Director of Strategic Communication

Director of Strategic Communication

Fuqua seeks a Director of Strategic Communication (level 16) to shape and maintain the school’s reputation and messaging across various platforms. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Global Marketing, this position leads a 3‑person team of strategic communications experts to manage public and media relations, faculty research communications, social media, and community management.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop overarching PR strategies aligned with school goals and brand positioning
• Identify key narratives and storytelling opportunities to enhance the school’s reputation
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with key journalists and media outlets
• Approve major media releases and pitches
• Oversee development and distribution of press materials
• Identify opportunities to showcase faculty expertise and research
• Develop and implement strategies to position the school as a thought leader in key areas
• Oversee initiatives to amplify faculty, staff, alumni and student voices on external platforms
• Provide strategic editorial oversight for Duke Fuqua Insights articles and podcasts
• Prepare talking points and briefing materials for high‑profile events and interviews
• Ghostwrite speeches, opinion pieces, and social content for school leadership
• Lead strategy across all owned channels to ensure each serves a distinct role in Fuqua’s strategic communications ecosystem
• Develop overarching social media strategy, identifying key platforms and setting strategic objectives
• Oversee the school’s blog program and social channels, ensuring authenticity and relevance
• Seek opportunities to repurpose and amplify content across channels to maximize impact
• Provide guidance on content themes and campaigns, and advise on the development of relevant influencer strategies and partnerships
• Lead development and creation of school messaging
• Develop communication plans to support organizational changes and initiatives
• Advise leadership on effective communication strategies for stakeholders
• Collaborate with the Associate Dean to align communication strategy with school objectives
• Lead and mentor Strategic Communication team (PR Manager, Faculty Research Communications Manager, Community Manager)
• Partner with the Director of Brand Marketing to align messaging and content development across earned and owned channels
• Serve on Global Marketing Leadership Team
• Leverage data to inform communications strategies and develop forward‑thinking approaches
• Steward relationships with school and faculty leadership
• Develop and maintain crisis communications plans
• Manage communications response during reputational issues or emergencies
• Develop protocols for handling potential crises or negative situations on social media and oversee response to sensitive issues or complaints

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in strategic communications, public relations or related field
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Demonstrated ability in developing and executing comprehensive PR and communication strategies
• Strong media relations skills and established network of media contacts
• Crisis communications experience
• Exceptional editorial capabilities
• Familiarity with SEO principles and their application in content strategy
• Proficiency in social media strategy and management
• Understanding and adherence to ethical guidelines in communication, especially in an academic setting

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in a relevant discipline
• Experience in one or more of these areas: higher education, management consulting, startups, corporate communications, non‑profit, agency, health care, financial services, technology, media
• Understanding of international communication and global markets
• Experience in executive communications and ghostwriting
• Proficiency in Brandwatch, Muck Rack, Drupal, SEMrush, Sprout, Google Data Studio

Key Performance Indicators

• Improvement in SEO, sentiment and reputation metrics
• Annual growth in engagement and follower base across platforms
• Increase in quantity and quality of relevant coverage
• Growth in active content contributors, ambassadors, and influencers among Fuqua’s key stakeholder groups

Essential Physical Job Functions

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and reasonable accommodation(s) can be requested with Duke Access and Accommodations Services (email: View email address on click.appcast.io; phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io).

Equal Opportunity Employer

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Pay and Benefits

Anticipated Pay Range: Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $78,161.00 to USD $156,319.00.

Your total compensation goes beyond the dollars on your paycheck. Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family‑friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at:

Contact and Additional Information

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.