Director of Communications and Marketing, Cornell Tech

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

As a people manager and university leader you will model and support a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing by fostering an environment where everyone has the ability to thrive and navigate work and life's challenges because they feel like they belong and have the tools and support they need.

Cornell Tech is Cornell University's groundbreaking campus for technology research and graduate education on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Our faculty, students and industry partners work together in a highly collaborative environment, pushing inquiry further and developing meaningful technologies to support societal needs. Founded in partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the City of New York, Cornell Tech achieves global reach and local impact, extending Cornell University's long history of leading innovation in computing, engineering and related fields.

Founded in 2011, a hallmark of Cornell Tech is its rapid pace of change and growth, which serve as opportunities to pursue inclusion, excellence and improvement, not merely scale. We strive to learn quickly from our activities and iterate to improve our programs and ways of working. We further expect our organizational structure to continue to evolve, given the pace of our activities and programs and our iterative learning process. Cornell Tech aims to become a destination of choice for diverse talent as well as a leader in changing the technology sector to be more inclusive.

The Director of Communications and Marketing at Cornell Tech leads strategy, campaign planning, marketing, messaging, production and curation of content for Cornell Tech's owned media that includes Cornell Tech's website, social media channels, paid digital advertising, email newsletters and other internal and external owned media channels. The Director of Communications reports to the Assistant Dean for External Affairs and will supervise a team of two while also managing external vendors and freelancers, and collaborates with stakeholders across the University and with Cornell Tech's academic partner, The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology to promote Cornell Tech and its core strategic messages on digital platforms.

The Director of Communications and Marketing:

• Plans, develops, and publishes content on Cornell Tech owned media platforms. Ensures that content meets the highest-quality editorial and visual standards, SEO best practices, and alignment with communications priorities. Works with college and university partners to promote the campus' deep, diverse, interdisciplinary research across a variety of academic topics; highlight Cornell Tech's efforts to expand and diversify New York City's tech ecosystem, and its ability to prepare students to do work that is impactful, ethical, innovative, and entrepreneurial; and steward campus branding, ensuring proper usage of content, design and positioning elements for marketing and communication media and materials for both Cornell Tech and the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute.
• Manages a team of two communications specialists to create, produce and execute external and internal communications and marketing campaigns integrating Cornell Tech's social media and other owned communications channels to generate leads for admissions, foster campus culture and promote research, big events and the accomplishments of faculty, students and start-ups. Foster on-going relationships with faculty, researchers, administrators, staff, students, and alumni to keep current on relevant events, projects and accomplishments, and maintain content production calendar and manage pipeline of content. Supervise management of social media community.
• Serves as the campus' resident social media expert and advisor, advising faculty and program directors, and as a Social Media Ambassador, working closely with University Relations (New Media) to ensure adherence to best practices, including consolidating accounts to maximize reach and strategy
• Assists the Assistant Dean for External Affairs with strategic planning and liaison to University Relations and lead communicators at partner academic unites. Advises Cornell Tech programs directors on communications and social media strategy, as well answering questions regarding content, platforms, and trends. Represents Cornell Tech on university wide communications working groups and meetings.

Cornell communicators share a mission to enhance and preserve the university's brand and reputation as a top research institution and a leader in higher education, and to support and promote critical programs that serve the university's teaching, research, and public engagement mission. Communication services are carried out through a matrixed organizational system in which University Relations houses the departments of News (Cornell Chronicle), Media Relations (pitching and servicing media requests), Brand (cornell.edu, multimedia production, brand management and governance), Strategic Communications (communications plans, key messaging, social media management), and Cornellians (digital alumni publication). The Director of Communications and Marketing at Cornell Tech will regularly collaborate with, and consult, University Relations departments.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in communication, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a similar field.
• 5-7 years of experience managing social media community and able provide work samples of social media campaigns, links to videos and creative briefs.

Position Competencies:

• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Demonstrated skill in understanding of cultural differences.
• Proven experience connecting diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing practices to business goals.
• Superior writing and editing skills; strong understanding of how to write and design content for social media.
• Knowledge of image/video manipulation design tools.
• High level of proficiency in social media management tools.
• Experience developing distribution strategies for multiple social media platforms and audiences.
• Excellent judgment in sensitive and confidential situations, and the ability to follow established protocols.
• Ability to work nonstandard business hours, when warranted by university events or issues.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects in a busy environment with flexibility, accuracy, efficiency, and attention to detail.
• Nimbleness in being able to proactively prioritize particular communications objectives while simultaneously collaborating with internal clients, such as faculty, departments and research centers.
• Understanding of and appreciation for topics, issues, and culture in contemporary higher education.
• Ability to deliver and receive feedback with diplomacy, empathy, and confidence.
• Commitment to effectively work and interact respectfully to foster a diverse and inclusive environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with technology news trends and topics. Previous experience working with agencies on branding and public relations Experience with FinalCut, InShot, TikTok, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Analytics and Sprout Social.

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Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)

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Employment Assistance:

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also visit the office of Workforce Recruitment and Retention Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to use a dedicated workstation to complete an online application.

Notice to Applicants:

EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.