Own district-wide marketing and public affairs strategy, serving as the public information officer and primary media liaison to strengthen enrollment, community engagement, and campus messaging.

• Public affairs and media relations: lead media strategy, interviews, press conferences, and crisis communications.
• Strategic communications: counsel District leadership on messaging and communications plans.
• Integrated campaigns: oversee marketing campaigns supporting enrollment, student success, and institutional priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the District's comprehensive marketing, communications, and public affairs strategy;
• Serve as the District's Public Information Officer and primary spokesperson for media inquiries;
• Direct media relations, including press strategy, interviews, press conferences, and crisis communications;
• Provide strategic communications counsel to assigned supervisor and District leadership;
• Oversee development of integrated marketing campaigns supporting enrollment, student success, institutional priorities, and community engagement;
• Lead the development of the District's brand strategy and ensure consistent messaging across all communication platforms;
• Oversee public affairs and governmental relations communications that strengthen the District's relationships with elected officials, community leaders, and public agencies;
• Supervise assigned employees;
• Oversee the District's advertising strategy, including media planning, creative direction, and campaign performance;
• Establish and maintain relationships with regional media outlets and community organizations;
• Coordinate crisis communications and sensitive messaging on behalf of the District;
• Oversee the development of major institutional communications, including announcements, reports, and public messaging;
• Manage the marketing and communications budget;
• Serve on District leadership committees and provide communications guidance on institutional initiatives;
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the performance of duties;
• Demonstrate sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, public administration, or a related field.
• Five years of increasingly responsible experience in marketing, communications, public relations, or public affairs;
• Experience leading strategic marketing or communications initiatives;
• Experience working with media and managing public communications;
• Supervisory or leadership experience.
• Master's degree in communications, public administration, marketing, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education or public sector communications;
• Experience serving as a Public Information Officer or managing media relations;
• Experience working with government relations or public affairs;
• Fluency in Spanish (written and spoken).
• Strategic communications planning;
• Public relations and media relations practices;
• Marketing strategy and campaign development;
• Crisis and issues communications;
• Governmental and public affairs communications;
• Digital marketing and communications platforms;
• Brand management and messaging strategy;
• Lead complex communications strategies;
• Serve as an effective spokesperson for a public institution;
• Manage sensitive communications issues;

Preferred

• Experience in higher education or public sector communications;
• Experience serving as a Public Information Officer or managing media relations;
• Experience working with government relations or public affairs;
• Fluency in Spanish (written and spoken).

Benefits

• We offer comprehensive benefit options. Information about benefits can be found at the Cuesta College benefits page.