Director of External Relations and Communications #00038

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the agency’s external facing communications strategy and work across agency divisions to ensure alignment with the strategy.
• In collaboration with the agency’s executive leadership and Council, develop budget and policy recommendations and engagement strategies in support of these recommendations.
• Develop, advise, and implement strategies for engaging external stakeholders in support of state, Council, and agency priorities.
• Lead agency interactions with key stakeholders, including the General Assembly, the Governor’s office, and Administration officials.
• Facilitate communication, briefing, and presentation of Council and agency priorities to the General Assembly, its committees, and individual members.
• Oversee, supervise, and direct the agency’s Communications Team, including staff responsible for website management, graphic design, branding, media relations, digital content, newsletters, crisis communications, and agency-wide messaging.
• Ensure consistency, quality, and accessibility of all public facing materials, including reports, presentations, press statements, editorials, web content, and data visualization products.
• Provide strategic leadership for messaging and communications planning related to statewide initiatives, legislative proposals, Council activities, and SCHEV’s strategic plan.
• Oversee and direct all Council meetings and related activities.
• Coordinate with communications staff on proactive media engagement, internal message alignment, and timely responses to media and public inquiries.

Requirements

• Experience demonstrating the ability to track Federal and State legislation and coordinate legislative and policy changes with key contacts in other state agencies, the Secretariat of Education, Federal agencies, U.S. Congressional staff and industry associations.
• Experience demonstrating the ability to analyze Federal and state policy and regulatory issues, and to develop position papers with recommendations to executive management.
• Experience supporting, establishing and implementing strategic policy initiatives.
• Experience networking with senior legislative staff, elected officials, industry leaders and other stakeholders to advance policy goals.
• Experience demonstrating the ability to lead and supervise staff.
• Extensive knowledge of strategic communications planning, including the ability to develop agency-wide messaging strategies, ensure consistency of public facing materials, manage media relations, and translate complex policy and data into clear, accessible communications for diverse audiences.
• Experience demonstrating the ability to make presentations, give speeches, and present testimony and materials at the General Assembly Sessions, public meetings and/or industry conferences.
• Computer skills in operating Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)

Preferred

• Extensive experience developing and analyzing higher education policies in a state or federal policy environment strongly desired.
• Knowledge of the state’s higher education system and statewide strategic plan.
• Experience representing an institution of higher education in policy settings
• Considerable experience in a public policy role, preferably with frequent interactions with the General Assembly.
• A work history demonstrating considerable experience collaborating and partnering with members of the General Assembly and state policymakers.