Executive Director - Strategic Communications

Southwest Tennessee Community College is a comprehensive, multicultural, public, open—access college. Southwest has four campuses/centers from which it offers over 100 programs and over 20 technical certificate programs.

We foster student success, transform lives, and increase the educational level of a growing community in Shelby County. Southwest is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Title: Executive Director - Strategic Communications

Employee Classification: Other Professionals

Institution: Southwest Tennessee Community College

Department: Communications

Campus Location: SWTCC - Multiple Campus Locations

Job Summary

The Executive Director of Strategic Communications serves as the College's senior communications strategist and provides leadership for the development, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive internal and external communications strategies that advance the mission, vision, strategic plan, and institutional priorities of Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement & Communications, the Executive Director is responsible for protecting and enhancing the College's reputation, strengthening stakeholder engagement, increasing institutional visibility, and supporting strategic enrollment, workforce development, student success, community engagement, and fundraising objectives through effective communications and storytelling.

The Executive Director serves as a trusted communications advisor to the President, Vice President, and Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for executive communications, media relations, crisis communications, public relations, institutional messaging, content strategy, and brand management. The position provides leadership for integrated communications efforts across all college divisions and ensures alignment of messaging, communications priorities, and brand standards across all platforms and audiences.

The Executive Director will leverage strategic communications to elevate the College's position as a leading workforce development institution, strengthen community and governmental relationships, and increase awareness of the transformative impact Southwest Tennessee Community College has on students, employers, and the Mid-South region.

Job Duties

• Strategic Communications Leadership
  • Develops and implements a comprehensive annual strategic communications plan aligned with the College's strategic priorities, enrollment goals, workforce development initiatives, and institutional advancement objectives.
  • Provides strategic leadership for all internal and external communications activities, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with institutional priorities.
  • Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) and communications metrics to evaluate campaign effectiveness, media impact, audience engagement, and institutional visibility.
  • Oversees the development of annual communications reports and executive dashboards demonstrating communications outcomes and organizational impact.
• Executive Communications
  • Serves as principal communications advisor to the President, Vice President, and Executive Leadership Team regarding communications strategy, public messaging, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Develops executive communications including speeches, presentations, talking points, correspondence, opinion editorials, video messaging, public remarks, and leadership communications for the President and senior administrators.
  • Provides communications counsel and strategic guidance to executive leadership and senior administrators regarding highly visible and sensitive issues.
• Media Relations and Public Affairs
  • Serves as the College's primary liaison to local, regional, and national media outlets, including television, radio, print, podcast, and digital media.
  • Cultivates and maintains strong professional relationships with reporters, editors, producers, radio personalities, media executives, and community influencers throughout the Mid-South region.
  • Coordinates proactive media outreach efforts to increase positive visibility and storytelling opportunities for the College.
  • Develops and executes media strategies that enhance the College's reputation and strengthen awareness of institutional accomplishments.
• Brand Management and Reputation
  • Provides strategic oversight for the College's public image, brand consistency, messaging standards, communications governance, and communication protocols.
  • Leads institutional reputation management initiatives and proactively identifies opportunities and risks that may impact public perception of the College.
  • Ensures all communications reflect the professionalism, mission, values, and branding standards of the College.
• Integrated Communications and Storytelling
  • Oversees development of integrated communications campaigns across print, digital, social media, radio, television, web, and emerging platforms.
  • Collaborates with academic and administrative divisions to identify and promote impactful stories related to student achievement, workforce development, community engagement, grants, partnerships, fundraising efforts, and institutional success.
  • Develops compelling strategic messaging, feature stories, press releases, executive communications, publications, and marketing content that effectively communicates the College's impact.
  • Coordinates media coverage and communications support for College events, initiatives, announcements, and community engagement activities.
• Leadership and Team Management
  • Manages and supervises a multifaceted communications team, including marketing, digital media, social media, graphic design, content creation, photography, videography, and related communications functions.
  • Provides leadership, coaching, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for communications staff.
  • Establishes performance expectations, accountability measures, and workflow processes that support operational excellence.
• Crisis Communications
  • Leads crisis communications planning and response efforts in coordination with executive leadership, public safety personnel, and other key stakeholders.
  • Develops crisis communication protocols, messaging frameworks, and communication plans to support emergency preparedness and institutional response efforts.
  • Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement
  • Collaborates with Institutional Advancement staff to support fundraising campaigns, donor engagement efforts, Foundation initiatives, sponsorship development, alumni engagement, and community partnerships.
  • Supports governmental relations and public affairs initiatives through strategic messaging and stakeholder communications.
  • Develops and maintains relationships with community organizations, corporate partners, elected officials, workforce partners, and external stakeholders to support institutional advancement and visibility efforts.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, English, Higher Education Administration, or a related field required.
  
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public relations, media relations, marketing, public affairs, higher education communications, or a related field.
  
• Minimum of seven (7) years of supervisory or leadership experience managing communications professionals, projects, budgets, or integrated communications initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, English, Higher Education Administration, or a related field required.
• Experience within higher education, workforce development, public sector, nonprofit organizations, or similarly complex institutions.
  
• Strong existing relationships and connectivity with local and regional media outlets, including television, radio, print, podcast, and digital media.
  
• Demonstrated success in reputation management, strategic storytelling, and institutional brand development.
  
• Experience supporting executive leadership, governing boards, or public officials.
  
• Experience developing and implementing crisis communications plans.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing comprehensive strategic communications plans.
  
• Demonstrated experience advising executive leadership and managing high-profile communications initiatives.
  
• Experience in media relations, crisis communications, executive communications, reputation management, and integrated communications planning.
  
• Strong understanding of communications analytics, performance measurement, and data-informed decision making.
  
• Exceptional verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
  
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a spokesperson and institutional representative in highly visible and sensitive situations.
  
• Strong leadership, organizational, project management, and decision-making skills.
  
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment with professionalism and sound judgment.
  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, digital communications platforms, content management systems, and social media management tools.

Physical Demands / Working Conditions

• Will require travel throughout the Mid-South region for meetings, events, media engagements, and community activities.
• Requires occasional evening and weekend work to support College events, media opportunities, and emergency communications.
• High level of responsibility for handling sensitive, confidential, and time-sensitive information.
• Fast-paced environment with frequent deadlines and public-facing responsibilities.
• May serve in a communications leadership role during emergencies or crisis situations.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Candidates who are called for an interview must notify Human Resources in writing at least five (5) days in advance of any reasonable accommodation needed prior to the date of the interview.

First consideration will be given to current Southwest Tennessee Community College employees who meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

In order to be considered for the position, the following items must be uploaded:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Unofficial Transcripts

A summary of our benefits can be found below: 

https://www.southwest.tn.edu/hr/benefits-overview.php

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The TBR does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as a protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. 

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies:  LeVetta Hudson, Vice President of People & Culture, myhr@southwest.tn.edu, 737 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103, 901-333-5000. See the full non-discrimination policy.