Executive Director of Communications
- Employer
- Knox College
- Location
- Galesburg, Illinois
View more
- Executive Administration Jobs
- C-Level & Executive Directors
- Administrative Jobs
- Institutional & Business Affairs, Communications & Marketing
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
LocationGalesburg, Illinois
Employment TypeFull-Time Benefited
DepartmentCommunications
Knox College seeks an Executive Director of Communications to develop and help implement compelling, effective messaging and communications strategies for prospective students and parents, alumni, donors, the on-campus community, and other critical regional and national audiences. Reporting to the president and serving on the senior staff, the executive director will work collaboratively with both admission and advancement to design digital and print marketing campaigns to support the student recruitment, donor relations, and fundraising priorities of the college. This person will also work closely with the president on priority institutional communications and serve as the College’s official spokesperson.
We seek someone who is smart, imaginative, nimble, and eager to try new things. Knox has a proud reputation for its one-of-a-kind academic experiences, its inclusive and creative community—we are one of the 50 most diverse campuses in the U.S.—and a nearly 200-year commitment to keeping a high-quality liberal arts education available to all promising students, regardless of background. Like most national liberal arts colleges, however, Knox is at a critical moment, as we face contemporary challenges, including the nationwide decline in the number of college-bound students and the ongoing effects of the current pandemic.
In this role, you can expect to:
- Work closely with the leadership of admission and advancement, respectively, on critical recruitment and fundraising communications and marketing initiatives across the full portfolio of outreach media available and especially in the emerging areas of digital technologies.
- Support the president on priority institutional communications, leadership messaging, media outreach, and more.
- Provide leadership and guidance for—and collaborate with—an outstanding team of 10 communications and marketing professionals, including designers, developers, writers, photographers, and videographers.
- Develop a comprehensive communications strategy, complete with priority messages, a creative tactical plan, and ambitious outreach goals.
- Ensure that Knox is capitalizing effectively on new and emerging technologies and marketing tools that effectively combine with print and web media for maximum strategic impact and reach in service to core Knox priorities.
Qualifications:
We are looking for an experienced and savvy communications and marketing professional who is an enthusiastic and energetic self-starter with a keen attention to detail. You must possess excellent oral and written communication skills, the ability to juggle multiple (and we mean multiple) deadlines and projects, and be comfortable leading not only our internal creative team but also collaborating with other College departments, with outside agencies and vendors, and living and working as part of a vibrant multicultural community. You must also have:
- A minimum of a bachelor's degree; advanced degree is preferred.
- Seven to ten years of experience in communications—preferably in higher education or related nonprofits—with demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team in a fast-paced communications environment.
- Experience with or in-depth knowledge of best uses of a wide array of communications media, including print, social media, web, video, design, and digital advertising.
- Preparedness to serve as college spokesperson, including in a crisis, and to play an instrumental role in crisis management.
- Experience working directly with news media or proven ability to provide guidance, counsel, and insight on presidential and college news media outreach.
Application
Submit your application, including a letter of application describing your qualifications, resume, and list of three references by selecting Apply for this Job on our career site at https://knoxhr.bamboohr.com/jobs/ Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Finalists will be subject to a background check.
For more information about Knox College, please visit knox.edu/about-knox. Or check us out on film at knox.edu/knoxmade!
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Knox College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious affiliation, sexual orientation or preference, age, marital or family status, disability, veteran status, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in admission, financial aid, employment, athletics, or any other aspect of its educational programs or activities. Any inquiries regarding Title IX or the College’s policies that prohibit discrimination should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator or the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Organization
Working at Knox College
Knox College is a community of individuals from diverse backgrounds challenging each other to explore, understand and improve ourselves, our society and our world. The commitment to put learning to use to accomplish both personal and social goals dates back to the founding of the College in 1837. We take particular pride in the College's early commitment to increase access to all qualified students of varied backgrounds, races and conditions, regardless of financial means.
Today, we continue to expand both the historic mission and the tradition of active liberal arts learning. We provide an environment where students and faculty work closely together and where teaching is characterized by inviting and expecting students to pursue fundamental questions in order to reach their own reflective but independent judgments.
The first thing college guides will tell you is that Knox College is a nationally ranked, private, residential liberal arts college of 1,400 undergraduate students located in Galesburg, Illinois. But to really get a feel for our campus, just consider this: Everything that happens at Knox -- both inside and outside of the classroom -- involves giving our students the freedom to flourish. Knox professors don't just stand in front of classes and "profess" their wisdom, and our students are not mere note takers. Instead, we value:
- Independent thinking. Our students choose their own path toward a degree, guided by scholar-teachers who encourage them to explore ideas and places, stretch their intellect and their talents, blend thought with action, and fuse imagination with initiative.
- Egalitarian spirit. Founded in 1837 by social reformers strongly opposed to slavery, Knox was one of the first colleges in the United States open to both women and people of color. And it was on our campus that Abraham Lincoln chose to denounce slavery on moral terms for the first time, during the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate. A pervasive spirit of equality thrives on campus today in our commitment to giving every student a voice.
- Diverse perspectives. With a campus population that includes students from 47 states and 48 countries, 18% U.S. students of color, and individuals from every imaginable religious and socioeconomic background, members of the Knox community are actively challenged to broaden their points of view.
At Knox, the educational experience means being part of a community of individuals who challenge each other to explore, understand, and improve their world. That mission calls on a special sort of scholar-teacher, one who approaches the classroom, the College, and the community in a uniquely engaged way. Our faculty are top scholars - 98% of our full-time faculty have Ph.D.s or the highest degree in their field. They are active scholars with frequent work in leading academic publications and showcases of artistic and theatrical work in venues around the world. And they represent a wide range of academic disciplines, educational backgrounds, and cultural experiences. Just as important as their scholarly achievements and diverse backgrounds is how Knox professors bring all of that into the classroom. Our faculty make the classroom a forum for a shared pursuit of knowledge, a vibrant place for exploration and debate. You'll not only learn from your professors, you'll learn with them.
Walk into any class on campus and you'll find professors -- not graduate students - leading discussions. A Knox class is small - average size is 18 students - and it is anything but a passive one-way lecture or note-taking session. Our faculty are not shy about letting students know their own point of view on a subject; but they also expect-and assist-students to form and defend their own opinions and viewpoints in a wide range of coursework. They challenge assumptions and teach students to be independent thinkers.
Our faculty don't hide away in their offices. Their doors are open to work closely with students throughout their educational careers. Through one-on-one mentoring, professors help students plan their studies and even design their own majors and research projects.
At Knox, we never forget that life is about more than the books. Our faculty do more -- and breathe more -- than merely publish. They live in the community. And you'll find them cheering on the Prairie Fire athletic teams, playing on intramural sports teams, discussing current events at the dining hall, or enjoying jazz music with fellow faculty and students at a downtown club - or even performing on-stage. By being engaged scholars, Knox faculty instill a lifelong love of learning in their students and impart to them the skills and the drive to apply their education to their career, their community and their world.
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