Job Purpose
The Strategic Communications Manager is responsible for planning, initiating and managing the full breadth of the communications and outreach activities, with a strong focus on capturing and promoting the reach and impact of KAUST nationally and globally. This is a key position working closely with the Director of Global Branding and Communications (GBC), KAUST Senior Leadership, and academics throughout the university to support KAUST’s external communication and outreach goals.
Major Accountabilities
- Leads all strategic communications, outreach initiatives and planning
- Develops and delivers an effective communications strategy for the University to highlight achievements and effectively communicate progress ensuring that the strategy is aligned with KAUST’s strategic objectives; proactively identifying gaps and opportunities
- Oversees Editorial, Social Media, Campaigns, Web Development, Internal and International Communications
- Creates a culture that embodies KAUST’s values; builds diverse and inclusive teams and focuses on team member wellbeing
- Displaysinnovative and creative leadership to ensure the Strategic Communications team are well versed to work across senior levels of the organization and ensure we maximize on all communications and marketing efforts globally
- Develops strong understanding of departmental, divisional, and corporate goals and strategies, and ensures they are integrated into communications and outreach activities
- Provides advice, and implements international best practice models, on how executives and faculty market and communicate globally
- Devises and develops a clear framework to drive and support internal communications across a broad range of topics to create a shared purpose that is relevant and aligned to strategic and operational action plans
- Oversee the proactive and reactive responses to all aspects of media, including social media, in a timely way ensuring that the University’s reputation and integrity is maintained
- Responsible for managing complex queries where there is a significant reputational risk.
- Leads the coordination efforts for all high-profile events, delegations, and field visits by international stakeholders
- Supports new projects by providing precise and timely information, to enable the University to engage with all stakeholders and bring about change in an effective manner
- Guides and, where appropriate, approaches and encourages stakeholders and partners with respect to the development and management of project-related communications
- Works closely and collaboratively with the Manager of In-Kingdom Communications and the Manager of Creative Services
- Uses expertise to design team structures to meet long term business goals
- Ensures the right people are in the right roles, creates growth and development opportunities, and builds a highly effective and engaged team
- Works closely with the wider GBC team and performs other duties and responsibilities as required
Person Requirements
Competencies
- Strong management skills with ability to supervise, motivate, support, and collaborate with different teams and engage and develop relationships
- Demonstrated political acumen and ability to work with the highest levels of leadership
- Excellent strategic, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to foster clear and goal-oriented exchanges with various audiences
- Strong skills in short- and long-range planning, program and project management, facilitation and collaboration
- Sound strategic thinking and consulting skills in guiding the department toward workable strategies and solutions
- Flexibility to manage constantly changing priorities, timelines, and adept at working cross-functionally, to implement programs and outreach
- Experience exercising judgment and discretion when dealing with sensitive information
- Ability to connect individual communications activities or products to higher-level strategies and goals
- Ability to choose content about complex technical subjects and projects that engages target audiences and enhances the company’s image, with the appropriate level of director supervision
- Strong interpersonal management skills and cross-cultural skills.
- Excellent communication, leadership, problem solving and analytical skills
- Sensitivity to diverse audiences and demonstrated sound judgement about messaging
Ability to work in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
Reliable, dedicated, motivated, has a positive attitude and works well individually and with various teams/departments
Comfortable with — and ability to — meet tight deadlines
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required in communications, marketing, international development, or related field.
- Master’s degree preferred
Experience
- 10+ years of relevant experience in communications
- Extensive experience in strategic communications; preferably in academia or higher education
- 5+ years’ experience in a supervisory or lead role managing a communications or marketing and outreach function
- Strong creative and/or in-house project management experience
- Working knowledge of uses and administration of popular social media outlets (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Instagram, YouTube), and website development and deployment
https://careers.kaust.edu.sa/job/Manager%2C-Strategic-Communications/862676601/