Senior Director, Media & Internal Relations

About the role

Reporting to the Executive Director, Communications, the Senior Director, Media & Internal Relations is a key leader within Columbia Business School's Marketing and Communications team, responsible for executing strategic communications across faculty, centers, and divisions, and for managing the School's media relations and external positioning.

This role serves as the institutional liaison for communications partnerships, ensuring consistent service delivery, building productive relationships with internal stakeholders, and elevating CBS's presence in key media and business communities.

Responsibilities

• Institutional Communications Coordination: Serves as the primary institutional liaison for communications needs with faculty, centers, divisions, and student offices across Columbia Business School.
• Coordinates communications outreach to ensure consistent service delivery for faculty and internal partners.
• Educates stakeholders on communications processes, capabilities, and best practices, helping partners understand how to effectively engage with the communications team.
• Builds and maintains productive relationships with academic units, administrative offices, and research centers to strengthen collaboration and institutional alignment.
• Works in close partnership with the Executive Director, Communications to ensure that internal communications coordination supports institutional priorities and strategic objectives.
• Media Relations and External Positioning: Implements strategic media relations initiatives that elevate CBS's visibility and reinforce its position as a premier source of business thought leadership.
• Manages relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and industry influencers to secure high-impact coverage for CBS faculty, research, and institutional initiatives.
• Identifies and develops priority faculty voices for thought leadership positioning in alignment with institutional strategy; partners with content team on strategy and approach.
• Proactively packages faculty research and institutional initiatives for media visibility and external engagement.
• Executes media pitching, press activities, and external positioning initiatives to ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
• Manages external communications agency relationships, setting priorities, coordinating regular engagement, and ensuring vendor activity aligns with CBS strategy.
• Provides strategic direction for media relations and serves as senior contact for complex or sensitive media inquiries.
• Monitors media coverage and reputational trends, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Team Leadership and Collaboration: Supervises and mentors junior staff.
• Collaborates with colleagues across the Marketing and Communications team to ensure integrated planning and execution.
• Supports crisis communications planning and response as needed.
• Strategic Implementation and Stakeholder Engagement: Works in close partnership with the Executive Director, Communications and senior leadership to operationalize institutional priorities through coordinated media and stakeholder engagement.
• Identifies opportunities to strengthen CBS's external profile through strategic media engagement, thought leadership positioning, and proactive outreach.
• Represents the communications function in cross-School initiatives and serves as a trusted resource to internal partners on communications execution.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required. Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in public relations, media relations, communications, or related fields.

• Demonstrated success managing complex media relations programs and securing high-impact coverage.
• Proven ability to build and maintain productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coordinating across functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional judgment and discretion in managing sensitive communications matters.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred.
• Experience in higher education, mission-driven organizations, or similarly complex institutions.
• Experience managing external agency relationships and vendor partnerships.
• Background in business, financial, or academic communications.
• Experience serving as institutional liaison or relationship manager for communications functions.
• Familiarity with crisis communications planning and execution.
• Demonstrated ability to educate and support non-communications professionals in effectively engaging with communications teams.

Salary

The salary range for this position is $125,000 – $140,000. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.