Senior Director, Strategic Communications
- Title:** Senior Director, Strategic Communications
- VP Area:** Marketing & Communications
- Department:** Marketing & Communications
- Work Schedule: **Fixed daytime hours Monday-Friday
- Telework Availability: **Occasional Telework Available
- FLSA Status: **Exempt
- Employee Classification: **Regular full-time (staff 30+ hours)
- Hours per week: **40
- Months per year: **12
- Required Application Materials: **Resume and Cover Letter
Job Purpose The Senior Director of Strategic Communications serves as Gonzaga’s lead strategist for external and executive communications. Part of the leadership team in Gonzaga’s central Marketing & Communications office, the position is responsible for advancing and protecting the University’s reputation, managing issues and crisis communications, overseeing media relations, and ensuring alignment of institutional messaging with the University’s Jesuit, Catholic, and humanistic mission. This role supervises the Assistant Director of Media Relations, provides counsel to senior leadership, and partners closely with the Director of Presidential Communications, the Office of the President, Cabinet and other leadership and key strategic partners to provide counsel and develop communications strategies.
Essential Functions **70% – Strategic Communications, Issues Management, Reputational and Crisis Communications.**
Lead the development and implementation of integrated communications strategies that elevate Gonzaga’s reputation locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
Serve as a spokesperson when appropriate and advise on sensitive or high-profile media engagements.
Develop and implement proactive communications plans centered on topics critical to Gonzaga’s mission and Strategic Plan.
Oversee media relations, issues management, and crisis communications in coordination with the President’s Offices, Chief Marketing and Communications Offices (CMCO), General Counsel, Government Relations, Risk Management, Campus Security & Public Safety, and other leadership.
Maintain awareness of Gonzaga community, regional, national and worldwide developments that interrelate with Gonzaga’s mission and Strategic Plan to advise the President, Director of Presidential Communications and other leaders on communications response, proactive communications strategies, and to deliver information and resources to inform decisions.
Create and maintain proactive documentation and plans regarding known or anticipated reputational issues that includes situational analysis, risk evaluation, key messages and holding statements.
Work with colleagues to update and maintain reputational crisis response process/protocol, and lead implementation of this protocol when reputational situations emerge.
Develop communications plans for emergent issues and crises, including situational analysis, goals and objectives, strategies and tactics, key messages, talking points, holding statements and outcomes measurements.
Consult frequently with the University President, Chief of Staff, Director of Presidential Communications, General Counsel, Cabinet, Deans, and other leaders about reputational or crisis communications situations, plans, and implementation.
Develop and maintain relationships and contracts with outside consultants and firms to support strategic communications, issues management and reputational crisis response.
Ensure all communications reflect Gonzaga’