Associate Director of Communications at University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN

Associate Director of Communications

Notre Dame, IN (On-site)

Salary Not AvailableMid Level5+ years expFull time

Posted 3 months ago

Job Summary

Own and optimize Mendoza’s external communications engine to build visibility with prospective students and key influencers, while aligning with Integrated Marketing to support enrollment and differentiation.

Editorial & Thought Leadership: Lead long-form content and campaigns that showcase faculty expertise, student experiences and institutional impact.
Audience & Campaigns: Develop audience-centric plans across the prospect journey and drive proactive media engagement with alumni, partners and recruiters.
Storytelling & Partnerships: Identify compelling stories, manage paid editorial opportunities, and seize content placements across websites, newsletters, and social channels.

Job Description

Develop and execute strategic communications initiatives that strengthen Mendoza’s reputation among prospective students, alumni, corporate partners, peer institutions and media audiences.
Partner with the Integrated Marketing team to create communications strategies that support enrollment goals and differentiate Mendoza in a competitive higher education landscape.
Lead editorial and content marketing campaigns designed to attract high-achieving students who seek a values-based, purpose-driven business education.
Develop audience-focused communications plans that support awareness, consideration and engagement across the prospective student journey.
Identify, research, write and edit compelling stories that showcase Mendoza’s faculty expertise, research impact, student experiences, alumni success and academic excellence.
Produce high-quality content across multiple platforms, including websites, newsletters, magazines, social media, videos and marketing materials.
Develop long-form editorial content and thought leadership initiatives that advance the College’s strategic priorities and strengthen its reputation.
Contribute to annual publications and special projects highlighting Mendoza’s academic programs, faculty achievements and institutional impact.
Lead proactive reputation-building efforts through targeted media pitching, strategic storytelling and content placement opportunities.
Develop and manage paid editorial and sponsored content opportunities that support the College’s reputation and enrollment objectives.

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, English, marketing or a related field.
Five or more years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, journalism, public relations, higher education communications, content marketing or a related field.
Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with a portfolio demonstrating the ability to create compelling content for diverse audiences and channels.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic communications plans that advance organizational goals.
Proven ability to translate complex topics into engaging, accessible and audience-centered content.
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
Experience building productive relationships with senior leaders, faculty, subject matter experts or other stakeholders.
Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to editorial excellence.

Experience in higher education, business education, academic communications, research communications or journalism.
Proficiency with the Associated Press Styleguide.
Experience supporting student recruitment, enrollment marketing or audience acquisition initiatives.
Familiarity with media relations, reputation management and thought leadership strategies.
Experience with content management systems, email marketing platforms, analytics tools and social media management.
Knowledge of emerging communications technologies, digital listening tools and AI-enabled content workflows.

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is the premiere Catholic research university in the United States.It offers an outstanding undergraduate and graduate education guided by a Catholic mission.

Founded in 2009

Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

13K employees (795 in marketing)

nd.edu