careers

Special Assistant to the President

Apply now Job no: 555128
Work type: Management (MPP)
Location: Stanislaus - Turlock
Categories: MPP, Administrative, At-Will, Full Time, On-site (work in-person at business location)
Position Description

    • Position Summary
    • Full-time position under the Management Personnel Plan (MPP) available on or after March 9, 2026 in the Office of the President.



      Under the general direction of the President, the Special Assistant to the President provides senior-level leadership for presidential communications and strategic grant development in support of University priorities. The position is responsible for independently managing major functional activities that advance the President’s priorities in alignment with Stan State’s mission and CSU strategic plans.

      The Director serves as a key advisor and collaborator, ensuring clear, consistent, and effective communication of institutional priorities to internal and external stakeholders. The position plays a significant role in supporting institutional messaging, strengthening external relationships, and advancing funding efforts through coordinated communication and grant development strategies.

      The Director exercises independent judgment within established policies and organizational guidelines, collaborates across campus units and with external partners, and contributes to the effective execution of University initiatives through strategic communications and grant development leadership.

    • Job Duties
    • Duties include but are not limited to:
      • Collaborate closely with the President to develop and refine key messages for internal and external audiences.
      • Serve as the primary speechwriter and communications coordinator for the President in ways that build understanding and support for the President’s leadership priorities and progress.
      • Develop executive communications that reflect the President’s voice (in English and Spanish), style and accomplishments.
      • Create content across a range of formats, settings, and channels.
      • Craft and develop messages and visual presentations of complex thoughts and ideas, distill and sharpen key messages.
      • Develop key messages and ensure consistency across all presidential communications; regularly have access to highly sensitive and confidential information when creating communications.
      • Partner with the Director of Communications and Director of Marketing to ensure brand and message consistency across all presidential communications channels.
      • Serve as content manager and creator of President Office’s website.
      • Conduct story-mining and use curiosity about what is happening inside and outside of the university to identify and determine story/crucial narratives for presidential communications.
      • Analyze situational factors to provide tailored communication recommendations for time-sensitive and topic-sensitive needs.
      • Stay current on relevant issues and trends affecting higher education to effectively integrate them into communications.
      • Support development and distribution of communications from the President's Office.
      • Conduct research on public and private funding opportunities at the local, state, and national level.
      • Identify internal/external subject matter experts and coordinate subject matter contributions for proposal development.
      • Write and submit grant proposals and supporting documents for foundation, corporation and government funding.
      • Develop a strategic grant-writing plan with clear goals, plans of action and timelines.
      • Maintain effective, positive relationships through frequent communication with prospective and current grantors.
      • Participate in grant technical training provided by funding agencies. Keep abreast of the changing grant landscape and proposal guidelines.
      • Maintain records on prospective grantors.
      • Work with department managers, external partners, and subject matter experts to establish timelines to compile financials and data as they relate to the timely submission of grant applications.
      • Track and manage prospective grant and reporting deadlines.
      • Serve as college liaison with representatives of funding sources during the grant proposal period.
      • Draft other materials as assigned, such as a monthly funder update, quarterly reports and annual reporting.
      • Collaborate with College Deans, Directors of Development and other University representatives to craft case statements in support of University funding initiatives and priorities.
      • Serve on university committees as appropriate.
      • Perform job-related duties and special projects as assigned.
      • Attend off-site locations when required for presidential events or initiatives.
      • Support institutional and CSU priorities through presidential communication strategies and execution.
      • Other duties as assigned.
    • Minimum Qualifications
    • Education:  Master’s degree in communications public relations, journalism, public administration or related field.

      Experience:  Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public relations, or executive communications, plus three (3) years of grant writing experience.

