Senior Director, Presidential Communications

**Pay Grade: 33E**

**Context of the Job**

The Senior Director for Presidential Communications serves as the university’s chief presidential writer. This role is responsible for shaping and articulating the voice of the President and the University across all channels, ensuring clarity, consistency, and impact in communications with internal and external audiences. In addition to the Presidential portfolio, the individual works collaboratively with UD’s Office of Government Relations and the Office of the General Counsel on key administrative messages and external relations.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing, this position aligns presidential voice, institutional storytelling, and public positioning, translating institutional priorities into compelling narratives that advance reputation, strengthen stakeholder trust, and support the university’s mission.

This position is located at the University of Delaware’s main campus in Newark, Del., and is expected to be in the office five days per week and on site for issues, crises, or special events as directed.

**Major Responsibilities**

– **Primary presidential writing** — Serves as the primary writer for the President of the University, supporting writing and editing of speeches and other high‑level messages for university events and various speaking engagements for high‑impact internal and external audiences.
– **Higher‑education research** — Researches trends in higher education to ensure that speeches and publications reflect current issues and information as well as UD’s historical and forward‑looking perspectives.
– **Strategic communications support** — Serves as a strategic team member on a wide variety of communications projects and acts as a writing and messaging expert on specific initiatives.
– **Messaging strategy advising** — Acts as a strategic, trusted advisor on messaging strategy, narrative framing, and reputational impact.
– **Translation of complex issues** — Translates complex academic, financial, and/or policy issues into accessible, compelling language.
– **Integration of presidential messaging** — Works with other senior staff to infuse Presidential messaging into campus communications and marketing strategies, tactics, and deliverables.
– **Internal communications advising** — Advises senior administration on internal communications strategies to ensure timely, coordinated delivery of significant campus messages.
– **Cross‑office collaboration** — Collaborates with the Office of the General Counsel and the Office of Government Relations, serving as a communications liaison for key priorities.
– **Confidential information management** — Handles sensitive and confidential information with discretion, managing rapid‑turnaround requests in an executive environment.
– **Priority balancing** — Balances competing priorities while maintaining quality and accuracy.

**Qualifications**

– Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communication, English, or related field and ten years of progressively responsible job‑related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
– Demonstrated experience writing and advising senior executives or public figures.
– Experience in higher education, corporate communications, or similarly complex mission‑driven organizations. Experience as a spokesperson is a plus.
– Excellent interpersonal skills, problem‑solving skills, business acumen, sound judgment under pressure, and the ability to balance competing demands in a dynamic environment.
– High standards for quality, accuracy, and voice consistency, with the ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives and an authentic tone.
– Must be a confident, strategic thinker with strong editorial instincts who can quickly grasp complex issues.
– Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
– Ability to evaluate and edit the content, structure, and format of a range of written materials.
– Ability to work cooperatively with others, including senior administrators, faculty members, and communicators across campus.
– Ability to research topics of interest while handling multiple projects simultaneously and staying within strict timelines.

**Notice of Non‑Discrimination and Equal Opportunity**

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

**Applications close:** Open until filled

Apply here