Executive Communications Specialist

About the Role

The Executive Communications Professional serves as the principal writer and communications professional for the President of the University of Vermont, the state’s flagship public, land-grant research university. This role is responsible for crafting, refining, and stewarding the President’s voice across all platforms and audiences—ranging from major addresses and significant announcements to correspondence, digital presence, event materials, and institutional announcements and related messaging.

The specialist will prepare remarks, announcements, talking points, PowerPoint presentations, and other communications on behalf of senior leaders including the Provost and the Vice President for Finance and Administration. Additionally, this position supports communications for the university’s strategic plan, translating executive vision into compelling narratives that build institutional alignment and engagement.

As a key point of connection between UVM’s leadership and the broader university community, this role ensures that all communications attributed to the President and other senior leaders clearly and authentically reflect strategic priorities, institutional values, and UVM’s mission of education, research, and public service. The role also ensures consistency, alignment, and strategic coherence between executive messaging and university-wide communications.

This position reports to the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer and serves as part of the Strategic Communications central team, with a dotted line to the Chief of Staff and President’s Office operations.

Responsibilities

• Executive Voice Mastery: Demonstrates a sophisticated ability to internalize and authentically represent the President’s voice, tone, and rhetorical style across a wide range of formats and audiences.
• Strategic Communication: Thinks holistically and strategically about how presidential messages are received, what they signal to internal and external audiences, and how they advance UVM’s long-term institutional goals and public reputation.
• Discretion & Confidentiality: Exercises sound judgment and the highest level of discretion when handling sensitive, confidential, or privileged information, maintaining the trust and confidence of the President, the Office of the President, and executive leadership.
• Organizational Excellence: Manages complex workflows, competing deadlines, and multiple stakeholders with efficiency, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Institutional Alignment: Understands and actively advances UVM’s mission, values, strategic priorities, and brand in all executive communications.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Communications, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in executive communications, speechwriting, or senior editorial roles.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with strong attention to nuance, clarity, and accuracy; familiarity with AP style.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build productive relationships across diverse academic and administrative communities.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects under tight deadlines.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in English, Journalism, Communications, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education—particularly at a public or land-grant institution—or in government or similarly complex environments.
• Experience working in a high-profile, confidential executive office environment.
• Familiarity with the culture, history, mission, and values of the University of Vermont.
• Background in brand stewardship, institutional identity, or reputation management.

Pay

$68,000 to $75,000

Schedule

• Full-time (1.0 FTE, 37.5 hours per week).
• Hybrid schedule option available, in accordance with university telecommuting policy.
• Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required.

Other Information

• A probationary period may be required.
• Background check required for this position.
• FLSA exempt position.
• Non-union position.