Senior Director for Communications

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY

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JOB DETAILS

SALARY

$185,000–$200,000 Per Year

SKILLS

Arabic Language, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Best Practices, Brand Marketing (Branding), Brand Messaging, Budget Management, Budgeting, Business Strategy, Capacity Strategy, Centralized Operations/Management, Channel Strategies, Coaching, Communication Skills, Conferences, Content Management, Custom Media, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Digital Media, Diversity, Email Marketing, Emerging Technology, Establish Priorities, Finance, Foreign Affairs, French Language, Fundraising, Google Analytics, Graphic Design, Higher Education, Industry/Trade Analysis, Journalism, Leadership, Media Placement, Microsoft Exchange Server, Multilingual, Multimedia, Network Administration/Management, Network Support, Newsletter, Organizational Development/Management, Performance Goal Setting, Performance Metrics, Podcasting, Power Amplifier, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Press Interviews, Public Affairs, Public/Media/Press/Analyst Relations, Regulations, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media, Spanish Language, Storytelling, Strategic Planning, Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Thought Leadership, Time Management, User Experience Design (UXD), Video Production, Web Content Management System (WCMS), Willing to Travel, Writing Skills

LOCATION

New York, NY

POSTED

Today

Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Regular
End Date if Temporary:
Hours Per Week: 35
Standard Work Schedule:
Building:
Salary Range: $185,000 - $200,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possiblecompensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Columbia Global is the University's primary platform for global engagement, comprising Columbia World Projects, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, the Committee on Global Thought, the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement, and a network of Global Centers across multiple international markets.

Columbia Global is in an active period of institutional and strategic development. With a new university president taking office in July 2026 and a strategic plan underway, this hire comes at a moment when communications leadership will directly shape how the organization engages the world.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director serves as a senior institutional strategist -- advising leadership, shaping organizational positioning, and building a communications function that is integrated into how Columbia Global plans and presents itself to the world. The role directly leads a team of three communications professionals and manages a network of external consultants across a globally distributed, geopolitically complex operating environment.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in higher education, international development, or global affairs; a demonstrated ability to work across functions as a strategic partner; and the range to operate credibly with faculty, donors, senior leadership, and a global team.

Responsibilities

Organizational Strategy & Communications Leadership

Develop and execute a bold, integrated, multi-channel communications strategy aligned with Columbia Global's mission, priorities, and global reach - encompassing NY operations and all international centers.
Develop and execute an integrated, multi-channel communications strategy aligned with Columbia Global's mission and the FY27-31 strategic plan - encompassing central operations in New York and all international centers. Lead the Senior Director's communications function with the authority and institutional standing required to set direction across a globally distributed organization.
Define and activate Columbia Global's institutional voice, ensuring messaging consistency and resonance across all audiences - including center directors, central staff, faculty, students, donors, media, and the general public. Lead internal communications as a distinct and strategic function, not a secondary task.
Lead brand identity and refresh initiatives, ensuring sustained and coherent implementation across the evolving Columbia Global portfolio - including Columbia World Projects, the Columbia Global Centers, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, the Committee on Global Thought, and the Columbia University Center for Undergraduate Global Exchange.
Monitor, measure, and report on the effectiveness of communications activities using data analytics and defined KPIs, translating insights into continuous strategic improvements.
Provide senior-level communications support to the EVP, including executive communications, speech writing, thought leadership positioning, and representation at internal and external forums. Serve as Columbia Global's senior institutional voice in engagements with the University's central communications and public affairs offices, Columbia schools and departments, and external partners.

Digital, Content & Platform Strategy

Lead Columbia Global's digital and social media strategy as a component of the enterprise communications plan - setting direction for owned channels, content architecture, and platform priorities in service of audience engagement and organizational goals.
Drive innovation in content formats - including short-form video, interactive data visualizations, and immersive digital storytelling - to engage diverse global audiences and reflect the dynamic scope of Columbia Global's work.
Apply emerging communications technologies and data-informed analytics to drive editorial quality, audience insight, and operational efficiency - with judgment about responsible application in an academic and mission-driven context.
Oversee the development, maintenance, and optimization of Columbia Global's web presence, ensuring best-in-class standards for UX design, accessibility, SEO, and digital accessibility compliance.
Build and manage a robust content calendar and digital publishing workflow, ensuring timely, high-quality, and platform-optimized output across all owned and earned channels.
Develop and execute communications strategies that advance faculty engagement with Columbia Global programs - positioning faculty as thought leaders, amplifying their work, and building the narrative infrastructure that supports faculty recruitment and recognition.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead, inspire, and develop a three-person team of mid-level communications professionals, cultivating a team culture grounded in creativity, accountability, collaboration, and continuous professional growth.
Set clear performance goals, provide regular and meaningful feedback, and actively support each team member's development in alignment with evolving industry trends and organizational priorities.
Build and manage an extended network of external consultants and creative partners - including photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and writers - to scale team capacity strategically.
Ensure all Columbia Global staff and international center partners are aligned on brand, messaging frameworks, and communications standards. Work across programmatic, development, MEL, and operations teams to ensure communications infrastructure is integrated into organizational planning and decision-making - not siloed from it.
Serve as the communications network lead for Columbia Global's global centers - providing strategic counsel to local communications staff and center directors, establishing shared frameworks and content priorities, and connecting local programming to Columbia Global's global narrative and platforms. Ensure that network-level communications coherence is maintained across diverse cultural, regulatory, and media environments.

