Executive Communications Specialist

Position Summary

The Executive Communications Specialist will support and execute the university’s executive communications strategy, reporting to the director of internal communications and working in close collaboration with the offices of the chancellor, provost, and other senior vice chancellors. This role serves as a key connector between strategic storytelling and the execution of executive communications, producing content that reflects a consistent, compelling leadership voice aligned with university priorities.

Essential Functions

• Draft and edit speeches, remarks, talking points, correspondence, and written materials for university leadership with an aptitude for capturing institutional voice as well as individual expression and tone for various executives.
• Prepare briefing materials and background research for leadership engagements, ensuring accuracy and appropriate tone.
• Manage timelines, approvals, and logistics for executive communications projects from initiation through delivery.
• Maintain organized archives of leadership communications and related assets to ensure consistency and institutional continuity as well as a catalogue of topical responses to various inquires or other needs.
• Contribute to the planning and execution of communications across channels including social media, newsletters, media, and the newsroom as they relate to executive voice and storytelling.
• Monitor best practices in executive communications and proactively recommend innovative approaches.

External Messaging & Strategic Storytelling

• Support the development of public-facing content including statements, announcements, and earned media materials.
• Serve as a strategic storytelling contributor, helping connect executive communications to broader institutional narratives.
• Collaborate with media, editorial, design, and video teams to amplify leadership messaging in new and engaging ways.
• Build and maintain messaging toolkits and plans for strategic projects, ensuring consistency with campus partners and communicators.
• Monitor public sentiment and media coverage to inform and refine messaging strategies.
• Help ensure alignment and consistency of messaging across platforms and among university leaders.

Collaboration & Campus Partnership

• Build and maintain solid partnerships with campus stakeholders to facilitate strategic communications that meet DU goals and maintain consistency of brand voice and positioning.
• Aid in interpreting experience management (XM) data and audience feedback to inform leadership messaging and public communications.
• Support internal communications efforts alongside the manager of communications and issues management, ensuring audience coordination and message cohesion.
• Support leadership on crisis communication efforts as needed.
• Contribute ideas for new communications programs, researching and recommending innovative techniques.
• Lead and/or collaborate on special projects and initiatives as assigned; attend meetings and serve on campus committees as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Strong, versatile copywriting and editing skills, with the ability to adapt tone and style for executive voice.
• Ability to synthesize complex topics into clear, compelling, audience-appropriate messages.
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Familiarity with executive communications and public messaging best practices.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across matrixed teams.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and a self-motivated, proactive approach.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build collaborative relationships with internal and external constituents.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365, AI tools, and social media platforms.
• Working knowledge of compiling reports, building charts and graphs, and presenting content in compelling ways.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience (veterans with equivalent military certification/education and experience may substitute for the degree qualification).
• 2–3 years of experience executing communications across multiple channels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in executive, leadership, or institutional communications.
• Previous experience in higher education.
• Research writing experience.