Missouri Southern State University Hiring for Director of Communications and External Relations at Joplin, MO Full Time

Provides leadership and oversight of the university’s internal and external communication efforts, including functioning as the university’s Public Information Officer. Works collaboratively with the president, cabinet and other internal and external stakeholders, to assist with implementation and communication of university vision and goals. Serves as a liaison between the President’s Office and key constituents, including triaging and ensuring follow through on issues and opportunities that arise.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties:

Provides leadership and oversight of the university’s internal and external communications efforts.

Serves as the university’s Public Information Officer (PIO), including leading response to crisis and emergency situations or events.

Internal Communication — Supports faculty, staff and students by implementing an internal communications strategy to provide timely information that includes focus on the university’s mission and strategic priorities.

External Communication/Public Relations — Supports a strong and positive understanding of the university by implementing a pro-active communications plan, including earned media, and builds productive relationships with media representatives.

Works collaboratively with advancement and other campus offices on communications, marketing, events and other initiatives to ensure an effective external relations strategy.

Serves as a visible liaison between the President’s Office and key constituents through engagement and by representing the university on external committees, task forces, and other initiatives at the local, state and national level. This includes but is not limited to the Board of Governors, select business and community organizations and key international partners.

Oversees and manages the operations and budget of the President’s Office, including triaging and ensuring follow through on requests and issues that arise.

Facilitates engagement of the President and President’s Cabinet in efforts to achieve university and Cabinet priorities, including fostering a positive campus environment with an unyielding focus on the university’s educational mission.

Oversees and manages events and programs housed within the President’s Office.

Carries out special projects as assigned by the President.

Education, Experience, and Licenses

The successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in marketing, communication, public relations, journalism, business administration, or a related field, leadership experience preferred in a public relations, marketing, advancement, and/or media relations operation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with internal and external constituencies.
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills, including ability to draft correspondence.
• Strong analytical skills including ability to assess and solve complex problems while ensuring compliance to state, federal and university policies.
• High level of organization and attention to detail, including the ability to anticipate needs, plan well in advance and a commitment to high standards of professional work.
• Excellence in project management overseeing large, cross-functional organization-wide projects or initiatives
• Personal qualities of integrity, professionalism, good judgment, appropriate discretion, a strong work ethic and a commitment to service and treating others with respect.
• Commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and positively contributing to a campus climate that supports success for students, faculty and staff.
• Ability and willingness to work in a high-paced environment and to simultaneously assume responsibility for numerous and diverse tasks and projects—from the routine and arduous, to the unique and interesting.
• Attendance at a significant number of university and external meetings and events, sometimes during evenings or weekends and occasionally requiring travel.
• Awareness of the importance of and sensitivity of the president liaison function.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, feel or use a computer keyboard and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

NOTICE: The above job profile does not include all essential and nonessential duties of this job. All employees with disabilities are encouraged to contact Human Resources to review and discuss the essential and nonessential functions of the job. An employee with a disability can evaluate the job in greater detail to determine if she/he can safely perform the essential function of this job with or without reasonable accommodation.