Director, Integrated Communications
Wayne State University is searching for an experiencedDirector, Integrated Communicationsat its Detroit campus location.
Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.
Essential functions (job duties):
Job Purpose
Provide strategic direction, planning and execution of story and video creation and distribution in the Division of Development and Alumni Affairs. Inspire support and engagement by connecting the stories of Wayne State with donors, alumni, and other members of the Wayne State community. Develop strong partnerships with Wayne State's central marketing and communications division and unit-based communications professionals to develop storytelling opportunities that highlight the universities priorities and impact, as well as the impact of philanthropy and the themes of the upcoming comprehensive fundraising campaign. This position reports to the Senior Director, Development and Alumni Communications.
Essential Functions
(Essential functions are the primary duties/major job responsibilities that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential functions are listed in order of importance.)
Essential Function % Time
Create detailed communications strategies, along with editorial and production calendars, for written and digital communication assets that inspire and inform Wayne State alumni and donors; support a comprehensive fundraising campaign; speak to the impact of philanthropy at Wayne State; and highlight the impact of Wayne State as a public research university in Detroit. 25%
Oversee content production of a variety of stories and articles for the Wayne State magazine, press releases, graphics, videos, and other materials to support development initiatives, and inspire alumni and donor engagement. Establish and maintain high levels of editorial quality and consistency across all materials. 20%
Manage partnerships with university and division colleagues to identify storytelling themes, strategies, and channels that enhance development initiatives, deepen alumni engagement, strengthen the case for supporting Wayne State, and highlight the impact of the university. Develop strategies to repurpose relevant content. 15%
Assist in the development of a system to archive and track stories and story development to ensure representation of all schools, colleges, and units at Wayne State, as well as comprehensive coverage of university and campaign priorities. 15%
Supervise a diverse staff, effectively managing performance to meet individual and team initiatives; foster a collegial and highly productive work environment. Recruit, interview, hire, train, coach, evaluate, and discipline staff. Establish and communicate performance expectations in a manner that motivates and empowers staff to fulfill job duties. Encourage, support, and ensure employee participation in training and development programs. 10%
Investigate best practices and elements of communication strategies and materials from peer institutions and other colleges and universities. 5%
Assist in writing support for upper university administration (President, Vice Presidents, Board of Governors) in the form of speeches, special letters, briefing materials, proposals, and reports. 5%
Perform other related duties as assigned. 5%
WORK CONTEXT
This grid characterizes the position scope.
Job Reports to: Senior Director/Chair
Leadership Accountability: Develops policy and strategic plans
Supervisory Accountability: Supervises professionals and non-managers
Organizational Accountability: Manages sub-unit of a department
Financial Accountability: Monitors expenditures
Customer Accountability: Interfaces with officials and executives
Freedom to Act: Operates with significant autonomy
Unique duties:
Qualifications:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a concentration in English or journalism. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.
Experience Expert (established subject matter expert, 7+ years experience)
Minimum of seven (7) years progressively responsible communications and editorial experience in a non-profit, higher education, or equivalent environment. Minimum of four (4) years of experience managing personnel, developing, and implementing policies and procedures.
Experience writing in Associated Press style. Understanding of trends and best practices within the communications field. Strong writing and copyediting skills.
Strong understanding of websites, digital asset management and distribution channels.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Analytical and Presentation Skills: Ability to evaluate, interpret, and present complex information effectively in professionally prepared documents or presentations. Must possess a demonstrated attention to detail in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy.
Collaboration: Exhibits a willingness to partner with diverse units across the university with integrity and high character to reach unified goals. Possesses the ability to navigate difficult situations with grace and understanding while being respectful and accepting of individual differences.
Communications Skills: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and professionally both orally and in writing. Strong interpersonal skills are a must. Ability to work successfully with persons from diverse backgrounds.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors and proactively managing implicit bias.
Editing and Proofreading Skills: Ability to accurately edit and proofread a variety of materials under tight deadlines.
Leadership Skills: Demonstrated strong leadership skills to influence and motivate individuals and groups to achieve results. Maintain accountability for the universlty's and division's mission, vision and values. Inspire your team to uphold these core values.
Learning Agility: Independent and innovative self-starter who displays an ability to learn quickly and easily adapts to changing situations. Experience researching topics to gain knowledge and understanding when information gaps exist.
Planning and Organization: Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting respective deadlines. Strong organizational and time-management skills required. Maturity, sound judgment and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.
Teamwork: Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues within the division and other units to gain full understanding of the project and desired outcome; ability to produce high quality and consistent results with assistance of team members; provide support to teammates when tackling complex projects.
Technical Skills: Proficient in the use of complex administrative systems software, preferrably in the higher education environment. Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel and Teams. Ability to understand and translate complex concepts into lay terms.
Writing Skills: Ability to conduct research, interview subjects and write materials that are creative and interesting, with strong attention to detail, grammar, and style rules.
Working Conditions
Normal office environment.
Adhere to confidentiality and data usage policy for the division.
Preferred qualifications:
School/College/Division:
H86 - Development & Alumni Affairs
Primary department:
H8605-Developmnt office
Employment type: