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Title: Director of Academic Communications and School of Education Marketing

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: Monday - Friday

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: University Communications

Department: Academic Communications

Location: Elon Main Campus

Position Summary

The Director of Academic Communications and School of Education Marketing works with multiple teams to develop and execute communications and marketing tactics to showcase the learning, accomplishments, teaching, scholarship, service, innovation, and leadership of the Elon University community. This position has direct responsibility for the creation of messaging and communications collateral that advances the admissions goals of the Roberts Academy at Elon University and the overall reputation of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. The director reports to the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications and Media Relations with a dotted line report to the Dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. This position maintains an office within the Roberts Academy at Elon University.

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you'll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon's personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.
Elon University's home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you'll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation's premier travel destinations.
Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:
28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.
Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses
Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.
Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.
Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.
Free use of campus fitness facilities.
Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.
Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.
Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon's principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one's identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations or related field. Minimum 2 years of experience managing professional marketing/communications staff with the following relevant work experience: Writing in Associated Press style for communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, or a related field, and experience creating multimedia content and managing institutional social media accounts.

Preferred Education and Experience

Preferred experience working with the WordPress content management system. Preferred experience working in K-12 educational settings.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Exceptional written communication skills and demonstrated ability to plan and produce compelling communications materials across multiple platforms, including print, web, and social media. Must be able to communicate effectively with diverse students, faculty, staff, and the community. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with target audiences, colleagues, and the public. Maintain a professional demeanor and maintain confidentiality. Able to adjust to changing priorities as a team player. Hold high standards regarding accuracy and attention to detail. Use good judgment to make appropriate decisions. Provide technical support when appropriate.

Job Duties

• Direct Communications and Marketing for the Roberts Academy at Elon University
  • Interview story subjects related to the Roberts Academy at Elon University; write and publish stories for Elon's digital and print publications about the learning activities and needs that lead to reading success and educational achievements for children with dyslexia.
  • Create and manage internal communications tailored for families of Roberts Academy students.
  • Direct the production of marketing materials (print and digital, including social media marketing) for Roberts Academy admissions in alignment with Elon University brand guidelines.
  • Create engaging content for Roberts Academy social media channels and manage messaging and content on the Roberts Academy website in alignment with accessibility standards and SEO/AEO best practices.
  • Provide communications and marketing leadership and produce collateral for programs, events, and presentations delivered by Roberts Academy administrators.
  • In coordination with University Communications, manage media relations related to requests for information and site visits to Roberts Academy at Elon University.
  • Liaise as needed with communicators and staff in University Advancement and at Roberts Academy locations at Vanderbilt, Mercer, and Florida Southern. 
• Direct External Communications for the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
  • Interview story subjects related to Dr. Jo Watts Williams Schools of Education and write and publish stories for Elon University digital and print publications about the learning, scholarship, service, and recognitions of members of the community.
  • Regularly review and update website content for departments, programs, centers, and initiatives managed by the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education in alignment with accessibility requirements and SEO/AEO best practices.
  • Create content for and manage School of Education social media accounts; provide guidance to school partners on best practices and appropriate use of social media.
  • As a strategic partner with the school's administrative team, attend leadership meetings and assist the Dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education with communication needs relevant to key stakeholders, including high-level presentations for university leadership (Board of Trustees, Parents Council, etc.).
• Management of the Academic Communications Team in University Communications
  • Coordinate and supervise staff who support the communications of Elon University's seven schools to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of messaging strategies and tactics within the context of university brand standards.
  • Conduct annual performance evaluations in consultation with academic deans.
  • Oversee the recruitment and onboarding of academic communications staff.
  • Ensure school-based communications staff remain connected to and aligned with the Office of University Communications and adhere to university brand standards.
  • Meets individually at least twice per year with school deans to coordinate on future communications and marketing needs.
• Inclusive Community Building Community is foundational to Elon and a shared responsibility within our residential campus. All who work at Elon should demonstrate an understanding of and engagement with Elon's foundational commitment to relationships, mentoring and collaboration in a close-knit residential community. We embrace the shared responsibility to foster inclusive excellence within a strong residential community. Accordingly, employees are expected to join together and build connections in activities that foster an active and engaged campus environment and engage in professional development to support the shared responsibility of enriching diversity, equity, and inclusion through meaningful relationships and mentoring at Elon. Employees are encouraged to, for example, attend or participate in campus activities such as College Coffee, Numen Lumen, campus cultural events, athletic events, continuing education, professional development opportunities and trainings, employee resource groups and other university-sponsored activities to demonstrate an active commitment to the Elon community.

Special Instructions to Applicants: Priority consideration will be given to applications received by September 30, 2026.