Chief Communications Officer

Chief Communications Officer Job Code: 9365MC Recommended Salary Range for CLA: $170,000 - $200,000 Reports to: The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts As the College of Liberal Arts' Chief Communications Officer (CCO), you'll lead a talented team in crafting a comprehensive, integrated marketing communications strategy that amplifies the college's awareness, understanding, engagement, and impact across Minnesota, the nation and around the world. You'll serve as a key advisor to the Dean and collegiate leadership—developing innovative marketing communication strategies to highlight the groundbreaking research, world‑class faculty, and extraordinary students that make the CLA a global leader in liberal arts education. The CCO serves as the college's lead brand and identity architect, responsible for the development and successful implementation of strategies that position the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) to all internal and external stakeholders. Primary responsibilities include leading a talented marketing communications team, unifying operations, fostering a culture of trust, and reimagining how our internal and external communications can drive the college's mission forward. This position calls for a leader who blends strategic insight with strong analytic skills, partnering with collegiate offices and University Marketing Communications to bridge silos, enhance the flow of information and ensure a consistent narrative across all platforms. The CCO will act as a catalyst for change by assessing and integrating collegiate marketing communications operations, aligning resources with strategy, and cultivating a high‑performing, unified team. The CCO will develop and execute an integrated marketing communications strategy that aligns and supports the University's brand, communications and enrollment marketing strategies and drives external engagement, student recruitment, and engagement with donors, alumni and external partners. Key focus areas include developing and implementing a collegiate internal and leadership communications plan that aligns with the CLA's long‑term strategic goals, utilizing analytics to guide decision‑making, and ensuring that communication strategies serve the broader collegiate and University vision, mission and strategic roadmap. Key Strategic Responsibilities College Identity & Brand Strategy Planning – Create and lead a bold, college‑wide communications and marketing vision and strategy that elevates the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) brand, defines competitive advantage, strengthens reputation, and drives engagement. The successful candidate will develop and execute an integrated communications strategy to introduce the college's new strategic plan to stakeholders. That strategy will include development of a CLA brand and marketing communications strategy, championing the value of a University of Minnesota liberal arts education, and showcasing academic excellence, achievements and future direction. Key performance indicators include enrollment growth, fundraising success, talent recruitment and retention, and stakeholder engagement. Partner with offices and the Dean's cabinet to promote domestic research and events to diverse audiences. Strategic Enrollment Marketing Communications Planning – Partner with the Chief Student Success Officer and University Marketing Communications to translate recruitment and enrollment goals into tailored, high‑impact strategies. Leverage collegiate and University marketing tools, resources and methods to articulate the unique value proposition of CLA to prospective students and families. Research & Impact Positioning – Collaborate with the Associate Dean for Research and Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, Community Engagement and Equity and University Marketing Communications to elevate the college’s profile as a premier research institution and community partner. Develop communication strategies that amplify faculty discovery, scholarly achievements and artistic work to enhance national reputation and public engagement. Executive Leadership & Operational Alignment – Provide mentorship and high‑level direction to the marketing communications team. Lead and facilitate a nimble work plan that aligns creative output and resource allocation to advance actions and objectives in the University and College 5‑year strategic plan. Ensure that external and internal communication strategies align with the college’s vision and strategic priorities. External Relations, Crisis Communication, and Sensitive Matters Advising – Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to dean and other collegiate leaders on sensitive communication matters, including handling crisis communications and issue management with the Strategic Communications team. Serve as lead collegiate marketing, media and public relations manager, coordinating with journalists and partners to respond to media inquiries, and reviewing internal and external communications for senior leadership. Skills & Competencies Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to independently and collaboratively drive initiatives forward. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; build trust and engage stakeholders. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills that translate complex information into clear public narratives. Strong leadership and project management skills to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment. Proficiency in digital marketing tools, web content management systems, graphic design software and social media strategy. Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including dean’s leadership, University Marketing Communications, external partners and CLA faculty, staff and students. Ability to quickly adjust to changing priorities and situations with sound problem‑solving skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality of privileged information and perform duties with sensitivity, independent judgment, flexibility and discretion; high professionalism, integrity and dependability. High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), Google Workspace, Zoom and other productivity tools. Ability to collaborate with and convene teams that include participants from other areas to achieve common goals for the mission of the College of Liberal Arts. Qualifications Required Qualifications BA/BS in Strategic Communication, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field plus a minimum of 12 years of progressive professional experience with demonstrated success in strategic communications of increasing scope, with some experience at a public agency, mission‑driven organization or large complex organization. Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated marketing and communications strategies and managing branding within a complex environment. Exceptional written and verbal communication, editing and proofreading skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for different audiences. Excellent presentation and relationship‑building skills, including a proven ability to work effectively with an intellectually, culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse workforce. Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree in Strategic Communication, Marketing, Business, Journalism or related field. 12+ years of progressively responsible experience in strategic marketing, brand management and communications, preferably in higher education, corporate or mission‑driven organizations with at least five years in a senior leadership role supervising full‑time employees. Proven experience in executive communications, media relations, and crisis/issues management. Demonstrated success in leading cross‑functional teams through coordination of complex marketing and branding campaigns and stakeholder involvement. Proven experience leading digital marketing strategies, including analytics, website governance and social media platform management. Knowledge of higher education practices and quick acquisition of new knowledge. Strong understanding of how communications and marketing integrate with fundraising and legislative affairs. Pay and Benefits Pay Range: $170,000 – $200,000 – depending on education, qualifications and experience. Time Appointment: 100% Appointment Position Type: P&A Staff The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes: Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off. Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree‑seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program. Low‑cost medical, dental and pharmacy plans. Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts. University HSA contributions. Disability and employer‑paid life insurance. Employee wellbeing program. Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity. Financial counseling services. Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost. Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area. While the salary range provides a framework, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. Compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within the organization. Diversity and Equal Opportunity The University of Minnesota provides equal access and opportunity in its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. Employment Requirements Any offer of employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check. The University presumes that prospective employees are eligible to work here. #J-18808-Ljbffr