Loyola Marymount University
Senior Lead, Strategic Communications and Issues Management
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
The Senior Lead, Strategic Communications and Issues Management is responsible for proactively leading the university's crisis communications, providing management and mitigation strategies that advance and protect the university's interests and reputation. As a senior public information officer and spokesperson, the incumbent is responsible for creating, developing, reviewing, and approving statements, responses, and communications that articulate the university's official positions on a variety of complex topics. The incumbent pursues tactics and strategies that promote a positive institutional image, increase favorable visibility and exposure, reinforce brand narratives, and increase helpful engagement with target audiences. The incumbent serves as a senior advisor, counsel, and trainer for MarComm leadership, the president, the President's Cabinet, the deans, and other senior leaders on strategic issues of interest, areas of public or internal scrutiny, and areas of strategic importance. As an integrated leader within Public and Media Relations, the position cultivates and leverages relationships with members of the public, business leaders, elected officials, members of the news media, and others.
Crisis Communications, Planning, and Issues Management
Lead the university's crisis management communications operations, responses, and mitigation strategies, often outside of normal business hours, to ensure the university is best positioned to address issues and advance its reputation and strategic interests.
Collaborate regularly with key areas, including Human Resources, Student Affairs, Campus Safety Services, External Relations, senior administration, and general counsel, to monitor and anticipate and mitigate issues, to provide scenario planning and strategy support, and to inform and drive strategic decisions. Continuously scan the landscape for potential priority issues and opportunities that may potentially impact the university. Maintain and share awareness of potential threats.
Review and evaluate social media listening reports to determine and report on positive and negative issues impacting the university community and reputation. Recommend and implement tactics and strategies to address meaningful trends and sentiments.
Develop, own, and maintain an effective case management system to effectively track and capture issues monitored, including an archive of statements, talking points, case studies, and playbooks. Maintain a library and archive of relevant facts, news clippings, rankings, and other fact-checking sources.
Create and distribute precise, consistent communications materials including, but not limited to, media statements, talking points, Q&A's, backgrounders, communication plans, memos, email responses or messages, post-action evaluation, and reports.
Manage relationships and operations with crisis communications firms and agencies.
Create and implement crisis management planning efforts including building and maintaining a comprehensive crisis plan, running simulations, and conducting media training.
Develop and cultivate relationships with key local, national, and international members of the press, as well as emergency management agency public information officers.
Reporting and Metrics
Develop and support a working decision support environment based on metrics, measurement, and data analysis. Deploy metrics to measure progress and success, and report on those metrics with regularity. Identify, propose, develop, and track performance, fostering an environment of accountability and continuous improvement.
Conduct vulnerability assessments and develop contingency plans to address the most pressing potential scenarios. Report and create awareness of assessments and action plans.
Generate monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on issues tracked, public statements, and resolutions.
Produce and/or collaborate to produce legislative and public affairs newsletters or reports that apprise university colleagues of developments in local, state, or federal legislation. Proactively engage External Relations and relevant university departments to ensure appropriate preparations or advocacy efforts are underway to pursue or secure the university's interests.
Leadership Engagement and Training
Create, develop, and lead a crisis curriculum for university management. Develop progressive learning objectives and facilitate training exercises and preparedness activities on a quarterly and annual basis for MarComm, for divisional leadership teams, and for senior leadership.
Generate and share talking points for senior leaders. Apprise them of issue updates proactively so they are best positioned to address issues before they become organizational concerns.
Public and Media Relations
Work closely and support MarComm senior leaders, including the Senior Director of Public and Media Relations, the Vice President for Communications and Public Relations, and the Senior Vice President to shape key university messages and to ensure consistency across channels while raising visibility for the university.
Review and approve public statements, news advisories, press releases, articles, and other externally focused communications. Manage internal communications, editorial schedules, and production calendars to ensure timely dissemination of university news and information.
Serve as a senior university public information officer and spokesperson. Respond to, handle, and resolve inquiries, comments, and other feedback from internal and external constituencies. Coach leadership colleagues through sensitive issues handling, interviews, and responses.
Cultivate relationships with faculty and senior administrators, develop expert resources for the press, and coordinate and manage spokesperson resources.
Safeguard the university's reputation by designing and implementing external communications strategies that: cultivate the university's relationships with the media, engage target audiences, increase favorable news coverage, decrease unfavorable news coverage, and boost brand awareness. Assure successful outcomes by adopting best-practice project management methodologies, quality assurance metrics, and risk mitigation plans.
Ensure the integrity, high-quality, and consistency of the university's image, tone, style, narrative, visual identity, and brand.
Work with university leaders to increase their external thought leadership and promote positive university positioning.
Manage, and/or produce, annual reports of coverage and visibility metrics, manage the implementation of concurrent, interdependent short-, medium-, and long-term plans to build a robust, responsive, broad-based strategic communications and issues management program.
Create, recommend, implement, and monitor compliance with the university's public and media relations policies, protocols, procedures, and workflows.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested by leadership.
Loyola Marymount University Expectations
Exhibit behavior that supports the mission, vision, and values of the university. Communicate and employ interpersonal actions that model high standards of professional, responsible, accountable and ethical conduct. Demonstrate a commitment to outstanding customer service.
The incumbent must have the ability to supervise creative, communications and technical personnel and manage complex projects with dependencies, deadlines, budgets and outside resources. The incumbent must possess the ability to implement marketing and communication principles and strategies in the execution of complex communications projects. The incumbent must have the ability to initiate ideas, develop concepts and review the effectiveness of processes to ensure professional standards and high quality. The incumbent has the ability to assess the needs of internal clients and suggest appropriate measures to meet those needs or redirect those requests to the appropriate areas. The incumbent is able to work effectively and independently with internal and external constituencies. The incumbent has the ability to operate in an environment in which skilled relationship management and consensus-building is required to deliver successful outcomes.
Requisite Qualifications
Typically, a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related field or equivalent experience. Master's degree is preferred. The incumbent will be expected to continue upgrading knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of communication best practices.
Minimum five years of public relations and/or media management experience in an institutional or corporate role with a record of management and supervisorial experience; ability to work effectively and independently with internal and external constituencies and with professionals of varied disciplines to accomplish tasks and projects.
Ability to build and execute crisis communications plans with a strong understanding of best practices.
Deep understanding of issues management with a proactive approach to activities.
Strong writing and editing skills, including executive communications experience.
Capability to write for different audiences utilizing various forms of storytelling across a wide array of channels and mediums.
Demonstrated experience managing and executing across multiple communications and marketing channels and media; highly developed skills in communications writing and editing.
Highly collaborative style with experience developing and implementing communications strategies successfully; background that demonstrates relationship-building, consensus-building, flexibility, and managing through influencing.
Evidence of positive, energetic, and flexible leadership style with a track record for producing high-quality deliverables with meticulous attention to detail. Must be metrics driven and results oriented with excellent analytical skills. Ability to provide quick turnaround and updates for multiple requests while maintaining high quality work.
Self-starter, able to work independently and entrepreneurially; experience developing and implementing new initiatives.
Demonstrated computer competency with common production software suites, such as photo editing software, email marketing tools, and analytics reporting software.
Must be metrics-driven and results-oriented with demonstrated analytical skills.
Ability to provide quick turnaround and updates for multiple requests while maintaining strong reputation of high-quality work.
Self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a cross-functional team.
Excellent judgement and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills.
Must be able to perform successfully in a fast-paced, intellectually intense, and service-oriented environment. Experience working successfully within a complex organization. Willing and able to adjust to changing demands and shifting priorities.
Reasonable Expected Salary - $95,000 - $105,000. Salary offer commensurate with education and experience.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of this position.
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Crisis Communications, Planning, and Issues Management
Lead the university's crisis management communications operations, responses, and mitigation strategies, often outside of normal business hours, to ensure the university is best positioned to address issues and advance its reputation and strategic interests.
Collaborate regularly with key areas, including Human Resources, Student Affairs, Campus Safety Services, External Relations, senior administration, and general counsel, to monitor and anticipate and mitigate issues, to provide scenario planning and strategy support, and to inform and drive strategic decisions. Continuously scan the landscape for potential priority issues and opportunities that may potentially impact the university. Maintain and share awareness of potential threats.
Review and evaluate social media listening reports to determine and report on positive and negative issues impacting the university community and reputation. Recommend and implement tactics and strategies to address meaningful trends and sentiments.
Develop, own, and maintain an effective case management system to effectively track and capture issues monitored, including an archive of statements, talking points, case studies, and playbooks. Maintain a library and archive of relevant facts, news clippings, rankings, and other fact-checking sources.
Create and distribute precise, consistent communications materials including, but not limited to, media statements, talking points, Q&A's, backgrounders, communication plans, memos, email responses or messages, post-action evaluation, and reports.
Manage relationships and operations with crisis communications firms and agencies.
Create and implement crisis management planning efforts including building and maintaining a comprehensive crisis plan, running simulations, and conducting media training.
Develop and cultivate relationships with key local, national, and international members of the press, as well as emergency management agency public information officers.
Reporting and Metrics
Develop and support a working decision support environment based on metrics, measurement, and data analysis. Deploy metrics to measure progress and success, and report on those metrics with regularity. Identify, propose, develop, and track performance, fostering an environment of accountability and continuous improvement.
Conduct vulnerability assessments and develop contingency plans to address the most pressing potential scenarios. Report and create awareness of assessments and action plans.
Generate monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on issues tracked, public statements, and resolutions.
