Full Job Description

Job no: 529035
Work type: Officer of Administration
Location: Eugene, OR
Categories: Communications/Public Relations/Marketing
Department: CAS Administration
Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing
Salary: $90,000 to $110,000 per year
Compensation Band: OS-OA10-Fiscal Year 2021-2022
FTE: 1.0

Application Review Begins
March 18, 2022; position open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please upload the following with your online application:

• A cover letter that clearly demonstrates how you meet the minimum and any preferred qualifications for this position
• Your resume
• Names and contact information for three professional references

We will not contact references until the finalist stage.

If you are selected as a finalist, we will ask you to provide work samples.

Department Summary

CAS offers the core liberal arts and sciences curriculum that serves the entire UO undergraduate population. As of 2019, the majority of undergraduates (more than 60 percent, or almost 11,000 students at any given time) go on to pursue a degree in one of the college’s 40+ undergraduate degree programs. CAS also serves the majority of UO’s graduate students, with numerous master’s programs and 30+ doctoral programs that produce approximately 75% of the university’s Ph.Ds. CAS is also home to approximately 750 faculty, 1,000+ graduate employees, and 200 administrative employees.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Communications works with the deans to plan, develop, and implement communications efforts designed to promote the liberal arts mission of the College and engage its major constituencies: students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and donors. The Senior Director of Communications provides counsel to the CAS deans regarding both internal and external communications and provides communications advice to the 40+ academic departments and programs in CAS. Moreover, the Senior Director of Communications is the primary communications liaison between the College of Arts and Sciences and University Communications. In this role, the director is responsible for ensuring that the school’s priorities, communications strategy, and objectives are shared with University Communications leadership, working to identify opportunities for coordination, collaboration and amplification. The Senior Director of Communications will also work with a CAS communications team to ensure compliance with University of Oregon brand standards and consistent messaging on UO-wide initiatives.

In addition, the Senior Director of Communications works closely with partners in Enrollment Management, University Advancement, and other central units on campus on specific university-wide marketing and communications goals.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field OR an equivalent combination of skills, experience, and education.
• Five years of proven experience with communications, public relations, marketing strategies, and social media with successively high levels of achievement.
• Two years of experience with direct supervision of communications staff.

Professional Competencies

• Expertise in executive communications.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to craft clear messages for broad audiences from a variety of academic source content.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with university staff, faculty, and others.
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues from different departments and units to deliver successful projects.
• Commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Proficiency in the use of personal computers with computer software including Excel, design, web applications, page layout, email marketing tools.
• Ability to work with print, digital and social media strategies, tools and platforms and knowledge of current and emerging best practices.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment managing a variety of projects at once while simultaneously always searching for operational efficiencies.
• Strong project and intake management skills, with the ability to take creative ideas from conception to execution.
• Ability to think and act strategically, understanding the needs of different constituents, and the ability to think creatively to address those needs.
• Demonstrated abilities in, and a strong commitment to, using data analytics as part of strategy formulation.
• Demonstrated ability to apply an entrepreneurial, problem-solver mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing executive communications support.
• Master’s degree in strategic communications, marketing, public relations or journalism.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing successful communications strategies.
• Experience working in a higher education or arts non-profit organization environment.
• Strong understanding of a research university.
• FLSA Exempt: Yes

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background inquiry.

University of Oregon students and employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For additional information see: https://coronavirus.uoregon.edu/vaccine.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/careers/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at [email protected] or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, or to the Office for Civil Rights. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed on the statement of non-discrimination.

In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report.