Responsibilities

• Provides executive leadership for shaping, advancing, and protecting the public narrative, reputation, and credibility of Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N).
• Develops and executes a proactive, long-term communications and engagement strategy that clearly articulates RU-N’s mission, vision, values, and impact as an urban public research university.
• Leads relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets and proactively shapes media coverage that elevates RU-N’s academic excellence, research, student success, and community impact.
• Provides counsel to senior leadership on sensitive communications and high-visibility issues.
• Anticipates, prepares for, and manages communications during campus emergencies, sensitive incidents, or high-profile matters in close coordination with the Chancellor, senior leadership, Rutgers University central administration, legal counsel, and public safety partners.
• Ensures timely, accurate, and transparent messaging to protect institutional trust and credibility.
• Leads RU-N’s external-facing communications and engagement strategies that strengthen relationships with prospective students, families, alumni, community partners, policymakers, donors, and the City of Newark.
• Ensures communications reflect RU-N’s role as an anchor institution and amplify its contributions to the region, state, and broader public, with a strong focus on visibility, influence, impact and public trust.
• Builds, leads, and develops a high-performing communications and engagement organization.
• Oversees talent development, operational effectiveness, and resource stewardship to ensure readiness for both routine communications and high-stakes crisis response.