment Management and Admissions, research, prioritize, and develop strategies to improve CCA's institutional rankings and ratings among key online and print sources
• Ensure consistency and timeliness of facts and information across all communications. Serve as point person for external inquiries regarding facts and history about the college.
• Serve as a member of the college's crisis communications team, including serving as spokesperson, conducting briefings, and crafting and conveying statements and alerts to support public safety and protect the institution's reputation

Marketing Communications - 20%

• Develop and implement marketing and advertising plans to increase brand equity, visibility, and awareness of CCA among key audiences that align with department goals
• Develop marketing assets and materials to fulfill agreed-upon strategies and goals

Administration and Operations - 10%

• Supervise and oversee the activities of the editorial, communications, and marketing staff, including budgeting, planning, and staff development
• Coordinate and collaborate at strategic and tactical levels with all departments across the college
• Coordinate unit plans, goals, and objectives; design effective systems and workflows and evaluate progress toward their accomplishment
• Refine and improve systems for managing editorial calendars, project management, and project prioritization

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Required experience:

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, public relations, or related field
• Seven or more years of significant and progressively challenging marketing / communications experience, preferably within an education or cultural setting
• Experience working with writers of varying skill levels to develop compelling, professional stories for a variety of channels
• Strong examples of writing for various audiences in multiple formats, such as press releases, news items, feature stories, and informational materials
• Experience with sensitive communications related to issues management
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Experience managing diverse strategic and creative teams
• Familiarity with Bay Area media outlets, reporters, and editors strongly preferred. Familiarity with media related to art, design, architecture, and/or higher education a plus.
• Well informed of evolving best practices specific to higher education communications
• Experienced manager with track record of inspiring teams and maximizing effectiveness of limited resources
• Ability to work well with a variety of people including staff, faculty, trustees, students, donors, and volunteers
• Proven record of flexibility and successful teamwork, especially in a fast-paced environment

Required skills:

• Exceptional writing skills; ability to write authentically for different "voices" within the college
• Proven editorial skills including story development, copyediting, fact checking and proofreading; proficiency using editorial style guides
• Exceptional organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and manage tight deadlines
• Energetic, resourceful, driven, creative, and detail-oriented
• Proficiency with project management software (such as Asana), Google suite, and media-tracking software (such as Cision). Experience with Salesforce / Pardot a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a changing institutional environment, and excitement at contributing to the transformation of CCA
• Strong interest in the arts and design, higher education, and the mission and vision of the college

Please note that in an effort to keep the CCA community safe, the College requires all staff, faculty, and students who are on campus to be fully vaccinated, including to have received a booster shot (if eligible). The job responsibilities of this position may require time regularly spent on campus, and therefore the incumbent will be asked to follow the CCA vaccination requirement, unless an exemption is approved. Please reach out to hr@cca.edu with any questions.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• The range for the position is $100,000 - $108,000 annually.
• CCA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including the choice of five medical plans, generous holiday, sick & vacation time, a retirement match and tuition remission. CCA covers an average of 91% of the medical plan cost for the employee only and an average of 82% for employees with dependents. More information can be found here: https://portal.cca.edu/working/office-human-resources/employee-benefits

POSITION DETAILS:

• CCA considers a full-time work week to be 37.5 hours per week.
• Work Mode: Hybrid

Location
San Francisco
FLSA
Exempt
Additional Locations
Application Instructions
Applicants are required to attach a cover letter and resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF. If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. There is also a place in the application for you to provide a link to large documents. Please submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions.
Application Deadline
For staff positions, screening begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.
EEO Statement
As an educational and cultural institution, California College of the Arts has a responsibility to provide access and opportunities for all people, with special attention to supporting groups historically underrepresented in higher education.
We believe that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence, and our student, faculty, staff, and trustee bodies should reflect the diverse world in which we live, with attention to race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and ability.
California College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.
Questions?
Please address any questions to hr@cca.edu.