Salary: $102,795.00 - $120,935.00 Annually
Location : 800 W University Parkway, Orem
Job Type: FT Exempt Salaried Staff
Job Number: FY2604706
Division: VP Communications/Chief of Staff
Department: VP Communications/Chief of Staff
Opening Date: 08/11/2025
Closing Date: 8/18/2025 11:59 PM Mountain
Required Documents Needed to Apply: Resume

Cover Letter

Writing Sample
Applicant Support: 1-855-524-5627

[email protected]

Position Announcement
Utah Valley University is seeking a visionary Senior Director of Communications to lead strategic public relations efforts that strengthen and elevate the university's reputation at local, state, regional, and national levels. In this pivotal role, you will serve as UVU's lead media relations strategist and spokesperson-shaping narratives, driving high-impact earned media campaigns, and guiding proactive and responsive communication initiatives.

From positioning and narrative development to crisis communications and influence marketing, you will architect strategies that resonate across traditional and emerging platforms. You'll establish budgets, timelines, and quality standards while fostering trust and collaboration across the university community. This role also offers the opportunity to cultivate strong, lasting relationships with journalists, media outlets, and influencers-ensuring UVU's story is heard, understood, and valued.

Summary of Responsibilities

• Obtains earned media coverage in local, regional and national media outlets by pitching stories, building relationships with reporters, writing press releases, arranging interviews, and finding opportunities to highlight the university's work or leadership. Executes corporate reputation and integrated marketing and communications programs and campaigns. Serves as campus spokesperson together with AVP. This role represents the institution publicly, provides quotes/statements, and may participate in press briefings or interviews alongside the AVP.
• Effectively leads teams with various levels of experience and creates opportunities for team members to learn and grow - promoting and retaining a work climate conductive to success.
• Proactively monitors and addresses emerging organizational issues with speed, sound judgment, and strategic foresight. Develops and implements comprehensive crisis communication plans across traditional and digital channels-ensuring alignment with institutional objectives, minimizing reputational risk, and guiding leadership through high-stakes situations with clarity and consistency.
• Consistently produces high quality internal and external communications content. Researches, outlines, writes, edits and proofreads materials, including presentations, press materials, social media posts, newsletters, and annual reports.
• Forms dynamic teams with creative, account and integrated staff to develop best-in-class work. Directs and supervises marketing personnel, which includes budgets, work allocation, training, promotion, enforcement of internal procedures and controls, and problem resolution; evaluates performance and makes recommendations for personnel actions. Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Licenses / Certifications

Graduation from an accredited institution with a master's degree in a directly related field, plus four years of experience related to the Summary of Duties of the position or Bachelor's degree in a directly related field, plus six years related to the Summary of Duties of the position or any combination of higher education and/or experience totaling ten years.

Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree preferred. A minimum of 6 years of PR agency, media, integrated team management experience or equivalent experience in in-house/client-side roles.

Documents Needed to Apply
Required:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
3. Writing Sample - press release

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Knowledge

• Excellent writing press releases and media alerts.
• Knowledge and experience in managing budgets and personnel.
• Knowledge of and experience in higher education, using social media management platforms that monitor, analyze and report in real-time.
• Demonstrates an understanding of research techniques including analysis of media coverage and online conversation (volume and tone), and identification and categorization of various stakeholders.
• Knowledge of driving client meetings, creative brainstorms, and team development.

Skills

• Skills and experience as a media spokesperson.
• Stellar writer who generates creative content and is attentive to detail.
• Skills and expertise in mobilizing and motivating teams.
• Skills in exceptional judgement when working with team members, contacts, and vendors
• Skills with crisis communication and issues-management.
• Self-motivated, fun, entrepreneurial, and curious.

Abilities

• Proven ability to develop and manage complex projects with multiple work streams across multiple platforms.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership, communication skills, commitment to consensus building success.
• Ability to turn ideas into workable plans.
• Ability to anticipate client and team needs.
• Creative problem-solving abilities and cross-functional team management experience.
• Hands-on leader who can inspire and manage the team to do award-winning work and able to write and present well to clients.

EEO Statement:

UVU employment decisions are made on the basis of an applicant's qualifications and ability to perform the job without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), disability, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or other bases protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Utah Valley University's dedication to exceptional care offers quality service and benefits to employees while staying committed to meeting the needs of a diverse workforce.

UVU is pleased to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that supports employees and their family's overall physical and mental health, protects their income in case of unforeseen illness and life events, and assists in building financial security for retirement and the future.

Highlights from Utah Valley University's benefits package include:

• Medical network and plan options with low employee premiums
• Employer HSA contribution for those that elect the university's High-Deductible Health Plan
• Other tax advantage, reimbursement account options (i.e. Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• Dental and vision plan options
• Incentivized wellness program
• Employer paid basic life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), and Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan with an employer contribution of 14.2% based on employee's compensation (100% vested on first day of full-time employment)
• Undergraduate tuition remission benefit waiving up to 18 credit hours (each semester) for employees and their eligible dependents (spouses & children dependents unmarried and up to age 26)
• Generous leave package which includes sick, vacation (staff only), and personal leave; 13 paid holidays; paid medical maternity and parental leave

For more information about the benefits offered, visit
01

Do you meet the required qualifications as outlined: Graduation from an accredited institution with a master's degree in a directly related field, plus four years of experience related to the Summary of Duties of the position or Bachelor's degree in a directly related field, plus six years related to the Summary of Duties of the position or any combination of higher education and/or experience totaling ten years?

• Yes
• No

02

What is your highest level of education?

• High School or equivalent
• Associates
• Bachelors
• Masters
• Ph.D.
• Ph.D. (abd)
• Juris Doctorate

03

How many years of experience do you have in this type of position?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8+

Required Question