Director, Public Relations

Colorado Springs, CO (On-site)

$82K/yr – $100K/yrDirector/Executive7+ years expPart time

Posted 4 months ago

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Job Summary

Drive strategic PR and brand positioning for Colorado College, leading institutional storytelling and cross-platform communications.

  • Own proactive, narrative-driven PR strategy with cross-functional leadership alignment.
  • Must-have: 7+ years in strategic communications with leadership experience.
  • Standout: Ability to align messaging across internal/external audiences and manage high-stakes issues.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Strategic Public Relations & Brand Positioning:
  • Lead a proactive, narrative-driven public relations strategy that elevates the Colorado College brand across owned, shared, and earned media platforms.
  • Shape and steward the college's public positioning in alignment with its mission, values, and strategic priorities.
  • Oversee the public rollout of new programs in close collaboration with senior marketing, communications, and creative leaders.
  • Lead institutional storytelling and reputation-focused communications across owned, earned, and shared media platforms.
  • Partner with the others in OCM to ensure consistency of message frameworks and timing across internal and external audiences.
  • Serve as a member of the leadership team, working collaboratively with other to ensure aligned planning, resource coordination, and shared accountability for institutional communications outcomes.
  • Owned Media & Content Strategy:
  • Develop and oversee an integrated content strategy to drive audience engagement, community building, and advocacy.
  • Ensure timely, high-quality updates and storytelling across the college's website, digital channels, and flagship publications.
  • Guide the creation of cohesive brand narratives, owned content calendars, and distribution strategies across platforms.
  • Contribute directly to the development of content and messaging as a hands-on leader.
  • Issues Management & Community Relations:
  • Serve as lead on flashpoint issues communications and response strategy under the direction of the VP.
  • Partner with campus stakeholders and partners to anticipate, monitor, and respond to reputational risks.
  • Lead proactive community relations efforts, including institutional participation in local partnerships and public forums.
  • Oversee development and execution of key brand activations and integration of branding at signature events, in collaboration with OCM and College events colleagues.
  • Performance Measurement & Impact Reporting:
  • Establish and track KPIs related to public relations, content performance, reputation-building, and community engagement.
  • Regularly report on outcomes and return on investment (ROI) to VP, informing strategic refinement and demonstrating impact
  • collected? (note: as-is) Please keep exact string if possible.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in a related field
  • 7 years of experience in a related field with at least 5 years of supervisory or managerial experience
  • One year of relevant work experience may be substituted for one year of required education (OR) one year of relevant academic coursework beyond the minimum requirement may be substituted for one year of required professional experience.
  • Strategic expertise in public relations, brand positioning, and narrative development.
  • Strong command of owned, earned, and shared content strategies and their brand building contribution.
  • Deep understanding of content lifecycle management and storytelling in traditional and digital platforms.
  • Familiarity with media relations, community engagement, and reputation management.
  • Knowledge of performance metrics, KPIs, and ROI frameworks in public relations and strategic communications.
  • Exceptional writing, editing, and messaging development skills.
  • Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Proficiency with digital content tools, CMS platforms, and basic analytics software.
  • Excellent organizational, planning, and project management skills.
  • Skilled at interpreting and using data to drive communications strategy.
  • Ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
  • Ability to manage complex, high-stakes situations with discretion and clarity.
  • Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with senior leadership and across divisions.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities with agility in a dynamic environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to be both a strategic leader and an active contributor to the work.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Paid vacation and sick time - accrual of 7.34 hours of vacation per pay period (176 hours, 22 days per year) and 4 hours of sick time per pay period (96 hours, 12 days per year)
  • Paid seasonal breaks and holidays (20 days per year)
  • 403(b) retirement plans where employees contribute 5% of pay and CC contributes 10%
  • Tuition benefits for employee and eligible dependents
  • Public Service Loan Forgiven
Colorado College logo

Colorado College

Colorado College was founded in 1874 and sits at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Harnessing creativity and innovation in our classrooms and across our community, we challenge our students, one class at a time, to embrace lifelong learning, commit to our principles of antiracism and social responsibility, and engage experiences that equip them as change-makers and leaders. This page is maintained by the Colorado College Office of Communications & Marketing. Social Media Comment Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/socialmedia/social-media-comment-guidelines.htmlTo see more of CC's social side, visit our social media directory: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/socialmedia.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
1.7K employees (167 in marketing)

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
393.2K
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$65.2K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
46%
Direct
46.6%
Referral
6.2%
Social
0.7%
Paid
0.4%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~1.7K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
118 (7% of company)

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