Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

Who we are:

The University of New Haven, founded on the Yale campus in 1920, is a private, coeducational university situated on the coast of southern New England. It’s a diverse and vibrant community of more than 8,800 students with campuses around the country and around the world. Within its five colleges, students immerse themselves in a transformative, career-focused education across the liberal arts and sciences, fine arts, business, engineering, public safety and public service. More than 100 academic programs are offered, all grounded in a long-standing commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary, project-based learning.

The Office of Marketing and Communications at the University of New Haven is seeking applicationsfor the position of Assistant Director of Strategic Communications. This person will play a central role as part of the digital content and media relations team, shaping new, innovative, and measurable communications strategies that are designed to enhance the visibility and awareness of the University, its key programs and senior leaders, and what differentiates the University in a highly competitive higher education marketplace. This individual will be an expert communicator, with experience in executive communications, media relations, storytelling and digital/multimedia communications.

You are:

• An effective writer, editor, storyteller, interviewer, and collaborator
• Well versed incorporate or strategic communications, writing content, creating and executing media relations strategies, and providing crisis communications counsel to organization leaders
• Knowledgeable of digital communications, social media, and multimedia content

You will:

• Write and support strategic communications (under the direction of the Director of Communications and Public Relations)
• Oversee the strategic development and writing of communications related to key University priorities
• Pursue placements in national media with a focus on higher education-specific publications that feature the University’s senior leaders and/or tell the story of the University and our signature programs
• Provide editorial and communication support for major campus events including Commencement and Convocation, among others; Assist with crisis communications and social media monitoring, as needed
• Collaborate with members of the content team to develop new ways to promote and tell the story of the University and our community members
• Preparing articles, press releases, and other content for dissemination to the media
• Create opportunities to collaborate with professors, individual students, and classes to feature student-created work across the University’s website and social media channels
• Develop and pursue new ideas for social media and website content as well as strategies that create new media exposure for University leadership and signature programs
• Work closely with Director of Communications and Media Relations; Digital Content Producer; and Media Relations Coordinator to implement a comprehensive editorial calendar and measure KPIs of created content
• Support overall institutional goals by serving on university committees as needed; Perform other duties as assigned

You need:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in a related field of study such as communications, public relations, journalism, writing, English and at least three years of experience.
• Ability to travel on behalf of the University­­
• Valid driver’s license

What’s In It For You:

• Health & Welfare Programs: Employees and their eligible family members, including spouses and dependent are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Programs.
• Wellness & Fitness: On-campus Recreation and Fitness Center for employees and families; Employee Assistant Program
• Commitment to Educational Excellence: Tuition assistance for employees and eligible dependents; Tuition exchange opportunities
• Employee Discounts on products, services and educational opportunities
• Work/Life Benefits: Generous paid time off programs; progressive paid holiday schedule (including holiday break between Christmas and New Year’s); 4 weeks of parental paid leave; flexible work schedules including summer hours where applicable