Departmental Overview

University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) increases support for and enhances knowledge of UC Berkeley through communications, public outreach, and fundraising. The department is responsible for centralized fundraising and donor engagement and works to strengthen unit development offices by consulting and partnering with campus fundraisers. UDAR also handles a range of central activities and services encompassing events, communications, stewardship, prospect development, gift management, database management, and more.

A full-service professional team, External Relations and Marketing Communications (ERMC) supports these activities with videos, websites, events and programming, email campaigns, slide decks, printed and digital collateral, and more.

Position Summary

The Senior Editorial Director serves as the University Relations and Alumni Relations (UDAR) division's primary advancement spokesperson, leading proactive and reactive media relations in support of the campus fundraising community.

The position oversees the strategy, development, and execution of communications produced by the External Relations and Marketing Communications (ERMC) editorial team-including print, digital, and multimedia content-in support of the university's fundraising priorities and comprehensive campaign. Partners with senior management and campus leaders to develop and implement long- and short-term communications strategies. Represents the ERMC editorial team at campus meetings and, when appropriate, serves as a proxy for the Assistant Vice Chancellor, ERMC. Builds strong collaborative relationships with advancement and strategic communications partners across the university.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is September 3, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Personnel Management - 50%

• Leads and develops a ten-person multidisciplinary editorial and multimedia communications team, directly supervising one subordinate manager and six editors.
• Selects, hires, trains, coaches, evaluates, and takes corrective action as needed for direct reports.
• Provides strategic leadership, editorial direction, and performance management across the team's editorial, digital, multimedia, social media, and video functions, ensuring the team's communications are high quality, strategically aligned, and delivered on time and within budget.
• Collaborates with other communications leaders to support broader departmental and divisional communications priorities.

Strategic Communications Leadership - 25%

• Provides strategic communications leadership for UDAR's fundraising priorities and comprehensive campaign by overseeing the strategy, development, and execution of communications produced by the ERMC editorial team, including print, digital, multimedia, and executive communications.
• Partners with senior leadership and campus clients to develop long- and short-term communications strategies, advises on complex and sensitive communications issues, and has final editorial responsibility for the team's communications deliverables.
• Serves as the UDAR's primary advancement spokesperson, leading proactive and reactive media relations and advising leadership on media strategy and public messaging.
• Examples include serving as the strategic communications partner to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, leading content development for UC Berkeley Foundation meetings, and managing media inquiries related to philanthropy.

Operational and Editorial Leadership - 10%

• Collaborates with ERMC directors and Managing Editor to establish priorities, coordinate resources, and maintain editorial and brand standards across the department.
• Provides strategic guidance and consultation on the department's most complex communications challenges while ensuring the editorial team's communications are high quality, consistent, and aligned with broader organizational communications strategies.

Campus Representation and Collaboration - 5%

• Represents the ERMC editorial team in campus meetings, cross-functional workgroups, and university-wide initiatives and, when appropriate, serves as a proxy for the ERMC Assistant Vice Chancellor.
• Cultivates collaborative relationships with advancement and strategic communications partners across the university, facilitating coordination, resolving communications issues, and supporting integrated communications planning and implementation.

Executive and Special Communications Projects - 5%

• Leads and oversees complex editorial and multimedia communications initiatives involving confidential, high-profile, and politically sensitive issues within the editorial team's areas of responsibility.
• Provides strategic communications counsel and editorial leadership for executive and fundraising communications.
• Projects may include strategic communications plans, executive messaging, speeches and remarks, media relations, campaign collateral, major gift proposals and case statements, videos, reports, presentations, event communications, and print and digital content that supports the university's fundraising priorities and institutional mission.

Professional Development - 5%

• Maintains and expands professional knowledge by participating in training, conferences, and professional organizations; staying current on advancement communications and higher education trends; and sharing best practices to strengthen team performance, communications strategies, and organizational effectiveness.

Required Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of strategic communications principles and best practices, including editorial, print, digital, multimedia, executive, and media communications.
• Excellent ability to develop and implement strategic communications plans, advise senior leadership, and communicate effectively on complex, confidential, and politically sensitive issues.
• Exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, facilitation, collaboration, and active listening skills, with the ability to build consensus, resolve conflict, and exercise sound judgment, political acumen, and discretion.
• Excellent leadership and personnel management skills, including the ability to recruit, supervise, coach, develop, motivate, evaluate, and address performance issues for professional communications staff.
• Excellent editorial judgment, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure high-quality communications are delivered on time and within budget.
• Working knowledge of editorial, digital, multimedia, video, social media, accessibility, and emerging communications technologies sufficient to effectively lead professional communications staff.
• Knowledge of resource planning, workload management, and personnel administration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of and/or ability to learn the university's mission, advancement priorities, organizational structure, and current issues affecting higher education and philanthropy.

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. (Required)

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $183,000.00 - $210,900.00.

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This position is eligible for up to 3 days/week remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

Misconduct means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace