Department    Office of the Provost
Criminal Background Check    Standard Background Check, Financial Background Check
Motor Vehicle Background Check    Yes
Job Category    Administrative or Professional Faculty
Job Type    Full-Time
Location    Fairfax, VA
Salary    Commensurate with education and experience.

George Mason University is the largest public research university in Virginia and a Carnegie research-one (R1) institution. Ranked by the U.S. News & World Report as one of the most innovative and most diverse national universities, Mason enrolls just under 38,000 students from all 50 states and 135 countries, has over 5,000 academic and administrative staff, operates under an annual budget over $1 billion. 

Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President provides leadership and guidance to support the academic and research missions for George Mason University. The various colleges, schools and institutes rely on this office for programmatic support, policy expertise, and administrative services. In addition, the Provost’s Office plays a crucial and high-profile role for all key stakeholders of the university, including the Board of Visitors. 

The Office of the Provost seeks a highly capable and experienced Director for Communication to oversee, plan and execute change management strategies for university initiatives, programs and administrative services. 

Responsibilities:

The Director for Communication in the Office of the Provost will lead the development and execution of strategies and related deliverables that support large-scale changes and university initiatives. The director will be responsible for providing strategic guidance to academic administrative units, leadership and initiative delivery teams, and reports directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President. 

To be effective in this role, the director will need strong execution focus along with the confidence to interact with senior executives, ability to collaborate across the organization and serve as a trusted advisor. Comfort navigating ambiguity and uncertainty, organized thinking and communication skills, and a willingness to engage in both strategic design and tactical implementation are also critical to success in this position.

Duties:

• Work with senior academic leadership to establish Office of the Provost communications strategy and execution standards for the Office of the Provost in alignment and partnership with University Strategic Communications, as well as creating a process to ensure ongoing compliance;
• Build communications strategies (annual communications plan) to affect change, highlight initiatives, programs and administrative services for faculty, students, Board of Visitors, legislative stakeholders, potential academic partners and clients, as well as other external audiences
• Create/plan events and write speaking points for the provost and senior administrative staff to highlight strategic priorities through speaking engagements, town hall meetings, etc.
• Oversee Office of the Provost digital communications, publications and websites provide a cohesive, on-brand message to internal and external audiences, including working with website developers, or posting regular social media updates and engaging on social media channels.
• Manage blogs and newsletters, including creating an editorial calendar, writing articles and working with freelancers to create content.
• Create and implement an effective change management plan for key initiatives, in conjunction with academic and administrative units, that aligns with organizational strategy and complements the work of Strategic Communications.
• Partner with Strategic Communications to respond to media inquiries and develop/maintain communications collateral kits for Office of the Provost leadership to highlight programs and activities at Mason.
• Collaborate with and mentor communications staff across the administrative units in the Office of the Provost, establishing and evaluating performance expectations for direct reports and guides professional development activities.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• 5+ years communication and change management experience;
• Superior ability to influence and collaborate with senior management and work with teams across all levels of an organization;
• A professional presence with polished and well-developed facilitation, written, web and oral communication skills, demonstrating creative problem-solving and technical expertise;
• Experience managing concurrent, multi-faceted projects and people with tight deadlines and limited resources;
• Proven ability to recognize and solve problems, leveraging distributed resources to address Office of the Provost challenges; and
• Experience in a higher education setting is preferred.

Special Instructions to Applicants    

For full consideration, applicants must apply to position FA08Gz at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and a list of three professional references with contact information.

George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top U.S. News and World Report “Up and Coming” spot for national universities and is recognized for its global appeal and excellence in higher education. 

Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason’s diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create. 

If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu/! 

George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition.

Equity Statement    

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

Campus Safety Information    

Mason’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at http://police.gmu.edu/annual-security-report/