Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Economic Development, the Director of Community Relations provides high-level leadership in developing, directing, and implementing university-wide community engagement strategies.  The incumbent leads partnerships between Cal Poly, local/regional government agencies, business and nonprofit leaders, CSU partners, and external organizations. The position is responsible for identifying, advocating for, securing, and implementing opportunities that advance Cal Poly’s role in the region.

The Director of Community Relations serves as the primary point of contact between campus leadership, regional agencies, elected officials, and community organizations on multi-faceted, complex matters. The incumbent represents the university in a variety of capacities, having broad programmatic responsibility and working collaboratively with senior campus leadership, faculty, students, and staff. The Director develops and maintains relationships with strategic regional partners, serves as the main informational conduit and point of contact for regional community leaders, and advocates for Cal Poly in a variety of public and private settings. The role also requires leadership and consistent Cal Poly updates on regional committees and boards as the Cal Poly representative to these organizations, while facilitating collaboration between campus departments to ensure cohesive community outreach efforts. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Director develops awareness and goodwill for the university, provides timely information on community and regional development issues, and exercises broad authority to make independent decisions that lead directly to institutional strategies, advising senior leadership and influencing short and long-range planning.

Department Summary

The Office of Industry, Innovation and Economic Development (OIIED) serves as a central coordinating entity that aligns Cal Poly’s unique higher education expertise, resources, and strategic priorities with the needs of industry and government. The office advances economic development, innovation, and workforce development while leading the university’s advocacy and government relations initiatives at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. Through strategic partnerships and collaboration, OIIED helps strengthen Cal Poly’s impact, expand opportunities for students and faculty, and position the university as a trusted partner in addressing regional and statewide priorities.

Key Qualifications

• Demonstrated success building and managing complex external partnerships with government agencies, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent the university effectively in high-stakes public and private settings.
• Proven ability to develop and implement strategic community engagement plans with measurable institutional outcomes.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and interpersonal skills to navigate sensitive, high-level relationships across diverse constituencies.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Public Affairs, or a closely related field and seven (7) + years directly related work of progressively responsible professional experience. Experience must include demonstrated success in community relations, public affairs, or government relations with direct responsibility for building and managing complex external partnerships and developing strategic programs that advance institutional or organizational goals. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Licenses, Certificates, Credentials

• Possession of a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain by the date of hire.

Salary and Benefits

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $110,000 - $135,000. Note that the offer is calculated based on the background and relevant years of experience of the individual selected.

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information. 

Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu.

Please watch the video linked here to learn more about the CSU system. 

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly 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. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

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 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

This position may be "Designated" under California State University's Conflict of Interest Code. This would require the filing of a Statement of Economic Interest on an annual basis and the completion of training within 6 months of assuming office and every 2 years thereafter.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended.  Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.