Working/Functional Title
Director of Strategic Communications
Position Summary
Position Summary
Reporting to the Student Affairs Chief of Staff and serving as a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, the Director of Strategic Communications for Student Affairs at Michigan State University serves as the principal communications strategist and advisor to the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) and Student Affairs senior leadership. This position is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive, integrated communications and marketing strategies that advance the mission, values, and priorities of Student Affairs while supporting Michigan State University’s broader institutional brand and strategic objectives.
This position leads and implements communications planning, executive communications, strategic storytelling, public/media relations, traditional and digital marketing strategy, media production, advertising, social media, and stakeholder engagement efforts that highlight the student experience, foster a sense of belonging, and strengthen the university’s reputation for excellence in student success, wellness, and inclusion. The position also is responsible for proactive issues management and coordination with University Communications and Marketing (UCAM) during high-profile or crisis events.
The position reports functionally and administratively to the Division of Student Affairs with a dotted line to University Communications and Marketing for the purposes of collaboration, alignment and coordination.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Planning
· Develop and implement Student Affairs’ communications and marketing strategy aligned with the university’s brand, mission, and 2030 strategic plan.
· Serve as a senior advisor to the Vice President for Student Affairs on communications, issues monitoring and response, crisis communication coordination, and reputational strategy.
· Craft clear, student-centered messaging that reflects MSU’s values, supports the student experience, and reinforces a culture of care, belonging, and safety.
· Provide counsel to Student Affairs units on messaging, media relations, and internal/external communications best practices.
· Lead coordination to ensure consistent and cohesive messaging across Student Affairs departments and strong collaboration with units across campus engaged in communication supporting student experience and success
· Identify sources of information and data to support strategies and use data and analytics to measure effectiveness of communications and marketing and inform continuous improvement.
Brand Alignment & Storytelling
· Oversee development of content strategies that highlight the student experience, including leadership, wellbeing, and engagement at MSU.
· Conceptualize and help produce marketing materials and write and/or edit as needed to support development of these materials.
· Implement communications and visual identity standards and protocols for Student Affairs in alignment with Student Affairs’ commitment to inclusion and belonging and the university’s Brand Standards.
· Partner and coordinate with UCAM to leverage expertise and to access enterprise communications and marketing opportunities, channels and tools.
Crisis & Issues Management
· Serve as the Student Affairs lead for issues and crisis communications planning and response; coordinate with UCAM to understand issues affecting Student Affairs and work in coordination with UCAM and institutional emergency management teams as appropriate.
· Contribute to the development of protocols for rapid response to sensitive issues affecting students and the campus community.
· Anticipate emerging issues in student life and recommend proactive communications strategies.
· Coordinate with UCAM to provide clear, timely, and transparent communication during crises or high-profile events.
Internal Communications & External Engagement
· Lead efforts to improve communication across Student Affairs units and among staff.
· Create and implement strategies for communicating priorities, initiatives, and accomplishments to internal student affairs audiences.
· Support leadership messaging to promote transparency, engagement, and trust within Student Affairs.
· Ensure communications are accessible, inclusive, and representative of MSU’s diverse student community.
· Serves as partner to the VPSA to produce executive communications (e.g., speeches, scripts, letters, presentations) and partners with various units as appropriate.
· Conducts appropriate background research to provide VPSA with context for remarks and presentations.
Team Leadership & Collaboration
· Oversee the coordination of shared services marketing in partnership with Residential and Hospitality Services.
· Supervise and mentor communications and marketing staff within Student Affairs
· Ensure professional development to keep team current with developments in evolving marketing and communications best practice, tools, tactics and technologies
· Build collaborative relationships with UCAM, Provost Office, Residential and Hospitality Services, Academic units, and other campus partners to support shared objectives.
Minimum Requirements
Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Journalism, Telecommunications, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, or Higher Education Administration; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in communications, including marketing, public or media relations, crisis communications management and strategic planning, demonstrated leadership and project management skills; or experience in publication and digital media production, video production, advertising, graphic design, social media communications, analytics and web design; exceptional writing, editing, interpersonal and verbal communication skills; management and supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Desired Qualifications
· Master's degree in communications, higher education administration, or related field.
· Experience working within a large, decentralized and matrixed environment; higher education experience is strongly preferred.
· Familiarity with student affairs philosophy, student engagement, inclusion, wellness, and campus life.
· Extensive experience identifying audience needs and using data and analytics to drive improvements in communications to meet audience needs and expectations.
· Experience in the delivery of written, visual, and graphic content for communication to a diverse audience, especially students.
· Knowledge of best practices in digital communications, detailed knowledge of a wide range of digital tools and tactics and demonstrated methods for staying current with changing technologies.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Application Materials
Resume, cover letter, and three professional references.
Work Hours
8am-5pm Monday-Friday with some nights and weekends based on business needs.
Remote Work Statement
MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.
Bidding eligibility ends January 6, 2026 at 11:55 P.M.
