Director, Integrated Communications

Hours per Week: 35
Salary Grade: 17

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

The Western Communications team provides strategic advice to university senior leadership, faculty, staff and teams of internal and external communications staff across Western in order to build the university’s brand on a local, national and global scale.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Strategic Communications, the Associate Director, Integrated Communications will be responsible for fostering a coordinated and consistent approach to communications, marketing, branding and messaging within the Faculties and Divisions across campus. The role will provide oversight and guidance for the strategic development, implementation, monitoring, and assessment of a broad range of initiatives, with a goal of building and promoting Western's and each Faculty’s/Divisions brand and reputation locally, nationally, and internationally. The Director will create a talent development program, including the development and implementation of an annual Professional Development Day to influence behaviours and enhance the skills of communications professionals across campus. The role will serve as a strategic advisor to academic and administrative leaders, and communications staff across campus related to communications efforts, and will contribute to ensuring consistency and best practices are leveraged. The Director will provide leadership for high priority institutional projects and support the development of annual strategic communication plans.

Education:

• Undergraduate Degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration or other related field
• International Association of Business Communicators Designation preferred

Experience:

• 7 years
• Experience in communications and marketing, with experience managing the development of communications plans and strategies
• 4 years’ experience managing staff and projects
• Experience in a post-secondary environment is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge of the best use of digital communication tools relevant to key audiences (prospective and current students, faculty, industry partners, alumni, etc.)
• In-depth knowledge of communications trends and best practices
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one's own unit
• Ability to establish effective routines for excellent communication with all members of teams to maximize productivity
• Capacity and skills to work with communications technology and data-driven environments
• Facilitation skills to engage audiences, and confidence interacting with individuals at all levels of the organization
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills to build consensus across functions and levels and express views clearly
• Project management skills to manage multiple communications projects simultaneously from conception to completion within tightly prescribed timelines
• Ability to delegate work and provide team members with clear direction and support in meeting their objectives
• A strong problem solver with the ability to think both analytically and creatively to effectively drive objectives
• Media skills with solid communications judgment to present and package information to maximize interest
• Ability to analyze metrics and consider past communications to craft engaging written and visual communications using social media or other appropriate channels
• Ability to deal confidentially with information that has financial, political, regulatory and reputational implications
• Critical thinking and analytical skills to assess complex higher education issues of concern to stakeholders, including the media, the public, and prospective donors
• Ability to draw on diversity of skills, backgrounds and knowledge of people to achieve more effective results
• Ability to develop strategies that are in line with the University's mission and which balance competing priorities

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.
Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwo.ca or phone 519-661-2194.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.