Communications Director

The University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science seeks a professional, experienced, collaborative Communications and Marketing leader to join its Strategic Communications team.

The individual in this role will deliver editorial and marketing campaigns and content that connect the world with the school's world-class research and education programs, the people who make up its unique community, and its mission to make the world a better place.

This individual will work closely with faculty, staff and team colleagues to inform and engage audiences, including current and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, event attendees, media, industry partners, and higher education peers. Theindividual in this position will manage a team of full-time and freelance writing and marketing team members, reporting to the Executive Director of Strategic Communications and serving as part of the Dean's Office staff.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, collaborative, operations-minded communicator and marketing leader who will be energized by the opportunity to create engaging, STEM-oriented campaigns and content that builds UVA Engineering's brand. This candidate will enjoy shining a light on people and projects that create societal impact, contributing to broader awareness and understanding of research advances, piquing curiosity among both engineers and non-engineers, and creating emotional connection to the work of the school - as well as the mission, vision, values, community and culture that are at its heart.

This position is located at the University of Virginia and is not a remote role.

The Communications Director will be responsible for a wide range of marketing and communications tasks and responsibilities, including:

• Helping set marketing and communications objectives, goals, strategies and measures that support the School of Engineering and Applied Science's overarching goals for undergraduate education, graduate education and research.
• Managing a team of in-house and freelance content contributors, including writers, editors and marketing professionals.
• Leading the UVA Engineering "newsroom" to write, edit and faculty, student and alumni news, profiles, research and event stories on the UVA Engineering website; ensuring that content is timely, factual, engaging and aligned with priorities.
• Creating marketing campaigns to support the school's goals for graduate student recruiting, undergraduate student enrollment, reputation building, research, events and more; overseeing content development and execution; tracking, analyzing and reporting campaign results; identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Overseeing the creation of marketing communications content and collateral for channels including web, email, social media, digital advertising, video and print; working with the creative team to identify, source and manage creative assets such as photos, videos and graphics.
• Creating email marketing and social media strategies, managing platforms, and publishing/posting content that leverages "newsroom" stories and creative team assets to maximize engagement with key audiences.
• Writing annual reports, press releases, and news stories geared toward philanthropic and industry partners.
• Responding to incoming media requests, proactively pitching media, offering consulting and media training to faculty, and assisting with issues management.
• Managing projects, providing proactive communication, and offering responsive customer service to the many internal and external stakeholders the team serves.
• Using, improving and building processes and tools to improve personal and team efficiency and effectiveness.
• Exploring and experimenting with new ideas to increase reach and engagement.
• Adhering to University of Virginia and School of Engineering brand, editorial style and accessibility guidelines.

In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Well-qualified candidates should demonstrate:

• A strategic mindset and a drive for data-driven decision-making;
• Experience and aptitude in communications, including brand journalism/editorial writing, editing, web publishing, public relations and media relations;
• Experience and aptitude in marketing, including campaign planning, copywriting and copyediting, and managing digital and social media platforms;
• Excellent project management skills and ability to meet deadlines; a bias for action and problem-solving;
• A service-focused mindset paired with strong, proactive relationship-building and collaboration skills;
• Experience with data and analytics; ability to create and operationalize reports; facility with translating marketing and communications metrics into actionable insights for non-marketers;
• Strong attention to detail and an eye for quality;
• Experience with marketing and communications operations and tools, including editorial planning, project management, website content management systems, social media scheduling and analytics;
• Experience or familiarity with marketing creative software, such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and InDesign a plus);
• An interest in content and creative trends and a drive to seek out new ideas.

This position will remain open until filled. The University will perform background checks on all hires (if required) prior to employment. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. For this role, the University will not sponsor or consider candidates requiring sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future.For questions about the position or the application process, please contact Daniel Strong, Senior Recruiter at das6zb@virginia.edu.

Please apply through the University job board,Careers at UVA, and search for R0076693.

Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs' or through their 'Jobs Hub'. Applicants must complete an application online with the following documents:a resume, cover letter, and portfolio of past work.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor's degree

Experience: At least ten years, or Master's degree with at least seven years, of marketing or communications experience.

Licensure: None

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.