Director, University Communications – Level H (EMAPS)
Continuing Full-Time 35.00 hours/week Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Salary Range: $41.81 – $75.26 per hour ($76,092.83 – $136,967.09 per annum)
Trial/Probation Period: 1820.00 work hours
Expected start date: October 15, 2024
Posting end date: August 28, 2024
Full Time, Permanent, Existing Budget-Funded
For more information, please contact: Tracy Einarson tracy.einarson@umanitoba.ca
Job Description:
The Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC) team at the University of Manitoba (UM) is hiring for a Director University Communications to provide strategic communications expertise to advance the vision and mission of UM and support key priorities set by the Vice-President (External).
We are looking for a senior communications professional who has strong experience leading a team and inspiring collaboration among content creators from various areas. As the director, you are creative, organized, and skilled at strategically assessing and assigning stories and content that is multi-purpose, engaging, shared and talked about for the benefit of UM.
The Director University Communications reports to the Associate Vice-President (AVP), Strategic Marketing and Communications. The position has six direct reports, including four Communications Managers, Editor UM Today, The Magazine, and Team Lead Social Media.
This is a critical role for our UM team, and we are excited to work with and learn from the successful candidate.
Responsibilities:
– Working with Manager, Vice-President (Administration), develops and implements a coordinated internal communications framework, including a content strategy and communications protocols.
– Leads annual communications planning – department priorities, Vice-President priorities, updating UM’s integrated communications and marketing plan.
– Lead the strategic coordination and execution of UM’s external storytelling and content strategy, aligning content to UM’s priorities, strategic areas of excellence, recruitment and fundraising initiatives.
– Develops strategic content themes and content series to position UM’s work in innovative and relevant ways for audiences.
– Lead cross-campus content meetings to find synergies in storytelling and to build a collaborative network of communications professionals within UM.
– Work collaboratively with Director Institutional Brand and Marketing to align storytelling to campaigns in market and to raising the reputation of UM.
– Ensures communications strategies are developed with an advancement lens and that work supports university advancement.
– Ensures comprehensive institutional communications plans and programs align with UM brand, image, message, positioning, mission, goals, priorities, and accomplishments.
– Ensure all communications activities are in line with existing strategic marketing and communications plans and allow for sufficient flexibility to accommodate the diverse needs and activities of the university.
– Review and provide direction on a wide variety of communications materials and ensure they are executed in line with the client’s needs and reflecting ER’s standard of excellence.
– When required, provides strategic communications counsel to Senior Administrators, Deans and Directors.
– Prepare annual operating budget for unit, approve and monitor expenditures and review monthly statements.
– Ensure activities within their office are undertaken in collaboration with those of other ER units and with units around the university.
– As a member of the SMC leadership team, the Director, participates in decisions affecting the department including creating or assisting in the creation of annual strategic communications budget in consultation with AVP.
– Provides recommendations for departmental budget expenditures relating to administrative and human resource needs.
– Provides appropriate orientation and training to new staff members.
Supervise staff:
– Ensuring the establishment of strong, collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships between the Managers and Communications Officers with campus partners, colleagues in SMC and teams leading areas of strategic importance at the university.
– Ensures the smooth functioning of the communications teams including developing the strategic direction, goals and objectives for staff, monitoring workflow, making adjustment, recommendations and assigning tasks as required.
– Conduct talent management activities including recruitment and selection, performance management, professional development, engagement and retention of staff.
– Provides leadership and mentoring to ensure staff complement supports the operational and strategic goals.
– Developing and maintaining accurate job descriptions.
– Developing job roles and responsibilities, qualifications associated with the positions.
– Providing appropriate orientation and training to new staff members.
– Establishing objectives for all staff members and providing regular feedback.
– Evaluating performance of staff members on a regular basis.
– Performing disciplinary action when necessary.
– Developing training and development plans for communications staff members.
– Recommending staff complement increase and decreases.
– Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
MINIMUM FORMAL EDUCATION/TRAINING:
– An undergraduate degree is required.
– Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing or related field is preferred.
EXPERIENCE:
– Minimum 7 years of directly related management experience and experience in an integrated marketing communications setting required.
– Experience in client relations is required.
– Experience in advancement marketing and communications is required.
– Experience in coordinating and driving content creation is required.
– Experience supporting the editorial development of publications, such as a magazine, is preferred.
– Comprehensive knowledge of university advancement is preferred.
– Knowledge and expertise within a university setting and awareness of university academic and administrative departments is preferred.
– Experience developing executive level communications materials is an asset.
– An acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
– Must have superior organizational, communication and management skills.
– Must have exceptional leadership and relationship building skills.
– Must have strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize conflicting demands.
– Must have strong experience developing marketing communication plans and strategies in a client-based environment.
– Must have experience in producing and editing written and digital content.
– Must have a high degree of initiative in managing staff and services, and a proven ability to work well within a team environment.
– Must have excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to liaise effectively with internal and external partners.
– Must be a creative thinker with a proven track record of successful strategic communications planning and implementation.
– High level of attention to detail with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
– Ability to collaborate and negotiate is a required.
– Must have the ability to be an influential communications consultant within and outside of the organization.
– Ability to work under pressure and cope well in adverse situations.
– Must be able to meet tight deadlines and execute flawlessly on projects in a fast-paced, often pressured environment and see a project through to completion.
– Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships and work effectively with a variety of people and groups required.
– Exceptional team player with a strong ability to contribute positively to a team environment is required.
– Satisfactory work record, including satisfactory attendance and punctuality, is required.
OTHER JOB-RELATED QUALIFICATIONS:
– Must be available during non-regular business hours, such as evenings and/or weekends, to attend events / meetings off-campus, on a semi-regular basis.
Additional Information:
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provisions of “The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act” (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae will be provided to participating members of the search process.