CRITICAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

A successful Director of Communications and Marketing has excellent written, verbal and digital skills as well as problem-solving capabilities. The Director also must possess managerial talent to guide a team of communications staff. Other notable skills include:

• Leading and motivating staff to produce high-level, brand-driven content.
• Utilizing analytical, creative and organizational skills to address challenges and increase the school’s media presence and quality of presentation.
• Working effectively in a fast-paced environment, meeting tight deadlines, managing multiple projects and assignments simultaneously, and managing competing priorities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

The Director of Communications must have:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of education, professional training, and relevant experience.
• A minimum of five years experience in a complex organization engaged in marketing, communications, advertising and/or public relations preferably in a higher education or a cultural organization.
• Experience writing, designing and implementing annual communications plans with clear goals that align with school and institution priorities.
• Ability to develop compelling, creative, and effective messages and statements.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Project management skills with the ability to lead substantial marketing and communication projects in a variety of media to completion.
• Excellent supervisory and managerial experience in leading, developing, and motivating high-performing teams.
• A significant understanding of issues, controversies, and trends affecting higher education.
• Broad and in-depth knowledge of publishing methods and writing and editing techniques.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
• Experience building effective partnerships at the senior level of an organization and collaborating with executives in an intense, dynamic environment.
• Possess outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to navigate complex environments with a wide range of constituents from different backgrounds.
• Proficiency with content management and social media tools.
• Ability to implement high-level marketing and communications projects.
• Strong understanding of effective graphic design and branding principles.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Advanced degree preferred.
• Experience with a major art school, university recruitment, and/or an arts organization or creative industry.
• Successful history of pitching stories to the national media.
• Proficiency with WordPress, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Slack, project management systems, and digital asset management systems such as Resource Space.
• A passion for the arts and a keen understanding of audiences specific to the arts.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct and manage the school’s dynamic communications office, and empower, lead and coach its team to achieve objectives.
• Provide executive-level development, delivery and maintenance of print and digital communications, photography, social media, videography, and other internal and external communication resources.
• Lead communication projects by defining and documenting project goals and timelines; tracking and confirming project milestones; and coordinating project resources.
• Create and oversee communication that reflects the Dean’s vision and design aesthetic. This includes writing and editing “talking points”, speeches, visual presentations, social media, and video scripts.
• Develop and manage yearly budgets for the Office of Communications.
• Analyze, improve and streamline communications and marketing procedures, processes and technologies to expand outreach.
• Engage in analytics of communications and develop recommendations to increase effectiveness and impact.
• Monitor major issues that impact the school and its community and create crisis-response content in collaboration with the Dean and VCU’s Enterprise Marketing and Communications team.
• Develop a cohesive, senior-level communications and outreach strategy including building and managing a comprehensive forward-looking plan that supports/promotes the school’s faculty, students, staff and programming.
• Collaborate with the school’s development team to create events and generate promotional material for related academic affairs, alumni, donors and other VCUarts supporters.
• Ensure compliance with University policies and School of the Arts procedures, and serve as the official communications liaison between the school and other communication units on campus.
• Identify, establish and manage meaningful engagement opportunities to promote VCUarts at a national and international level. This includes partnering with Enterprise Marketing constituents as well as partners and media outlets external to VCU.
• Serve as the key spokesperson and media contact for VCUarts, when necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned.