Executive Director of Executive and Internal Communications (5921U), Strategic Communications #88078

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation—driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and offer supportive colleague communities through numerous employee resource groups.

About the Department

UC Berkeley’s Office of Strategic Communications leads communications for the No. 1 public university in the world. We tell the Berkeley story to inspire audiences and elevate the distinct narrative of the university's contributions to California and the world. Our mission is to promote the University’s excellence in education, discovery, and public service. We provide leadership and services in five integrated functions: News and media relations, executive communications, internal communications, crisis communications, and marketing communications.

About the Role

The Executive Director of Executive and Internal Communications (Executive Director) serves as a communications advisor and speechwriter for the Chancellor of UC Berkeley. Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications, this position is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive executive communications strategy that advances the Chancellor's leadership, supports other Cabinet leaders as needed, strengthens Berkeley’s institutional narrative, and fosters trust with internal and external constituencies.

The Executive Director brings a sophisticated understanding of how language, leadership, and strategy intersect—crafting communications that are precise, authentic, and aligned with the Chancellor's voice and the university's mission across every level of executive engagement. This role also supervises and develops a small but growing team, including the Director of Executive Communications and the Director of Internal Communications, with additional direct reports anticipated as the function evolves. The Executive Director is a member of the Strategic Communications leadership team and plays a key part in building a cohesive and high-performing executive communications function.

In close partnership with the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications, the Executive Director provides strategic communications counsel and executes a broad portfolio of executive communications on behalf of the Chancellor. This includes primary responsibility for all speechwriting, remarks, talking points, op-eds, social media, and all forms of communications supporting leadership engagement. The role also manages media relations specific to the Chancellor and other key leaders, including triaging and responding to media requests, proactively developing Chancellor-centric visibility opportunities, and advising on reputational and communications dimensions of issues involving the Chancellor.

The Executive Director develops and maintains a forward-looking executive communications plan that anticipates key moments, manages the Chancellor's speaking and engagement calendar from a communications perspective, and ensures consistency and strategic coherence across all Chancellor-facing communications. This position applies breadth and depth of higher education knowledge to navigate the complex organizational, political, and reputational landscape of a major public research university and brings a contemporary understanding of how emerging technologies are reshaping executive communications.

The Executive Director also leads Berkeley’s internal communications function, developing and implementing a strategic approach to employee and campus community engagement that connects faculty and staff to the university’s mission, strategic priorities, and leadership vision. This role oversees Berkeley’s internal communications channels and editorial calendar, ensuring a regular and strategic cadence of communication that keeps the campus community informed, engaged, and connected to Berkeley’s broader institutional direction.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive executive communications plan for the Chancellor that anticipates key moments, aligns with institutional priorities, and ensures strategic coherence across all communications contexts.
• Support the Chancellor in the development of remarks, addresses, and presentations—serving as a skilled collaborator and writer who helps translate the Chancellor's ideas, priorities, and voice into compelling communications for a wide range of audiences and occasions.
• Draft talking points, op-eds, letters, messages to the campus community, video scripts, and other content that reflects the Chancellor's authentic voice and advances institutional priorities.
• Manage the Chancellor's speaking and engagement calendar from a communications perspective, assessing, prioritizing, and developing opportunities for executive visibility.
• Conduct research and interviews to inform content development, translating complex ideas and institutional priorities into clear, compelling language.
• Coordinate with the Office of the Chancellor, Strategic Communications, and other subject matter experts to ensure the Chancellor is well-prepared and well-positioned across all communications contexts.
• Apply emerging tools and technologies to the communications development process in ways that enhance outcomes.
• Proactively develop and pitch leadership visibility opportunities—including news stories, profiles, and thought leadership—that advance UC Berkeley's institutional priorities and reputation.
• Manage media relations on behalf of the Chancellor and other executives as needed for institutional-level topics, issues, and priorities where the Chancellor serves as the primary voice and representative of UC Berkeley.
• Triage and respond to media requests involving the Chancellor in coordination with the Media Relations office, senior leaders, and other subject matter experts, ensuring the Chancellor is well-prepared and strategically positioned on matters of institutional significance.
• Prepare the Chancellor for media engagements by developing comprehensive briefing materials, anticipated questions, and key messages that reflect the full institutional context of the topics at hand.
• Develop and maintain relationships with journalists and editors covering higher education, research, and issues of relevance to UC Berkeley and its mission.
• Work with the Strategic Communications Issues team to monitor the media landscape for emerging opportunities and threats that may require the Chancellor's engagement as the institution's principal spokesperson.
• Collaborate with the Chancellor’s social media team to ensure quality, engaging content that inspires and engages audiences.
• Provide ongoing counsel on the reputational and communications dimensions of emerging issues and pending decisions that are likely to require the Chancellor's direct engagement.
• Implement a strategic internal communications framework that connects faculty, staff, and students to the university's mission, priorities, and leadership vision—ensuring a regular and strategic cadence of communication that keeps the campus community informed and engaged.
• Develop proactive and responsive strategies that help the campus community navigate complex, sensitive, and high-stakes moments—from institutional change to national events that reverberate on campus.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to campus communicators across schools, colleges, and units—establishing best practices, developing shared frameworks and tools, and building a more coordinated approach to internal communications across the institution.
• Provide supervision for the Executive Communications and Internal Communications team members, ensuring work is aligned with the Office of Strategic Communications' priorities and supporting growth and development of the team.
• Directly supervise employees by assigning work, establishing priorities, monitoring performance, and ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality communications.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff by establishing performance expectations, providing ongoing feedback, conducting performance evaluations, and supporting professional growth in accordance with university policies.
• Foster collaboration across executive communications, internal communications, media relations, and other Strategic Communications functions to ensure coordinated planning, consistent messaging, and effective execution.
• Assess team resources and workload, identify improvements, and recommend organizational enhancements to support the continued evolution of the executive and internal communications function.

Requirements

• Executive Communications and Institutional Narrative:
  • Comprehensive knowledge of executive communications and speechwriting, with a demonstrated ability to develop and steward an authentic and consistent leadership voice across a wide range of audiences, occasions, and communications contexts.
  • Advanced written and verbal communications skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas and institutional priorities into clear, compelling, and audience-appropriate language under deadline pressure.
  • Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic internal communications programs that connect faculty, staff, and students to institutional mission, priorities, and leadership vision.
  • Advanced strategic communications planning skills, including the ability to develop and execute communications plans that anticipate key moments, align with institutional priorities, and ensure coherence across complex organizations—both internally and externally.
  • Familiarity with emerging tools and technologies and their application to communications, with a clear-eyed understanding of how to leverage these tools while preserving authentic leadership voice and institutional credibility.
• Strategic Counsel and Issues Management:
  • Strong strategic thinking and consulting skills, with the ability to anticipate the communications implications of decisions and developments and provide sound, actionable counsel to senior leaders.
  • Demonstrated experience managing high-stakes communications in complex, fast-moving environments, with a track record of navigating sensitive issues and reputational challenges with discretion, judgment, and strategic foresight.
  • Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, including the Chancellor and other members of the Cabinet, to develop and execute communications strategies that advance institutional priorities and protect and enhance the university's reputation.
• Leadership and Management:
  • Demonstrated leadership and management experience, with a track record of building, developing, and leading high-performing teams in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.
  • Ability to foster collaboration and alignment across functions and departments, building strong working relationships with colleagues at all levels of the organization.
  • Commitment to professional development and mentorship, with a focus on building a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing team.
• Higher Education and Institutional Context:
  • Deep understanding of the higher education landscape, including the unique opportunities, challenges, and dynamics of public research universities.
  • Familiarity with the organizational structure, governance, and culture of the University of California system, with a demonstrated ability to navigate complex institutional environments.
  • Knowledge of the key issues and trends shaping higher education, including the evolving role of universities in society, the changing media landscape, and the impact of emerging technologies on communications and public discourse.

First review date: August 24, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.