Description/Job Summary
Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Director of Public Relations/Community Outreach will be a creative and innovative leader who develops and supports public and media relations plans that build and sustain messaging in support of Baltimore City Community College at the local, state, and national levels. The College is undergoing realignment strategies across its operations and the Director must bring high energy and enthusiasm toward setting the stage for the next evolution of the institution and its brand. The Director is responsible for building opportunities to advance the College's programs and strategies while managing the flow of internal and external communications to promote one institutional voice.
Responsibilities/Duties
Management
- Takes the lead in the development of public relations and outreach initiatives, including issues and crisis communication plans.
- Directs the narrative when disseminating news with media, elected officials, community organizations, and College stakeholders. Builds and cultivates relationships with community representatives and internal and external stakeholders.
- Collaborates and works with the Marketing Department to coordinate production of print, radio and television advertisements, and on-air promotions. Works with monitoring services to share related news articles naming the College.
Media Relations
- Develops and implements comprehensive media strategy to maximize exposure for College programs.
- Works with the Marketing Department to coordinate production of print, radio and television advertisements, and on-air promotions. Provides media (print, cable TV, radio, social media, web sites, etc.) with notices of upcoming events, programs, and advertising.
- Develops and implement engagement strategies to maximize positive media exposure for College programs, faculty and students.
- Cultivates relationships with traditional and nontraditional media, responds to media requests, and communicates upcoming events and campus programming. Provides routine updates to improve, evaluate, and enhance processes and communications.
- Manages editorial requests, corporate, non-profit and government meetings, press releases, and press conferences.
Public and College Relations/Community Outreach
- Works with the Vice President and College leadership to identify key stakeholders among community, business, faith-based, legislative, and other key groups for targeted outreach efforts.
- Edits and produces weekly, monthly, and quarterly newsletters.
- Identifies community events and efforts that coincide strategically with the College's mission and values.
- Maintains ongoing relationship with public relations counterparts at other Maryland community colleges (including MACC and MCCPRO) to support joint efforts. Assists with preparation of presentations for the President; edits content as needed for College and Foundation publications.
- Helps to identify subject matter experts who can support faculty and staff while expanding the visibility of the College. Directs the development of and actively maintains multiple databases of contact information for targeted constituencies.
- Works collaboratively with security and other departments on campus and provides resources to Cabinet leaders in the event of a crisis. Manages internal and external communications about campus operations during emergency/hazardous or other occurrences.
Required Skills
Essential Qualifications
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong working relationship with local media and knowledge of the City of Baltimore preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to strategically develop, build and achieve long-term and short-term capacity to reach goals and objectives at the functional and organizational levels. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute effective strategic plans while anticipating future consequences and opportunities.
- Demonstrated skill in approaching sensitive issues with respect, discretion and confidentiality.
- Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate, influence, motivate, negotiate, communicate, resolve conflicts, and effectively coach staff and managers. Effective leadership skills that energize multi-disciplined work teams.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and conceptual skills. Effective presentation skills.
- Knowledge of Greater Baltimore and surrounding areas preferred.
- Must have own transportation.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, public relations, journalism, English, communications, multimedia or related field from an accredited college or university, or some college and evidence of progressive work experience.
- Seven to ten years of experience in communications, public affairs, or community relations. Seven years of progressively responsible supervisory/management experience.
- Able to be responsive to media representatives during routine and emergency situations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in public or media relations, marketing, journalism, communications.
- Prior experience managing multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced work environment.
- Previous experience with higher education or in an academic setting.
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