Job Posting Title:
Executive Director of Strategic Communications, Business Strategies Office
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Hiring Department:
VP for Business Strategies
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
Exempt
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Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue
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Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS
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Job Details:
General Notes
The Executive Director of Strategic Communications is a valued member of the Business Strategies Communications team within the Office of the Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). This position identifies, plans, leads, and sustains strategic communications and associated projects, with a particular emphasis on promoting Discovery to Impact internally and externally.
Your skills will make a difference.
You’ll be working for a university that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will contribute to operational excellence and enhance the student experience. If you’re the type of person that wants to know your work has meaning and impact, you’ll like working in our department and for UT Austin. UT Austin provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to:
Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds
Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
Tuition assistance
Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card
For more details, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards .
Purpose
Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Communications and Engagement, this position identifies, plans, leads, and sustains strategic communications and associated projects within and across the portfolio of the SVP/COO, with a particular emphasis on promoting Discovery to Impact internally and externally.
Responsibilities
- Create and manage persuasive, succinct messaging in support of priority programs, with an emphasis on Discovery to Impact. Write and edit articles, reports, white papers, news releases, backgrounders, publications, and briefing materials. Provide editorial support for talking points, remarks, presentations, and public correspondence.
- Identify and assess opportunities to position the Associate Vice President of Discovery to Impact, the COO, and other leaders across the COO portfolio as thought leaders in their respective areas, including opportunities to contribute expert opinion/analysis pieces and to provide analysis or expertise on relevant and timely topics in the media.
- Advise COO Office leadership on the communications and public relations implications of potential policy and program decisions.
- Establish a consistent identity and message for Discovery to Impact and other COO priority initiatives and communicate, develop, and assess annual communications plans across the portfolio, including metrics and results reflecting target audience engagement, earned media success and other measurements. Develop a holistic communication plan for Discovery to Impact internally and other portfolio-wide priorities and themes.
- Collaborate with University colleagues to increase awareness of COO priorities and achievements among regional, state and national media markets, as well as decision-makers in local, state and federal governmental bodies and agencies; leaders at peer institutions; and journalists who cover higher education. Foster community among the communications professionals embedded in units across the COO portfolio at large, providing leadership and support to ensure that their communications amplify key messages, are appropriate for the targeted audience, align with University brand standards, and are coordinated to avoid conflicting with each other in timing or tone. Serve as a liaison to communications leads across UT’s colleges, units, and schools.
- Regularly assess the performance of existing communications platforms and products, and lead exploration of new or revised platforms or products. Lead and manage the Discovery to Impact social media presence. Conceptualize, design, and execute visual products to meet communication objectives in print and multimedia.
Required Qualifications
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least 15 years of experience, OR a master’s degree in public relations, communications, or journalism with 11 years of experience.
- Experience envisioning, developing, and implementing a successful and comprehensive strategic communications plan based on an organization's goals and priorities.
- Experience working with a team of colleagues who are not direct reports, building consensus and strong collaborative partnerships across complex organizations.
- Proven experience in media relations, stakeholder communications, and social media strategy.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in a startup setting and also a higher education or state agency environment and working knowledge of the communications landscape in a higher education or state agency environment.
Salary Range
$175,000 + depending on qualifications
Working Conditions
This position requires a physical presence in a standard office environment at the UT main campus and is not eligible for a regular remote or hybrid work at this time.
Required Materials
Resume/CV
- 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
- Letter of interest
- Final candidates will be asked to provide work and/or writing samples
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
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Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.
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Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
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Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.
