Director of Media Relations

Department:Marketing and Communications.
Job Number:R0006883

Pay Rate Type:Salary

Waterville, ME
• Full-time
• Hybrid

Job Summary:

The Director of Media Relations develops and executes a comprehensive media strategy that elevates Colby College’s reputation locally, nationally and internationally across print, broadcast, digital, and emerging media. Reporting to the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, the Director leads proactive and reactive media engagement, supervises an Associate Director, and serves as a core member of the College’s crisis communications team.

This role works closely with academic departments and campus partners to identify and promote compelling stories that advance Colby’s strategic priorities and showcase its people, scholarship, and impact.

To be successful in this position, an individual should be able to perform the essential duties and bring the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities that support the role. Colby College supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This list of duties is intended to be representative rather than exhaustive, and additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

• Develop and implement a proactive media relations strategy aligned with institutional goals.
• Identify, pitch, and place stories with regional, national, and international media outlets.
• Manage incoming media inquiries; coordinate interviews, filming, and spokesperson engagement.
• Serve as a College spokesperson and provide on-call support during crisis or sensitive situations.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with journalists and media outlets (some travel may be required)
• Promote faculty expertise, research, editorial content, and institutional initiatives.
• Support senior leaders, faculty and staff with media preparation, briefing materials, and talking points.
• Oversee media events, press conferences, and journalist visits.
• Provide media training and guidance to faculty and staff as needed.
• Monitor media coverage, identify emerging issues, and support mitigation strategies as necessary
• Collaborate with internal partners, consultants, and project teams as appropriate.
• Participate as a member of the crisis communications team, providing on-call emergency support as needed.

Education and/or experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent combination of education and experience
• 8-10+ years of experience in public or media relations, with progressively increasing responsibility; agency experience helpful

• Demonstrated success placing national news stories and feature coverage
• Strong media judgment, writing ability, and storytelling skills
• Established relationships with top-tier or industry media outlets; portfolio required
• Experience supporting senior leaders and navigating complex or sensitive issues
• Ability to work collaboratively across diverse constituencies in a higher education environment
• Highly organized, deadline-driven, and comfortable working evenings or weekends as needed
• Fluency with social media as a media relations and amplification tool
• Deep understanding of the evolving media landscape and issues impacting higher education
• Commitment to Colby’s mission, values, and inclusive community

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here reflect what is typically needed to perform the essential functions of this position and what may be experienced while carrying out those duties. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• To perform this role effectively, an employee is expected to handle employee information, documents, and sensitive matters with care, professionalism, and respect for privacy.
• This position involves working with a variety of timelines, including some that require quick turnaround and responsiveness to urgent needs.
• In this role, the employee will interact with members of the public and others in a variety of…