Director Strategic Communications, Fuqua School of Business

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Director, Strategic Communication

Overview

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business is a top-ranked business school within a leading multi-discipline university, dedicated to advancing the understanding of management through research and providing the highest quality education. Fuqua attracts and develops those who thrive on difference, have the ability to bring out strength from others to move toward a common purpose, and who inspire entire organizations to win the right way.

The school enrolls more than 1,900 students a year across ten-degree programs in formats for working professional and full-time students. Fuqua also offers a portfolio of open-enrollment and tailored non-degree programs for executives. Fuqua’s faculty receive international acclaim with their research leveraged by organizations worldwide. While its home campus is in the United States, the school maintains a presence in East Asia, Europe, India, and Latin America. Fuqua enjoys long-standing relationships with firms in key industries such as energy, financial services, consulting, health care, consumer goods, technology, media, and entertainment. Our network of over 29,000 alumni, many of whom maintain a high level of engagement with the school, has great functional depth and industry breadth, with graduates making a significant impact in their organizations and communities.

Fuqua’s Global Marketing group is a centralized function responsible for understanding the school’s customers and markets; generating program revenue through campaigns; stewarding and building the brand via owned, earned, paid, and shared media; promoting program and faculty thought leadership; and leading strategic school initiatives. This unit is known for its agility in responding to the fundamental changes in customer behavior, channels, and tactics emerging within each market we serve. We focus on allocating limited resources as effectively as possible, measuring overall ROI and engagement metrics within different channels and media sources to hold ourselves accountable for improving performance in different dimensions of our work.

Given our dynamic environment, we value versatility and adaptability in teammates who can excel in various aspects of our function and contribute significantly to the school’s success.

Job Description

Fuqua seeks a Director of Strategic Communication (level 16) to shape and maintain the school’s reputation and messaging across various platforms. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Global Marketing, this position leads a 4-person team of strategic communications experts to manage public and media relations, faculty research communications, social media, and community management.

Key Responsibilities

PR and Media Relations

• Develop overarching PR strategies aligned with school goals and brand positioning
• Identify key narratives and storytelling opportunities to enhance the school’s reputation
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with key journalists and media outlets
• Approve major media releases and pitches
• Oversee the development and distribution of press materials

Crisis Planning and Support

• Develop and maintain crisis communications plans
• Manage communications response during reputational issues or emergencies
• Develop protocols for handling potential crises or negative situations on social media and oversee response to sensitive issues or complaints

Thought Leadership

• Identify opportunities to showcase faculty expertise and research
• Develop and implement strategies to position the school as a thought leader in key areas
• Oversee initiatives to amplify faculty, staff, alumni, and student voices on external platforms
• Provide strategic editorial oversight for Duke Fuqua Insights and other thought leadership programs

Executive Voice, Presence, and Communication

• Prepare talking points and briefing materials for high-profile events and interviews
• Ghostwrite speeches, opinion pieces, and social content for school leadership

Channel Leadership

• Develop overarching social media strategy, identifying key platforms and setting strategic objectives
• Oversee the school’s blog program and social channels, ensuring authenticity and relevance
• Provide guidance on content themes and campaigns and advise on the development of relevant influencer strategies and partnerships

Internal Communications and Support

• Lead development and creation of school messaging
• Develop communication plans to support organizational changes and initiatives
• Advise leadership on effective communication strategies for stakeholders

Team Leadership and Strategic Management

• Collaborate with the Associate Dean to align communication strategy with school objectives
• Lead and mentor Strategic Communication team (PR Manager, Faculty Research Communications Manager, Community Manager)
• Serve on Global Marketing Leadership Team
• Leverage data to inform communications strategies and develop forward-thinking approaches
• Steward relationships with school and faculty leadership

Qualifications and Experience:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree
• 10+ years of experience in strategic communications, public relations or related field
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Demonstrated ability in developing and executing comprehensive PR and communication strategies
• Strong media relations skills and established network of media contacts
• Crisis communications experience
• Exceptional editorial capabilities
• Familiarity with SEO principles and their application in content strategy
• Proficiency in social media strategy and management
• Understanding and adherence to ethical guidelines in communication, especially in an academic setting

Preferred

• MBA or advanced degree in a relevant discipline
• Experience in one or more of these areas: higher education, management consulting, startups, corporate communications, non-profit, agency, health care, financial services, technology, media
• Understanding of international communication and global markets
• Experience in executive communications and ghostwriting
• Proficiency in Brandwatch, Muck Rack, Drupal, SEMrush, Sprout, Google Data Studio

Key Performance Indicators:

• Improvement in SEO, sentiment and reputation metrics
• Annual growth in engagement and follower base across platforms
• Increase in quantity and quality of relevant coverage
• Growth in active content contributors, ambassadors, and influencers among Fuqua’s key stakeholder groups

Diversity and Inclusion:

Fuqua is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who can contribute to our culture of innovation and excellence.

Location:

This position is not eligible for a remote working arrangement.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.