Associate Vice President, Campus Communications

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $200,000- $230,000

Position Summary

The Office of Communications is seeking an Associate Vice President for Campus Communications, a new role that is central to a larger effort to support the President, Provost, and Chief Operating Officer in ensuring an informed and engaged campus community. This individual will lead a transformation of the university's capabilities to interact with campus constituents and stakeholders - from staff to faculty to students and families and alumni - through coordinated outreach on behalf of senior leadership and real-time internal crisis response. With the President, Provost, and Chief Operating Officer all new to their positions, this is the perfect moment to rethink leadership communications and outreach to the 60,000 people who live, work and study at Columbia.

The AVP of Campus Communications will be responsible for the day-to-day creation and management of tools to connect and coordinate with institutional counterparts, senior leadership, and campus audiences. Reporting to the Vice President for Communications and working alongside the Communications Office leadership team, this individual will identify opportunities and contacts from across university offices and schools to help elevate institutional priorities, establish channels for regular updates and feedback, and respond rapidly with coordinated messaging and resources in times of crisis. This campus leader will work closely with the President's Office, the Provost, and the COO, working alongside their senior staff as policy and communications strategies are developed.

Responsibilities

• Work with the VP of Communications to develop and execute integrated strategic communications plans and messaging for internal constituents.
• Collaborate with the AVP for Columbia News, AVP for Public Affairs, and AVP for Digital Strategy on content strategy and the development of new content vehicles, tools, and analytics.
• Rethink current mechanisms, plans, and processes and establish new vehicles to coordinate with campus communications counterparts across offices and schools.
  
  
  
  • Pinpoint challenges and identify opportunities for coordination and better message penetration with targeted audiences.
  • Expand the internal communications technology tool set.
  • Develop an internal communications data measurement system to regularly evaluate the impact of internal communications efforts.
  
  
  
  
• Coordinate on a regular basis directly with the office of the Chief Operating Officer, the Office of the Provost, University Life, Office of Alumni and Development, and other administrative entities to support messaging to staff and faculty on issues ranging from campus operations and public safety to faculty engagement and initiatives.
• Manage a small team of internal communicators, including the Director of Executive Communications, on the rollout and amplification of presidential announcements, initiatives, and messages.
• Work with colleagues across all 17 schools and multiple institutes and other entities to coordinate internal communications.
• Draft statements, talking points, fact sheets, Q&As and other resources for use by campus counterparts and other key stakeholders.
• Work alongside colleagues to ensure message discipline and coordination across university channels, including social media.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor degree is required. Advanced degree desirable.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in public relations, preferably supporting and leading similar strategic communications efforts in higher education or other complex public or private institutions.
  
  
  
  • Previous higher education experience strongly preferred.
  
  
  
  
• Superior writing, verbal, and digital communications skills.
  
  
  
  • Strong track record drafting statements, talking points, and Q&As.
  
  
  
  
• Strong knowledge and understanding of digital communications strategy, platforms and tools, including email, web content strategy, content management platforms, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and other related technology.
• Demonstrated success working in large, decentralized, and matrixed organizations.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive issues and confidential materials.
• Excellent judgment.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Proactive and strategic. A self-starter and strategic thinker with the ability to prioritize and synthesize as well as assess effectiveness and areas for improvement on a rolling basis.
• Strong collaborator with solid negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Able to work under pressure quickly, effectively, and efficiently.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.