Content, Storytelling & Thought Leadership

Uncover and amplify compelling stories that bring Columbia Global's scholarly, social, and educational impact to life for a wide range of audiences - including donors, policymakers, media, and the general public.
Produce and oversee the development of high-quality, multi-format content that positions Columbia Global leaders and faculty as credible, influential thought leaders in global affairs and social impact.
Develop strategic communications products - including impact reports, donor communications, newsletters, executive presentations, and multimedia packages - that support fundraising and stakeholder engagement goals.
Lead or oversee communications strategy for large-scale, high-visibility events in New York and at Columbia Global's international centers, ensuring cohesive branding and audience engagement.

Media Relations & External Engagement

Build and cultivate relationships with journalists, editors, producers, and media outlets at the local, national, and international levels - prioritizing outlets and contacts most relevant to Columbia Global's strategic audiences and geographic footprint.
Develop and advance earned media strategies commensurate with team capacity, managing press inquiries, interviews, and media opportunities across traditional and digital platforms.
Lead institutional crisis communications - including the development of rapid-response protocols, scenario planning, and real-time management of reputational risk across Columbia Global's network of international centers and constituent entities. Oversee ongoing reputation monitoring, media coverage tracking, and digital listening. This is a requirement of the role, not a contingency.
Collaborate closely with Columbia University's central communications and public affairs teams across brand compliance, web standards, crisis response, institutional announcements, and cross-University initiatives - serving as Columbia Global's primary institutional liaison on all such matters.

Operational Excellence

Manage the communications budget with rigor and transparency, developing costed workplans that are executed on schedule, within budget, and at a high standard of quality.
Conduct periodic domestic and international travel to Columbia Global's centers, as resources and priorities allow, to build relationships with local teams, strengthen local communications capacity, capture stories and visual assets, and support network-level brand coherence.
Continuously invest in professional development - for self and team - by tracking industry trends, attending relevant conferences, and incorporating emerging best practices.
Perform related responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field.

Minimum of 8-10 years of related professional experience.

**Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume.**

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Affairs, International Affairs, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive communications experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership role with direct responsibility for teams and enterprise-wide communications strategy.
Demonstrated expertise in digital communications strategy, including social media management, content marketing, SEO/SEM, email marketing, and web content management systems.
Proven ability to design and execute integrated, multi-channel communications strategies that deliver measurable results across diverse and international audiences.
Fluency in communications analytics tools and platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Sprout Social, Meltwater, Cision, Brandwatch) and the ability to translate data into actionable strategic insights.
Working knowledge of AI-assisted communications tools, content automation technologies, and digital content production - with a forward-thinking, responsible approach to their application in a mission-driven environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communications skills, with a demonstrated ability to craft compelling narratives for diverse audiences - from academic and policy communities to donors and the general public.
Significant experience in higher education, international development, global affairs, or a similarly complex, multi-stakeholder institutional environment.
Demonstrated experience working across international contexts, with an understanding of the cultural, political, and regional nuances that shape effective global communications.
Track record of successfully elevating leadership profiles through thought leadership content, op-eds, speaking engagements, high-profile media placements, and executive communications strategy.
Proven experience managing and developing high-performing communications teams, with a coaching-oriented and collaborative leadership approach.
Demonstrated experience in crisis communications and institutional reputation management in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment - including developing protocols, managing real-time situations, and advising senior leadership.
Familiarity with video production, podcast development, and multimedia storytelling as communications tools.
Multilingual proficiency is a plus, particularly in Spanish, French, or Arabic, reflecting Columbia Global's international footprint.
Demonstrated ability to work across organizational functions - including programmatic, development, finance, and HR - as a strategic partner, not only a communications service provider.
Experience contributing to institutional strategy, organizational planning, or leadership decision-making beyond the communications vertical.
Deep personal commitment to Columbia Global's mission of advancing knowledge, promoting social impact, and engaging meaningfully with global challenges.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

Senior Director for Communications

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY

About the Company

Columbia University in the City of New York

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