    • Preferred Qualifications

      • Experience working in higher education, government, or other complex organizational settings.
      • Bilingual; highly proficient in English and Spanish, with demonstrated professional use of both languages.
      • Experience facilitating professional meetings, analyze written transcripts, and report key findings in both English and Spanish.
      • Two (2) or more years of experience supporting a president, chancellor, CEO, or other senior executive in a complex organization.
      • Experience developing communications or messaging for high-visibility or politically sensitive issues.
      • Experience managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
      • Experience developing executive communications across multiple platforms and audiences.
    • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

      • Demonstrated experience in speechwriting and developing executive-level communications materials.
      • Proven track record of developing and executing comprehensive communication strategies and contributing to campaigns at the senior leadership level.
      • Understanding of, and experience with, major higher education grant making organizations, such as STRADA, Gates Foundation, and others, in grant writing, evaluation, and outcomes reporting.
      • Ability to both translate and trans create strategic information and messages at a professional level from English to Spanish and vice versa.
      • Proven understanding of message development for diverse audiences in both Spanish and English.
      • Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills with ability to adapt voice and style for diverse audiences.
      • Strategic thinking and analytical skills to develop effective communication strategies.
      • Strong project management abilities with capacity to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
      • Proficiency in multimedia communication tools, digital platforms, and social media.
      • Knowledge of branding principles and visual communication design.
      • Deep understanding of higher education landscape, including current issues and trends at the local and national level.
      • Ability to work with highly sensitive and confidential information with utmost discretion.
      • Strong interpersonal skills for collaborating with diverse stakeholders including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.
      • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
      • Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
      • Commitment to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive work environment with diverse colleagues and constituents including foundation and industry representatives, faculty, students, staff, and community members.
    • Physical Requirements
    • The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
      • Position may be required to travel.
    • Salary Range
    • Anticipated starting salary will be $10,595 - $14,126 per month plus excellent paid benefits.  Salary will depend on the qualifications of the successful finalist.  

    • Compensation & Benefits
    • Commensurate with qualifications and experience.  As a member of the 23-campus CSU System, we offer an extremely competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, outstanding vacation, health, dental, and vision plans; a fee waiver education program; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); and 15 paid holidays a year. Link to Benefits Summary: CSU Employee Benefit Summary

    • How to Apply
    • To be considered, qualified candidates must submit a completed Stanislaus State online employment application, cover letter, and resumé. Applications are accepted electronically only.  Please note that failure to completely fill out each section of the online application may result in your application not receiving consideration.  To apply online, please click the “Apply Now” button on this page.
    • Application Deadline
    • OPEN UNTIL FILLED; SCREENING TO BEGIN ON OR AFTER FEBRUARY 23, 2026. (Applications received after the screening date will be considered at the discretion of the university.)

    • Criminal Background Clearance Notice
    • Satisfactory completion of a background check (which includes checks of employment records, education records, criminal records, civil records; and may include motor vehicle records, professional licenses, and sex offender registries, as position requires) is required for employment.  CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information.  Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

    • Additional Information
    • Campus & Area

      California State University, Stanislaus serves the San Joaquin Valley and is a critical educational resource for a six-county region of approximately 1.5 million people. The University is fully committed to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion – one in which every person in the University community feels safe to express their views without fear of reprisal. Widely recognized for its quality academic programs, the University has 10 nationally accredited programs and 662 faculty members. 94 percent of full-time faculty holds doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields. The University offers 43 undergraduate majors, 16 master's programs, 7 post-graduate credentials, a doctorate in education and serves more than 10,000 students. New instructional facilities have been built for the unique pedagogy of professional programs, laboratory sciences and performing arts.

      Stanislaus State continues to receive national recognition with its ranking as one of the best 384 colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The University was one of 12 public universities in the nation to be recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for demonstrating exceptional performance in retention and graduation rates. In addition, U.S. News and World Report ranks Stanislaus State in its top 10 among public universities in the West, while Washington Monthly honored Stanislaus State as the West’s No. 1 university for the money. Stanislaus State also is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education.

      Clery Act Disclosure

      Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the annual security report (ASR), is now available for viewing at https://www.csustan.edu/annual-campus-security-report. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Stanislaus State for the previous three years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the office of the Clery Director located at One University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382.

      Equal Employment Opportunity

      The university is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.  The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised 7/21/17, as a condition of employment.

      Applicants requiring necessary accommodations to the application process may contact the Human Resources Department at (209) 667-3351.  California Relay Service is available at (800) 735-2922 voice and (800) 735-2929 TDD.  As a federal contractor, we are committed to attracting a diverse applicant pool.  Please consider completing the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form (your response will not be shared with the search committee) at:  Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability PDF Form.

      CSU Stanislaus hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

      The CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. The CSU prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside California.

    •  

    • The individuals who appear to be the best qualified for this position will be contacted by telephone or email for an interview.

      INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

       

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