Careers

Director of Communications

Job description

Director of Communications

Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner seeks to hire a director of communications, who will work strategically with the chief strategy officer, Council on Postsecondary Education, and the senior leadership team to create and execute a comprehensive, integrated communications plan for the Office of Postsecondary Commissioner and its workforce centers toward the primary goal of creating internal and external support. The director will supervise and direct the communications staff and/or communications consultants to ensure that all communications efforts are strategically aligned, consistent, clear, and supportive of the mission and vision of the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner, and the workforce centers (Westerly Education Center, Woonsocket Education Center, RI Nursing Education Center). The director of communications serves as a first point-of-contact for news media and is empowered to serve as a spokesperson.

Responsibilities

  • Develops, refines and implements an integrated communications strategy for OPC, CPE, and the workforce centers
  • Creates strategic plans and message development for OPC, CPE, the workforce centers, and unique campaigns and projects
  • Oversee all earned, paid, and owned media and marketing activities for OPC, CPE and the workforce centers
  • Develops and ensures consistent brand messaging and graphic identity
  • Manages communications staff and vendors to achieve department’s strategic goals
  • Promotes the utilization of WEC, WOC, and RINEC to business, industry, college, universities, and other training providers
  • Copywriting for executive speeches, presentations, reports, social media properties, websites, and more
  • Provides executive communications support for project implementations across the office

Essential Duties

  • Writes speeches and presentations, and prepares the commissioner and members of the senior leadership team for public appearances and media interviews
  • Responds to public information inquiries and serve as spokesperson for the OPC, CPE and the workforce centers
  • Directs, creates, produces, and distributes written and online communications to the news media
  • Serves as webmaster for RIOPC.edu, WesterlyEdCenter.org, WoonsocketEdCenter.org, RINursingEdCenter.org, and RIReconnect.org
  • Manages social media properties and supplies content for OPC, WEC, WOC, and RINEC
  • Conception, design, and copywriting e-newsletters and blast emails as well as contact list maintenance
  • Conception, graphic design, copywriting, and production of a wide variety of marketing collateral materials, such as flyers, postcards, signs, etc.
  • Maintains relationships and a rapid-contact list with communications counterparts at CCRI, RIC, partner state agencies and the Governor’s office to build new coalitions of support for initiatives and coordinate messaging on shared priorities
  • Prepares budget requests, monitors and approves expenses, and initiates budget changes
  • Develops and assesses internal (i.e., staff) communication processes, initiates changes as needed, and oversees the implementation
  • Supports event functions at the education centers related to marketing courses and training at the centers, as well as special milestones
  • Gathers information via participation in staff, planning, situational, and sharing meetings; and curate information for various communication needs
  • Represents the office and centers in public forums as appropriate
  • Engages in/supervises videotaping, recording, and photography in support of communications functions
  • Maintains a written crisis and rapid-response communications plan, including an internal notification tree so the office can respond quickly without relying on additional communications staff
  • Maintains a documented brand and style guide and an editorial/content calendar to ensure consistency across all channels in the absence of a larger team to cross-check work
  • Builds and maintains a roster of pre-vetted freelance and contract support (design, photography, video, translation, web development) to flex capacity during high-demand periods
  • Tracks and reports communications performance metrics (media coverage, web and social analytics, email engagement) to leadership on a regular cadence to inform strategy and demonstrate impact
  • Ensures all public-facing communications meet accessibility (ADA/Section 508) and plain-language standards
  • Trains and equips senior leadership and program staff with basic messaging guidance so the office can maintain consistent communications when the director is unavailable
  • Works collaboratively with others in a diverse and inclusive environment

Other Duties

Perform other duties as assigned in support of Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner operations and institutional goals
 
Qualifications

Required

Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, education, or a related field
Experience: Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in communications or implementing strategic initiatives and a minimum of three years of managing personnel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Demonstrated ability to develop effective communications plans, strategies, objectives and tactics that resulted in achieving communications goals
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently
  • Demonstrated excellent written and oral communications skills
  • Demonstrated strong organizational skills
  • Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills
  • Demonstrated experience in public relations, advertising, marketing, web development, social media, video production, e-communications, publications and branding

Preferred

Master’s degree
Experience in government, federal, state or local, and/or experience in the education and workforce sector

Environmental conditions

The incumbent is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions. The environment is desk and computer work in a climate-controlled office. Travel between offices is required. Other travel may be required. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

This is a non-union, non-classified, full-time postion with a pay grade of 14. The starting salary range is $85,000 to $120,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The director of communications reports to the chief strategy officer and supervises communications staff and vendors. This work may involve non-standard hours as required, and may require travel. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume. This job vacancy will remain open until filled.

Application

First Name *
Last Name *
Phone *
Email *
Highest education level
Relevant Certificates or licenses
Resume *
Maximum file size: 5mb
Cover letter
Maximum file size: 5 MB
Additional documents
Maximum file size: 5 MB

All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. 

It is the belief and the policy of the State of Rhode Island that the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, handicap/disability, age (subject to certain limitations established by law) or veteran status of an individual should neither serve as a barrier to his or her equal opportunity for employment nor be the basis of harassment in the workplace. The Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education fully endorses this basic policy of nondiscrimination.

As a state employer, Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC) must follow government recordkeeping and reporting requirements related to civil rights laws. To meet these obligations, we ask applicants to complete a form and volunteer information about their race, ethnicity, sex, veteran status, and disability status.

Providing this information is completely optional. It is kept strictly confidential and is never shared with the hiring committee or used in hiring decisions. Only the human resources staff who prepare OPC’s non‑discrimination plan will have access to this data. Their sole purpose in reviewing it is to ensure that OPC meets state and federal reporting requirements.

We share this to help applicants feel comfortable knowing why the information is requested, how it is used, and who can access it.

Ethnicity
Definitions are available in the descriptions to the right.
  1. Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latino) — A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. 
  2. Hispanic or Latino — A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. 
  3. American Indian/Alaskan Native (not Hispanic or Latino) — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
  4. Asian (not Hispanic or Latino) — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asian, or the Indian subcontinent including for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. 
  5. White (not Hispanic or Latino) — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. 
  6. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (not Hispanic or Latino) — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
  7. Two or More Races — A person who primarily identifies with two or more of the above race/ethnicity categories. 
Sex
Disability Status
Definition is available in the description to the right.

An individual with a disability is a person who:

  • Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
    • Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working. A major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including, but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
  • Has a history of such an impairment; or
  • Is regarded as having such an impairment.
  • The belief on the part of others that a person has such a disability.
Veterans
Disclosure *
You must check the disclosure box before hitting the submit box. It may take a few minutes for your application to complete. When it does, you will receive a message in a green box. Please wait for the “form successfully submitted’ message and do not repeatedly hit the submit button.

All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. 

It is the belief and the policy of the State of Rhode Island that the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, handicap/disability, age (subject to certain limitations established by law) or veteran status of an individual should neither serve as a barrier to his or her equal opportunity for employment nor be the basis of harassment in the workplace. The Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education fully endorses this basic policy of nondiscrimination.

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