Produce and/or collaborate to produce legislative and public affairs newsletters or reports that apprise university colleagues of developments in local, state, or federal legislation. Proactively engage External Relations and relevant university departments to ensure appropriate preparations or advocacy efforts are underway to pursue or secure the university's interests.
Leadership Engagement and Training
Create, develop, and lead a crisis curriculum for university management. Develop progressive learning objectives and facilitate training exercises and preparedness activities on a quarterly and annual basis for MarComm, for divisional leadership teams, and for senior leadership.
Generate and share talking points for senior leaders. Apprise them of issue updates proactively so they are best positioned to address issues before they become organizational concerns.
Public and Media Relations
Work closely and support MarComm senior leaders, including the Senior Director of Public and Media Relations, the Vice President for Communications and Public Relations, and the Senior Vice President to shape key university messages and to ensure consistency across channels while raising visibility for the university.
Review and approve public statements, news advisories, press releases, articles, and other externally focused communications. Manage internal communications, editorial schedules, and production calendars to ensure timely dissemination of university news and information.
Serve as a senior university public information officer and spokesperson. Respond to, handle, and resolve inquiries, comments, and other feedback from internal and external constituencies. Coach leadership colleagues through sensitive issues handling, interviews, and responses.
Cultivate relationships with faculty and senior administrators, develop expert resources for the press, and coordinate and manage spokesperson resources.
Safeguard the university's reputation by designing and implementing external communications strategies that: cultivate the university's relationships with the media, engage target audiences, increase favorable news coverage, decrease unfavorable news coverage, and boost brand awareness. Assure successful outcomes by adopting best-practice project management methodologies, quality assurance metrics, and risk mitigation plans.
Ensure the integrity, high-quality, and consistency of the university's image, tone, style, narrative, visual identity, and brand.
Work with university leaders to increase their external thought leadership and promote positive university positioning.
Manage, and/or produce, annual reports of coverage and visibility metrics, manage the implementation of concurrent, interdependent short-, medium-, and long-term plans to build a robust, responsive, broad-based strategic communications and issues management program.
Create, recommend, implement, and monitor compliance with the university's public and media relations policies, protocols, procedures, and workflows.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested by leadership.
Loyola Marymount University Expectations
Exhibit behavior that supports the mission, vision, and values of the university. Communicate and employ interpersonal actions that model high standards of professional, responsible, accountable and ethical conduct. Demonstrate a commitment to outstanding customer service.
The incumbent must have the ability to supervise creative, communications and technical personnel and manage complex projects with dependencies, deadlines, budgets and outside resources. The incumbent must possess the ability to implement marketing and communication principles and strategies in the execution of complex communications projects. The incumbent must have the ability to initiate ideas, develop concepts and review the effectiveness of processes to ensure professional standards and high quality. The incumbent has the ability to assess the needs of internal clients and suggest appropriate measures to meet those needs or redirect those requests to the appropriate areas. The incumbent is able to work effectively and independently with internal and external constituencies. The incumbent has the ability to operate in an environment in which skilled relationship management and consensus-building is required to deliver successful outcomes.
Requisite Qualifications
Typically, a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related field or equivalent experience. Master's degree is preferred. The incumbent will be expected to continue upgrading knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of communication best practices.
Minimum five years of public relations and/or media management experience in an institutional or corporate role with a record of management and supervisorial experience; ability to work effectively and independently with internal and external constituencies and with professionals of varied disciplines to accomplish tasks and projects.
Ability to build and execute crisis communications plans with a strong understanding of best practices.
Deep understanding of issues management with a proactive approach to activities.
Strong writing and editing skills, including executive communications experience.
Capability to write for different audiences utilizing various forms of storytelling across a wide array of channels and mediums.
Demonstrated experience managing and executing across multiple communications and marketing channels and media; highly developed skills in communications writing and editing.
Highly collaborative style with experience developing and implementing communications strategies successfully; background that demonstrates relationship-building, consensus-building, flexibility, and managing through influencing.
Evidence of positive, energetic, and flexible leadership style with a track record for producing high-quality deliverables with meticulous attention to detail. Must be metrics driven and results oriented with excellent analytical skills. Ability to provide quick turnaround and updates for multiple requests while maintaining high quality work.
Self-starter, able to work independently and entrepreneurially; experience developing and implementing new initiatives.
Demonstrated computer competency with common production software suites, such as photo editing software, email marketing tools, and analytics reporting software.
Must be metrics-driven and results-oriented with demonstrated analytical skills.
Ability to provide quick turnaround and updates for multiple requests while maintaining strong reputation of high-quality work.
Self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a cross-functional team.
Excellent judgement and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills.
Must be able to perform successfully in a fast-paced, intellectually intense, and service-oriented environment. Experience working successfully within a complex organization. Willing and able to adjust to changing demands and shifting priorities.
Reasonable Expected Salary - $95,000 - $105,000. Salary offer commensurate with education and experience.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of this position.
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