Law School - Advancement Operations
University Job Title
Communications, Manager
Bargaining Unit
None - Not included in the union (Yale Union Group)
Compensation Grade
Administration & Operations
Compensation Grade Profile
Manager; Program Leader (M6)
Wage Ranges
Click here to see our Wage Ranges
Searchable Job Family
Development
Total # of hours to be worked:
37.5
Work Week
Standard (M-F equal number of hours per day)
Work Location
Central Campus
Worksite Address
157 Church Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Position Focus:
The Senior Director of Strategic Advancement Communications is a member of Yale Law School’s Alumni Engagement and Development (AED) team and oversees all communications in support of alumni engagement, volunteer engagement, donor engagement, recognition, and fundraising. The Senior Director will plan and execute communication strategies and produce messaging and materials that accelerate engagement and giving using print, digital, and social platforms. The Senior Director will have a demonstrated ability to effectively harness multichannel alumni communications; produce persuasive content; manage short and long-term projects; collaborate successfully with colleagues and stakeholders; mentor staff; meet goals and deadlines; and ensure the accuracy of all alumni communications. The Senior Director reports to the Executive Director for Advancement Services.
The Senior Director will:
Work with the AED leadership to identify strategic alumni communication needs and ensure the integration of communications efforts across the office; lead the development of a comprehensive strategic communications plan for AED, and the production of accurate, high-quality deliverables including marketing, solicitation, stewardship, and engagement materials.
Partner with colleagues in the school’s Office of Public Affairs to coordinate message and brand.
Collaborate with the Associate Dean, ED for Advancement Services, gift officers, and faculty leaders to develop and articulate a case for support and investment for funding needs. The Senior Director is responsible for writing and translating content into functional materials for fundraising, including proposals, white papers, marketing brochures, appeals, and web content.
Participate in the development and implementation of a comprehensive, tiered strategy stewarding Yale Law School donors at all giving levels including reports, donor societies, individual stewardship plans, bespoke donor recognition opportunities, correspondence with donors, events, and other mechanisms that demonstrate the impact of donor contributions.
Oversee all communications for alumni events and meetings including print/digital invitations/reminders, programs, remarks, signage, swag, marketing and meeting materials, and follow-up communications; serve as point of contact for alumni and donor event photography/video.
Implement an AED-wide system and calendar to coordinate the development and distribution of content and materials for our donors, prospects, and alumni.
Serve as communications partner and resource to the stewardship team for recurring messaging; provide support of weekly gift acknowledgement letter process, monthly birthday wishes, custom messaging on behalf of dean/assoc. dean, and annual financial/narrative reporting templates.
Oversee the development and production of communications for the volunteer engagement team such as membership directories, bios, and meeting materials.
Develop multi-year strategic plan to leverage the YLS website to reach and engage our graduates and donors; oversee creation of content and ongoing management of content to insure that website is leveraged to advance AED goals.
Manage Associate Director; develop annual performance goals and performance metrics for team. Provide regular performance feedback.
Lead project management of the annual donor report; develop messaging strategy, identify stories for inclusion and provide feedback on drafts.
Serve as liaison with outside communications partners.
Collaborate with stewardship team to acquire information on how the gift funds have been spent, working with fund beneficiaries and recipients to create compelling stories of impact, compiling information for narrative donor reports and creating content to curate for proposals.
Stay abreast of initiatives and activities at the school on an ongoing basis in order to provide content ideas for fundraising, engagement, and stewardship projects.
Essential Duties
1. Manage a team of communication professionals; responsible for developing staff. 2. Manage relationships with key stakeholders with a high degree of professionalism, judgment, and understanding of stakeholder goals. 3. Oversee design and manage communication plans for stakeholders by understanding the significance of initiatives, administrative and departmental priorities. 4. Ensure organizational effectiveness of administration through short-term and long-range communication planning with insight into audiences, channels, and culture; coordinate with other professionals to achieve institutional goals. 5. Lead planning activities with clients and partners; lead communication process within developed standards and protocol. 6. Create and edit compelling stories; oversee and create content for internal and external channels. 7. Analyze and understand various communication preferences to promote initiatives; create, evaluate, analyze reports based on metrics. 8. Manage multimedia content including video, graphic, web, and photography. 9. Provide guidance and support for departmental projects and services.
Required Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, Journalism or related field and six years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Required Skill/Ability 1:
Demonstrated supervision and management skills. Ability to work in a team-based environment, and have the ability to direct and motivate staff and volunteers.
Required Skill/Ability 2:
Demonstrated success in developing and executing strategic advancement communications materials.
Required Skill/Ability 3:
Excellent communication, interpersonal, presentation, and organizational skills; commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Required Skill/Ability 4:
Strong computer software skills including MS Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, databases and networked information systems.
Required Skill/Ability 5:
Ability and willingness to travel, and work some weekends and evenings as needed.
Preferred Education, Experience and Skills:
Proven experience in a complex, matrixed university setting working with alumni and donors. Familiarity with Yale University. Ten years of experience.
Weekend Hours Required?
Occasional
Evening Hours Required?
Occasional
Background Check Requirements
All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
The University maintains policies pertaining to COVID-19. All faculty, staff, students, and trainees are required to comply with these policies, which may be found here:
https://covid19.yale.edu/health-guidelines
Posting Disclaimer
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the particular position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring departments.
EEO Statement:
University policy is committed to affirmative action under law in employment of women, minority group members, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans. Additionally, in accordance with Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment, and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.
Inquiries concerning Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).
Note
Yale University is a tobacco-free campus