Senior Director of Communications for Student Affairs

Note: Not all unique aspects of the job are covered by this job description.JOB PURPOSEStanford University has an immediate opening for a Senior Director of Communications. This position will be in the Division of Student Affairs, which supports many student experiences outside the classroom in our residences, community centers, student organizations, health center, career education center, and more. In this role you will:Direct planning and implementation of long- and short-term communication plans with direct impact to the university, in strategic partnership with leadership.     o    Work closely with University Communications on the visioning and execution of brand management, digital strategy, media (external) relations, and strategic communications, including the Stanford Report for Students.     o    Work closely with the Office of the General Counsel, Stanford University Department of Public Safety, and the Office of Government Affairs to ensure alignment of messaging.     o    Source content, hire staff to produce stories and strategize with the Senior Director for Strategy and Communications about what stories we need to produce and what schedule we should release them.Accountable for the strategic execution of creative, compelling, and effective means of communicating the innovations, employee experience, academic excellence, and essential nature of the university and its components.    o    Responsible for gathering communications tools (writers, editors, photographers, web designers) to place compelling content critical to the division into Stanford’s Student Report.    o    Oversee the creation and revision of website design/content, print materials, and written leadership messages for crisis communications.    o    Ensure communications meet accessibility standards defined by the universityDetermine channels for Student Affairs key messages and execute strategies impacting multiple audiences, channels, and constituencies.    o    Examine what channels and timing are most effective for our message and set strategy for what channels we should build out long term, which are not working and how we can get the division to engage in the most effective channels.    o    Oversee our metrics for social media, website, printed materials, newsletters, etc.Direct the actions of a small team and provide leadership to achieve communication goals supporting the university’s mission and vision.Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, personal development for direct reports and accountable for the performance of employees.Develop guidance on protocols and best practices for a communications functional area of responsibility.    o    Oversee and refine the divisional communications protocols and ensure they are aligned with University Communications practice.  This includes how staff engage with the media, but also what tools we use to communicate to the student body and under what circumstances we use those tools.    o    Research best practices for communication in and outside of higher education.  Educate the communications team on those practices and give them space to try new things.Oversee Student Affairs and university key messages and develop strategies impacting multiple audiences, channels, and constituencies.   o    Oversee the revamp of every website in the division – centering the priorities of Our Most Important Work in the messaging and ensuring accessibility standards are met.   o    Oversee a comprehensive approach to mental health and well-being communication including websites, use of Stanford Student Report, presentations, and printed materials.   o    Build campus and division-wide look and feel for key VPSA priorities for each priority area that can be used in Stanford Student Report, our website, and our printed materials; key message areas having repeated emphasis, and building multiple unique stories for each area of emphasis that includes visuals/pictures, stories, and quotes that can be broadly distributed.Collaborate with University Communications leadership and Student Affairs units to ensure strategic plans and activities are aligned with overall university outreach and communications.   o    In partnership with the Senior Director for Strategy and Communications, meet weekly with University Communications leaders and unit leaders to ensure alignment and coordinate:  shared messages, timing of collective messages and how we will use/engage with Stanford Student Report.Direct crisis communication response including emergency matters as well as issues with reputational impact and training communication leads in Student Affairs in various situations.   o    Lead all crisis communications including responding to crisis on campus, student death, incidents in the broader community that impact students, etc.  This includes writing for crisis communications and ensure we follow the crisis communication protocol.   o    Gather up and check facts and then ghost author the written communications for the Vice Provost of Student Affairs.To be successful in this role, you will bring:Bachelor’s degree and eight years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.Depth of experience, sound judgement, and confidence befitting a functional leadership position.Excels at writing, analyzing and synthesizing complex materials and with demonstrated ability to communicate highly technical or nuanced information in a manner easily understood under time constraints.Strategic and tactical thinking ability. Demonstrated ability to manage both situational and communication issues that have diverse and competing interestsAbility to synthesize information and viewpoints quickly and act on issues that require urgency. Understanding of the communications role in institutions. Excellence in communicating at all levels and for all audiences. Excellent influencing, negotiating, and relationship management skills. Demonstrated ability to earn credibility and influence opinion leaders. Creative thinker with a desire and ability to seek and optimize opportunities. Proven management skills. An ability to build and sustain a best-in-class communication team. Demonstrated ability to lead communication efforts across functions and school/units towards a common goal. Demonstrated ability to discern a strategy to move forward and make or escalate decisions as appropriate.In addition, our preferred qualifications include: Previous experience in a higher education system in a communications roleStrong writer for both internal and external audiencesTeam / people management experienceExcellent collaborator with high emotional intelligencePHYSICAL REQUIREMENTSConstantly perform desk-based computer tasks. Frequently stand/walk, sit, use a telephone, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, speaking. Occasionally grasp forcefully, writing by hand. Rarely sort/file paperwork. WORKING CONDITIONSThis is a hybrid position which requires 2 days of on-site work per week.Occasional work on evenings and weekends WORK STANDARDSInterpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide, .The expected pay range for this position is $162,000 to $200,000 per annum.Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website () provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.HOW TO APPLY:We invite you to apply by clicking on the “Apply for Job” button. To be considered, please submit your résumé and a one-page cover letter covering why you are interested in joining Stanford and Student Affairs along with your online application.STANFORD FOR YOUImagine a world without search engines or social platforms. Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses. Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enrich the world. Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff. We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy. Our culture and unique perks empower you with:Freedom to grow. We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or audit a course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or global leader speak.A caring culture. We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.A healthier you. Climb our rock wall, or choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities. We also provide excellent health care benefits.Discovery and fun. Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums.Enviable resources. Enjoy free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, discounts and moreThe job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources at stanfordelr@stanford.edu. For all other inquiries, please submit a contact formStanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Additional Information
Schedule: Full-timeJob Code: 4228Employee Status: RegularGrade: MRequisition ID: 103454Work Arrangement : Hybrid Eligible