Director of Executive Communications

UCLA Strategic Communications (StratComm) brings UCLA's mission and values to life by inspiring positive action as UCLA's lead storytellers, reflecting the multifaceted diversity of our university and surrounding communities.

The Director of Executive Communications plays a central role in workings with campus leaders and colleagues in Strategic Communications to develop important communications for top university leadership on a wide variety of matters that demonstrate clarity, accuracy, nuance, humanity and transparency. These communications will include speeches, presentations, notes, letters, op-eds and broader communications. This position will require the successful candidate to work effectively with top executives, translating complex, nuanced and at times jargon-laden information into clear, understandable and useful communications for a variety of audiences including students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and community stakeholders. This position will require an experienced writer with strong attention to detail and deep appreciation for processes and protocols for working successfully in a large and complex organization. Strong editing skills are also critical to this role, as many materials will need to be refined and adapted for ease of reading without losing the voice of the individual signing the message. 

Qualifications:

• Minimum 6-8 years Experience developing written messages in internal or executive communications roles within in a complex organization. (Required)
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with executives. (Required)
• Experience with presentation coaching. (Preferred)
• Experience working in complex, global environment and industries. (Preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex and difficult information into readable, understandable and impactful messages. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with high-level academic and administrative leadership and senior departmental staff to identify communication needs and to conceive and execute programs and services to meet such needs. (Required)
• Ability to translate leaders' high-level priorities into specific ideas and concepts, an understanding of tailoring messages for different audiences. Strong knowledge of executive communications practices. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to research, collect and organize data and material from diverse sources to create memorable speeches and/or messages to a diverse audience. (Required)
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to serving in an environment that prizes diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to articulate goals, strategies, tactics, and benchmarks. Comprehensive, current knowledge of technology with the ability to fully utilize the capabilities of new media. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to strategically improve and maintain internal communications structures within a complex organization. (Required)
• Ability to successfully manage multiple ongoing tasks and responsibilities of varying degrees of complexity simultaneously. Demonstrated experience in writing on deadline. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a broad and diverse communications organization and beyond. (Required)
• A strong strategic orientation, commitment to excellence, and attention to detail. Ability to handle all information with sensitivity, discretion and solid judgment. (Required)
• Working knowledge of UC and UCLA departments, policies, regulations, guidelines, and resources for programming. (Preferred)
• Knowledge of the history, policies and practices of the University of California system and UCLA. (Preferred)