About the Role
Leads the development and execution of comprehensive public relations initiatives tailored to colleges, universities, and educational organizations, managing teams and client relationships to amplify institutional visibility and reputation.
Responsibilities
- Direct the strategic direction of public relations campaigns for higher education institutions
- Develop media relations strategies to secure national and regional coverage
- Supervise teams of communications professionals working on education accounts
- Cultivate relationships with journalists, editors, and industry influencers
- Oversee the creation of press materials, position papers, and media pitches
- Serve as primary liaison between clients and internal project teams
- Monitor media trends affecting higher education and adjust strategies accordingly
- Lead crisis communications planning and response for academic clients
- Present strategic recommendations to senior leadership and client stakeholders
- Manage multiple client portfolios with competing deadlines and priorities
- Ensure alignment of messaging with institutional missions and values
- Evaluate program effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative metrics
- Mentor junior staff in best practices for education-focused PR
- Represent the firm at industry conferences and academic forums
- Collaborate with research teams to inform messaging with data insights
- Oversee content development for digital and traditional media channels
- Advise clients on reputation management during periods of change or controversy
- Coordinate with marketing and branding teams to ensure message consistency
- Identify speaking and publication opportunities for client leaders
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of higher education policy and trends
- Lead pitch development for feature stories and op-eds in major outlets
- Support client efforts to highlight diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
- Facilitate media training for university spokespersons and executives
- Ensure compliance with ethical standards in media outreach
- Drive innovation in storytelling techniques for academic audiences
Compensation
Competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience
Work Arrangement
Hybrid work model with flexibility for remote and in-office collaboration
Team
Collaborative leadership role within a specialized public relations division focused on academic institutions
About the Team
This role operates within a dedicated unit focused exclusively on advancing the visibility and reputation of higher education institutions through strategic communications.
What We Look For
We seek a leader with deep experience in academic communications, a strong media network, and a passion for advancing the mission of educational organizations through storytelling.
Available for qualified candidates requiring sponsorship
