Description

Position Overview: 

The Internal Communications Director will be an integral member of the  University Communications and Marketing (UCM) team, managing the  ow of information within the university and ensuring that employees  and other members of the community are informed and aligned with  UMBC’s goals. 

Responsibilities: 

The Internal Communications Director will be an integral member of the University Communications and Marketing (UCM) team, managing the flow of information within the university and ensuring that employees and other members of the community are informed and aligned with UMBC’s goals. The internal communications director will create an internal communications strategy in partnership with UCM leadership; create and manage cross-channel communications that help employees understand and engage in the UMBC mission and goals; work with senior leadership to understand and communicate top priorities; set a standard of best practices for internal communicators across campus; and ensure consistency to UMBC tone and brand across channels.

The Director of Internal Communications will collaborate with colleagues across the university on strategic communications to ensure an informed and engaged campus community. This position requires exceptional writing abilities, a keen eye for detail, and the capacity to distill complex ideas into plain-language messaging that is accessible to a wide range of audiences. This position will be building new communication channels and processes, and should have a proven track record of excellent organization and project management, including balancing and understanding community needs, collaboration with partners, and resource allocation.  The ideal candidate will organize and lead multiple projects with minimal direction, meet deadlines, think critically and creatively, ensure all core content is consistent in terms of style, quality and tone of voice, and exercise sound judgment. They will be a seasoned communications professional who is actively engaged in the discipline, up to date on new developments and opportunities in strategic communications, and capable of implementing new best practices to increase the effectiveness of the university’s communications activity.

Duties:

• Provide strategic consultation, writing, and editing support for senior leadership messaging, both emergency and non-emergency, as well as coordination of deployment.
• Manage and provide strategic guidance for internal communications campus-wide, leading the coordination and distribution of internal communications and monitoring analytics to inform decision making.
• Plan, build, and execute new systems of curated communication channels for campus audiences to boost engagement, pride, and retention.
• Collaborate in assessment of internal communications tools, processes, and protocols, including for emergency alerts, as well as the implementation of best practices and integration of systems where possible.
• Serve as a key member of the Rapid Response Crisis Communications Team in supporting emergency and crisis communications.
• Serve as lead on communications for signature university events, including working with event staff and the president’s office to understand needs and coordinate communications elements.

Requirements

Required Minimum Qualifications: 

8+ years of internal communications leadership and publication management experience; excellent writing and editing skills; understanding of style guide use, content creation and delivery, and managing internal communications tools; ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders across the institution including executive leaders and maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion. Success in designing and implementing creative, innovative, and effective internal communications and change management strategies.

Preferred Qualification:

 Project management experience, a strong understanding or experience  working in higher education administration.