Director of Communications & External Relations

Auburn, AL (On-site)

Salary Not AvailableDirector/Executive10+ years expFull time

Posted 11 days ago

Job Summary

Own and lead the college\'s external relations and communications strategy, directing alumni and stakeholder engagement, media relations, and brand messaging.

  • Strategic development of external partnerships and stakeholder engagement
  • Oversight of marketing, public relations, and events
  • Management of the communications team and operating budget

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Develops strategy, in collaboration with the college's leadership, in establishing and maintaining relationships with external key partners and promoting the success of the college. Provides overall management and direction for external engagement with college alumni and stakeholders. Develops and grows alumni and stakeholder relationships through activities including lecture series, alumni events, award programs, etc.
  • Directs and manages marketing, communications, public relations, and general college external relations programs and college events.
  • Serves as an initial point of contact for media requests and works closely with the University's Office of Communications and Marketing and the Office of Alumni Relations. Ensures communication products are of the highest quality and contain approved and appropriate content.
  • Organizes and leads the execution of the college wide initiatives as assigned by the Dean. Coordinates, manages, and directs special projects and provides facilitation of proposal preparation and presentation as required by the Dean.
  • Leads, motivates, develops, trains, and supervises the communications unit within the college in branding and communications related to the college's programs.
  • Oversees responsible staff for management of the college website to maintain accurate, up-to-date information and directs the generation of news release copy, publication materials, social media, and electronic media submissions and releases.
  • Develops and manages departmental budget to include developing, reviewing and approving financial reports, vouchers, and acquisitions.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
  • 10 years of experience in external relations and communications industry related to academic, media, marketing, and/or public relations.
  • 2 years of experience supervising full time employees.
Auburn University logo

Auburn University

Auburn University is a comprehensive land, space and sea grant research institution blending arts and applied sciences. The university continuously changes to accommodate today's needs, while still respecting the traditions and spirit of Auburn. As we grow and change, Auburn will always continue its tradition of excellence.The main campus had an enrollment during fall of 2017 of 29,776. Auburn University offers degrees in 15 schools and colleges at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.Auburn University is known not only for its academic excellence, but also for its impact on Alabama as well. A recent study determined Auburn had a nearly $4 billion economic impact on the state of Alabama, including a $1.5 billion impact on the economy and a $2.4 billion impact in "human capital." Auburn's Technical Assistance Center, a collaborative engineering and business outreach unit, performs hundreds of projects annually for state industry, generating millions of dollars in increased efficiencies and saving or creating hundreds of jobs statewide.

Auburn, Alabama, USA
11K employees (543 in marketing)

Funding

Total Funding
$25.9M
Last Raise
$50K
Grant, 9 months ago

Funding History

  • Jun 2025
    Grant • $50K
  • Oct 2024
    Grant
  • Jun 2024
    Grant • $893.2K

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
2M
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$101.1K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
38.6%
Direct
49.5%
Referral
10.4%
Social
0.5%
Paid
0.9%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~11.4K

Recent News

Auburn University logo

Director of Communications & External Relations

Auburn University · Auburn, AL · On-site