[Hiring] Director, Advancement Communications and Events @Queen's University

Role Description

Reporting to the Executive Director, Advancement Communications and Experiences, the Director, Advancement Communications and Events provides leadership for Advancement's communications and events functions. Working closely with the Associate Vice-Principal (Strategic Engagement) and the Executive Director, the Director operationalizes advancement-wide strategies, leading their implementation through integrated plans, compelling content, communications, and experiences that advance Queen’s philanthropic, alumni engagement, campaign, and institutional priorities.

This position requires occasional travel within and outside of Canada and requires the incumbent to occasionally work evenings and weekends.

Job Description

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works closely with the Executive Director to develop and operationalize Advancement-wide communications and experience strategies, translating strategic priorities into annual and multi-year communications and events plans, priorities, objectives, and measures of success.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates integrated communications strategies and plans in support of Advancement priorities, including fundraising and campaign priorities, alumni engagement, donor relationships, volunteer engagement, and other institutional objectives.
• Executes Advancement’s content strategy by developing through lines, standards, plans, and priorities to create compelling communications, stories, event briefs, and other content that engage key audiences and advance philanthropic and institutional objectives.
• Leads Advancement’s events function, establishing event strategies, priorities, standards, and approaches and overseeing the planning and delivery of signature, complex, and institutionally significant Advancement events and experiences.
• Establishes effective approaches for communications and events planning, intake, prioritization, and resource allocation, balancing Advancement and university priorities, strategic impact, timelines, audience needs, and available capacity while ensuring high-quality and timely execution.
• Provides expert communications counsel to Advancement leaders and colleagues on strategic, sensitive, complex, and high-profile matters; anticipates and manages communications issues and reputational risks.
• Works closely with Advancement Marketing and Publications and Digital Engagement to coordinate across channels, ensuring content and storytelling are effectively adapted, distributed, amplified, and optimized across audiences and channels.
• Partners with Development, Campaign, Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving, Donor Experience, faculties and schools, and other university partners to understand their objectives and audiences and translate them into effective communications, editorial, and event approaches.
• Establishes and monitors measures of communications, content, publication, and event effectiveness and uses audience insights, performance data, feedback, environmental trends, and emerging practices to improve approaches.
• Plans and manages Communications and Events budgets and resources and oversees relationships with vendors and external partners.
• Gathers information, coordinates, and prepares internal and external communications, briefing notes, research profiles, activity reports, and accountability reports.
• Develops and maintains an in-depth knowledge of the university’s activities, priorities and needs in both teaching and research.
• Measures and analyzes initiatives to assess effectiveness, inform future direction, and provide leadership with clear insights into progress and outcomes.
• Gathers and leverages market data to inform communications and event approaches and strategies.
• Builds, develops, and leads an outstanding high-performing team of Advancement professionals, fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and engaging work environment.
• Plans, prioritizes and manages the work of employees, providing strategic and tactical advice, guidance and coaching.
• Identifies the need for staff resources, participates on staffing committees, and makes effective recommendations regarding employee selection.
• Acts as an ambassador of Queen’s University representing the university and the Office of Advancement on committees and to internal and external audiences.
• Undertakes other duties as assigned in support of the unit and/or department.

Qualifications

• University degree.
• Minimum seven years of progressive experience and a demonstrated track record of success within a multi-constituent environment, with a focus on strategic communications and events, preferably in a university setting.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively to develop and implement integrated communications strategies that align organizational priorities, audiences, messaging, and content across multiple channels and initiatives.
• Clear understanding of and strict adherence to ethical fundraising standards and supporting legislation.
• Proven track record in strategy development and implementation, project planning, budget and revenue forecasting, program analysis, and meeting objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to define and communicate strategy and tie portfolio activity and planning back to overarching goals and the “big picture”.
• Proven leadership, management, and relationship building experience, with a demonstrated ability to promote inclusion in the workplace.
• Demonstrated success using diverse communications platforms including print, web, social media, video, and other forms of digital communications.
• A valid G-Class driver’s license and passport with no travel restrictions is required.
• Satisfactory Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check required.
• Knowledge of the Canadian philanthropic and university environment, including the challenges faced by both.

Special Skills

• Stand behind/live Advancement’s core values of Integrity, inclusivity, accountability, collaboration, and service.
• Ability to effectively work across multiple departments and portfolios within the university.
• An innovative and strategic thinker able to draw on substantial experience to provide clear, focused leadership and advice to achieve organizational priorities.
• Excellent business insight, political and cultural awareness, and influencing skills.
• Persuasive and creative communication and presentation skills.
• Recognize diversity of abilities and adapt content, tone, medium, and style to audience to be inclusive.
• Strong analytical, research skills, and the ability to think about institutional information in an interdisciplinary way.
• Ability to research, develop, and write innovative strategies, tools, and approaches that enhance alumni and donor engagement effectiveness.
• Strict attention to detail and exceptional accuracy.
• Strong organizational, problem solving, and project management skills.
• Ability to embrace change to effectively translate objectives into strategic alumni engagement solutions.

Decision-Making

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, determines content for annual and long-term plans and strategies.
• Assesses issues/priorities and provides expert guidance to senior administrators and other staff on strategic and operational issues.
• Determines how to protect, harmonize, and enhance the Office of Advancement and university’s reputation.
• Recognizes opportunities to collaborate with constituents and leverage messages and objectives across different formats and platforms.
• Determines and implements necessary strategies to measure and benchmark the effectiveness of initiatives.
• Determines appropriate communications methods, tone, and content of information.
• Determines optimum strategic use of university leadership in fundraising and engagement strategies.
• Recognizes when to involve Advancement staff, leadership, and/or senior administration in new initiatives or on issues that require decisions.
• Makes budget and staffing decisions related to Advancement Communications & Events.
• Monitors and evaluates progress and impact on assigned work of unit staff.
• Evaluates job candidates and makes effective recommendations on suitable hires.
• Decides and/or makes effective recommendations regarding transfers and promotions.
• Evaluates employee performance and decides on appropriate training or coaching.
• Assesses investigation outcomes of grievances and makes effective recommendations on appropriate course of action.
• Makes effective recommendations on level of discipline up to discharge and probationary termination.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized persons, Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to those who are legally eligible to work in Canada.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to all applicants who require accommodation due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including those with disabilities.