Director of Communications

Position Summary

Director of Communications (DOC), responsible to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, is a creative, innovative, experienced communications professional comfortable in a dynamic environment to develop and execute comprehensive, research-driven communications strategies while cultivating responsive relationships. The goal is to foster College-wide collaboration using an integrated communications strategy that promotes the desired outcomes of the College’s Global Ends Policy Statement.

In collaboration with the Office of the President and Marketing team colleagues, the DOC will leverage cross‑functional skills across a variety of platforms (including intranet/digital/print/social media), engaging the College’s operational divisions to create compelling content that tells the stories of experiences and success unique to the FCC community. Elevating the importance of strategic communication at the College, this role will lead in the development of College-wide communications policies/procedures, critical communications involving College-wide alerts/emergency/weather/closure messaging, and other initiatives and resources as merited.

The DOC also serves as the College Public Information Officer (PIO) and handles all Public Information Act requests and public affairs duties as the liaison between the College and regional public information officers, the media, governmental and elected officials and the public in general.
The DOC supports the Office of the President with executive communications, presentation and visual media development, event forums and ceremonies, a cadence and quality control of communication materials to internal and external audiences, and proactively leading FCC’s message development and narration to demonstrate impact to all stakeholders. Working closely with the President and executive leadership, the DOC will plan and execute communication campaigns focused on achieving specific organizational goals through clarity in messaging as it relates to College initiatives, employee/student/alumni accomplishments, changes that influence the student and employee experience and crisis and issues management.

The right person for this role will be able to demonstrate experience with key responsibilities of the position including communications strategy planning and execution, media relations, and content development.

• Develop, implement and continually evaluate an aggressive and comprehensive strategic communication strategy. This strategy will include a College-wide, systematic, comprehensive, research-based plan driven by desired institutional outcomes. Provide leadership in achieving specific organizational goals, indicative of a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and social justice.
• Serve as the FCC contact for all aspects of public relations operations, including but not limited to creating press releases, managing media inquiries and correspondence and a practice of professional protocol and publication timeliness. Serve as college spokesperson as directed and provide media interview preparation for other College leaders as necessary.
• Serve as the College’s Public Information Officer (PIO) and liaison to the regional public information officers’ group and other key community coalitions; process Public Information Act requests in accordance with legal guidelines; lead in plan creation and coordination with the President and campus leaders in a College emergency or crisis response.
• Work collaboratively with all employees involved with any institutional communications and serve on all College committees related to institutional communications.
• Anticipate College-wide needs and engage in an analytical, data-driven approach to problem solving and decision-making support where consistency in message is required.

• Prepare regular communications for the President, including, but not limited to speeches, talking points, briefings, correspondences (internal and external), College-wide messages, video scripts and social media posts. Support speech writing/talking points for the Chair of…