The University of New Haven, founded on the Yale campus in 1920, is a private, coeducational university that has been recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report for academic excellence. Located between New York City and Boston in the shoreline city of West Haven, the University is a diverse and vibrant community of nearly 8,800 students from across the globe.

Over the last decade, the University has completed more than $300 million in major capital projects while launching 26 new academic programs. The University has also added campuses in Tuscany, Italy, and Orange, Conn.

For more background on the University of New Haven please visit: www.newhaven.edu

The University of New Haven: Campus tour given by students and an overview message from Chancellor Steve Kaplan.

SEARCH DESCRIPTION:
The Office of Marketing and Communications at the University of New Haven is seeking applications for the newly created position of Assistant Director of Strategic Communications. This person will play a central role as part of the digital content and media relations team, shaping new, innovative, and measurable communications strategies that are designed to enhance the visibility and awareness of the University, its key programs and senior leaders, and what differentiates the University in a highly competitive higher education marketplace. This individual will be an expert communicator, with experience in executive communications, media relations, storytelling and digital/multimedia communications.

Primary Responsibilities

• Writing and supporting strategic communications (under the direction of the Director of Communications and Public Relations)
  • Speeches/talking points
  • Op-eds and thought pieces
  • Executive-level University-wide communications
• Overseeing the strategic development and writing of communications related to key University priorities, such as the strategic plan and diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) initiatives
• Pursuing placements in national media with a focus on higher education-specific publications that feature the University’s senior leaders and/or tell the story of the University and our signature programs
• Providing editorial and communication support for major campus events including Commencement and Convocation, among others
• Assisting with crisis communications and social media monitoring, as needed
• Engaging regularly with faculty and students to cultivate relationships and identify content opportunities.
• Collaborating with members of the content team to develop new ways to promote and tell the story of the University and our community members
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Communications and Public Relations, and the AVP in order to meet the marketing needs and mission of the University

Secondary Responsibilities

• Preparing articles, press releases, and other content for dissemination to the media
• Creating opportunities to collaborate with professors, individual students, and classes to feature student-created work across the University’s website and social media channels
• Establishing new ways to repurpose content created across the website and social media as well as earned media to maximize the impact of this material in reaching strategic goals
• Developing and pursuing new ideas for social media and website content as well as strategies that create new media exposure for University leadership and signature programs
• Working closely with Director of Communications and Media Relations; Digital Content Producer; and Media Relations Coordinator to implement a comprehensive editorial calendar and measure KPIs of created content
• Help with marketing and communications department projects and goals as needed
• Provide support to student workers as needed
• Support overall institutional goals by serving on university committees as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

 QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Must be an effective writer, editor, storyteller, interviewer, and collaborator
• Experience in corporate or strategic communications, writing content, creating and executing media relations strategies, and providing crisis communications counsel to organization leaders.
• Knowledge of digital communications, social media, and multimedia content

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in a related field of study such as communications, public relations, journalism, writing, English and at least three years of experience.
• Ability to travel on behalf of the University­­
• Valid driver’s license

About University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education.Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale University in cooperation with Northeastern University, UNH moved to its current West Haven campus in 1960 and opened its Orange Campus in January, 2014. The University operates a satellite campus in Tuscany, Italy, and offers programs at several locations throughout Connecticut and in New Mexico. UNH provides its students with a unique combination of a solid liberal arts education and real-world, hands-on career and research opportunities.The University enrolls approximately 6,800 students, including nearly 1,800 graduate students and more than 5,000 undergraduates – the majority of whom reside in University housing. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, and Tagliatela College of Engineering, UNH offers over 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UNH students have access to more than 500 study abroad programs worldwide and its student-athletes compete in 16 varsity sports in the NCAA Division II’s highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference.

Connections working at University of New Haven