Northwestern University

Director, Executive Communications

Northwestern University$115K — $125K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field, or equivalent experience.
  • 8-10 years of executive and internal communications experience with increasing responsibility.
  • Strong strategic communication, writing, and editing skills.
  • Ability to advise executives on internal communication best practices.
  • Experience using various communication channels creatively, including social media.

Responsibilities

  • Write and edit executive communications for the Dean and senior leaders.
  • Develop presentations in partnership with creative teams.
  • Advise on engagement strategies for the Dean's priorities.
  • Support external communications and messaging alignment across departments.
  • Execute internal communication strategies for faculty, staff, and students.
  • Create and manage content for internal communications.
  • Plan key staff communications like town halls to ensure effective information flow.

Benefits

  • Health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
  • Paid vacation, holidays, medical/sick leave, and parental leave.
  • Tuition benefits for employees and dependents.
  • Generous retirement savings options and wellness programs.
  • Support for flexible work arrangements and family care assistance.
Full Job Description
Department: Kellogg Communications
Salary/Grade: EXS/12

Job Summary:

Kellogg's Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) team is seeking a Director, Executive Communications. Reporting to Kellogg's CMCO, the Director, Executive Communications is a key member of Kellogg's Integrated Marketing and Communication (IMC) team as serves as a key communications partner to Kellogg leadership. This role is responsible for developing messages, remarks, and presentations that support leadership engagement, visibility across the Kellogg community and with select alumni and advisory boards. The Director also shapes and executes internal communication efforts, helping connect faculty, staff, and students to Kellogg's brand, priorities, values and key initiatives.

Specific Responsibilities:
  • Write and edit executive communications primarily for the Dean, including speeches, remarks, briefing materials, and key messages; may also support senior leaders as needed.
  • Develop presentations for the Dean and senior leadership in partnership with creative and design teams.
  • Advise on content and engagement strategies that advance the Dean's priorities with internal and select external stakeholders.
  • Support select external communications, including industry speaking opportunities, and partner with the CMCO and senior leadership across IMC, Alumni Relations and Development, and the Dean's Office to ensure aligned, consistent messaging.
  • Partner with senior leadership team and IMC team to develop and execute internal communication strategies that support institutional priorities and drive engagement across faculty, staff, and students.
  • Create and manage internal communications content to support these efforts.
  • Plan and deliver key staff communications, including regular staff town halls and briefings, to support effective information flow across the organization.
Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field, or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired.
  • Minimum of 8 - 10 years of experience in all aspects of executive and internal communications with increasing levels of responsibility.
  • Strong strategic communication experience, excellent writing and editing skiils, and proven track record in developing and implementing communication strategies that engage audiences and enable achievement of organization goals.
  • Proven ability to counsel executive and senior leaders on effective internal communication and communication best practices and approaches.
  • Extensive understanding and experience in creatively using a variety of channels, including web and social media for communication.
Minimum Competencies:
  • Demonstrated ability to work with all levels of business and administrative management and build strong relationships across a complex organization.
  • Deep experience in storytelling and message development, including the ability to develop and modify messaging/tone and select channels for different stakeholders and objectives.
  • Strong aptitude for critical thinking and ability to navigate complex topics and issues with a focus on developing communication solutions that achieve desired results.
  • Proven good judgment and an ability to work collaboratively with many groups on a wide-range of topics to achieve established objectives.
  • Proven experience partnering and influencing cross-functional teams of subject matter experts.
  • Executive presence and ability to work with tact, diplomacy and discretion.
  • Strong organizational, project management skills and workflow coordination skills.
  • Demonstrated ability in handling multiple priorities and meeting tight deadlines.
  • Ability to quickly analyze and integrate information from relevant (and sometimes disparate) sources.
  • Demonstrated initiative and ability to self-start.
  • Strong executive presence.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Minimum of five years experience in a mid-senior communications role.
Target hiring range for this position will be $115,000 - $125,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more .

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About Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. It was founded in 1851 by nine men whose goal was to establish a university that would serve the Northwest Territory. Northwestern is a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Association of American Universities. Northwestern has 12 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees. Northwestern has a diverse student body with over 21,000 students from all 50 states and 100 countries. The university has a strong focus on research and has produced 19 Nobel laureates, as well as numerous Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Fellowship winners.
Learn more about Northwestern University
Size
1,483 employees
Market Cap
$3.3 billion
Industry
Net Income
$155.2 million
5 Year Trend
+1.8%
Revenue
$1.1 billion
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