Director of Communications Educating Character Initiative Program for Leadership and Character

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Job Description Summary

The Director of Communications provides essential communication digital media and creative support for the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) a grantfunded project working to catalyze a movement in character education at colleges and universities across the U.S. In the last 18 months the ECI has built a community of character among over 1400 individuals and 600 organizations / institutions; awarded over $17 million in grants to our partners; hosted educational and communitybuilding webinars conferences convenings and other events; and become a major team in its unit the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University and a significant presence in character education around the world. This position is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive communications and marketing strategy to successfully share the Initiatives work with external audiences craft compelling stories about the impact of our work contribute to the design and dissemination of characterrelated resources and reports and attract participants to join ECI convenings attend conferences and apply for grants. This position requires significant interaction and communication with many constituencies including faculty staff administration students alumni donors and partners at Wake Forest and other institutions as well as excellent written and verbal communications skills the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and stakeholders and the interpersonal and organizational skills to collaborate with the Director of the Educating Character Initiative and the Senior Scholar of Character on a variety of projects. The Director may also support other communications activities of the Initiative and the Program for Leadership and Character on an asneeded basis. This is a grantfunded position supported by a multiyear grantfrom Lilly Endowment Inc. that will be considered for funding beyond the initial term.

Wake Forest University is a private coeducational institution dedicated to academic excellence in liberal arts graduate and professional education. Located in WinstonSalem NC (The City of Arts and Innovation) the University has a deep institutional commitment to public service and engagement with the world as indicated by the motto Pro Humanitate (for humanity) which encourages students to develop the qualities of human character needed to serve humanity. With the aim to educate the whole person the University has established an innovative Program for Leadership and Character that plans creative programming and courses to help students develop the character needed to lead inclusively in an increasingly complex world. The Program is based on cuttingedge academic research on leadership and character including research conducted by Wake Forest faculty in various fields who are leading experts on the study of character. For more on the Program see

Over the last few years the Program for Leadership and Character has received major grants and gifts to develop leaders of character at Wake Forest and support other colleges and universities who seek to promote leadership and character on their campuses. Grants of $43 million from the Lilly Endowment Inc. are now supporting a significant expansion of work to external partner institutions through its Educating Character Initiative aimed at empowering and equipping other colleges and universities to educate character in their contexts. These efforts include support for major conferences and convenings on character; characterrelated resources that faculty and staff can use to design and deliver courses and programming; and communitybuilding and capacitybuilding grants to facilitate this work at other institutions. Details about the Educating Character Initiative are available here: submit 1 a cover letter explaining your communications experience and your fit with the Educating Character Initiative; 2 a rsum or curriculum vitae; 3 a portfolio of 35 pieces of relevant communications work (stories articles newsletters videos posters reports etc.; and 4 three professional references (at least one of whom must be a current or former supervisor).

The deadline for priority consideration is May 19 2025. This position is eligible for remote work. The position will remain open until filled.

Job Description

Essential Functions:

• Develops a strategic vision for communication and marketing to advance the work of the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) and communicate its reach impact and opportunities to a variety of audiences and stakeholders.
• Crafts compelling stories and profiles about faculty staff students and events that convey the value of character and character programming the impact and reach of the ECI and the importance of research scholarship and creativity activity related to character in higher education.
• Creates content (e.g. social media posts emails videos reports etc. to share the work of the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) in ways that align with the mission content and style of Wake Forest and the Program for Leadership and Character (PLC).
• Drafts copy for all forms of communication including communication related to Educating Character Initiative grants events partnerships and requests for proposals.
• Writes designs and delivers newsletters articles and social media profiles and communications that share compelling stories of impact and opportunity.
• Manages and updates ECI websites and web platforms.
• Communicates to internal and external audiences about all grant activities including Requests for Proposals (RFPs) awards impact and scholarship.
• Assists with ECI and PLC conferences and event planning evaluation and communication.
• Develops sustains and expands a strong digital media presence to advertise events communicate impact and highlight achievements.
• Assists with writing annual reports to the University and funding agencies.
• Collaborates with the University Marketing and Communications office including Design Writing Video Digital News & Media Relations and Events on news and announcements that may require coordinated messaging appeal to a wider University audience and/ or draw external media interest.
• Collaborates with ECI staff to host online activities and events including Advisory Board meetings monthly online workshops and summer programming.
• Coordinates with outside consultants contractors and partners for writing graphic design video production and communications strategy as needed.
• Supports other Communications activities for the Program on an asneeded basis.
• Position may grow to include supervision of other members of the ECI team.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education Knowledge Skills Abilities:

• Bachelors degree with five or more years of related experience.
• Exceptional ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; strong command of grammar diction and English usage in professional communications including accuracy in proofreading composing correspondence editing and typing.
• The ability to think creatively communicate strategically and expand a range of relevant audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to be a selfstarter with a strong work ethic who takes initiative works with minimal supervision and completes tasks without prompting.
• Capacity to lead the messaging for a complex evolving missiondriven initiative. This includes understanding the mission tracking core conceptual language tailoring messaging for discrete context and being out ahead in framing what is next.
• Excellent organizational and timemanagement skills; ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work professionally courteously and effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community including students faculty staff and administrators.
• High degree of professionalism integrity and dependability.
• Commitment to supporting the intellectual and ethical development of students faculty and staff and the capacity of partner institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information and records in accordance with state and federal laws and professional ethics; ability to manage and distribute information appropriately.
• Ability to represent the Educating Character Initiative the Program for Leadership and Character and Wake Forest University in a professional manner and in alignment with the mission and vision of the Program and University.
• Openness to feedback and a commitment to personal and professional growth.
• Proficiency with technology and computers including demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office (Word Excel and PowerPoint) and the ability to learn website management and other relevant software.

Preferred Education Knowledge Skills Abilities:

• Experience in higher education.
• Experience with graphic design.
• Experience with digital storytelling.
• Experience with large and small scale onsite and remote conferences and programming.

Accountabilities:

• Reports to the Director of the Education Character Initiative and the Senior Scholar of Character Educating Character Initiative Program for Leadership and Character. Receives feedback and support from the Director of Communications Program for Leadership and Character.
• Supports ECI grants education operations scholars and research teams with communication needs.
• Responsible for own work.
• Communicating with internal and external stakeholders in a manner that reflects the mission and vision of the Educating Character Initiative the Program for Leadership and Character and Wake Forest University.

Physical Requirements:

• Sedentary work primarily involves sitting/standing; communicating with others to exchange information; repeating motions that may include the wrists hands and/or fingers; and assessing the accuracy neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned.

Environmental Conditions:

• No environmental conditions

Additional Job Description

Time Type Requirement

Full time

Note to Applicant:

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other jobrelated instructions and perform jobrelated duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.

In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates to apply without regard to race color religion national origin sex age sexual orientation gender identity and expression genetic information disability and military or veteran status.

Accommodations for Applicants

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