Job Description

Associate Director of Communications [JRP-06225]

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

The Rice School of Architecture is currently seeking to hire a strategic and creative Associate Director of Communications to lead the development and execution of communications and events that enhance the school’s mission, visibility, and impact. In this role, you will lead content strategy, implementation, and storytelling across web, social media, email, and print. You will manage and actively contribute to content creation and production, from writing and editing (image and text) to posting and publishing. In addition, you will coordinate the production of promotional materials, both printed and digital, that promote the school’s pedagogical and scholarly agenda; manage the school’s brand, ensuring consistency in messaging and visual identity across all platforms; collaborate with faculty, staff, and students on programming and outreach initiatives. You will also support executive messaging and strategic communications for the Dean. You will be the school’s primary media liaison and public relations contact, advancing its voice within the university and beyond. As a team lead for the school’s communications unit, you will also support the planning and promotion of school’s public events—including lectures, exhibitions, symposia, etc.—creating alignment between programs, events and their media presence, from planning and production to execution and archiving.

We seek exceptional candidates with relevant experience in architecture, culture, and the arts who can design and write beautifully and effectively translate communication strategy into well-crafted storytelling, both visually and textually. The ideal candidate is a forward-thinking and well-rounded communicator with a refined design sensibility and deep understanding of the architectural and cultural landscape, exceptional writing and editorial skills, and experience managing multifaceted communications efforts and creative teams.

The Rice School of Architecture is a uniquely sized and highly selective design program known for its exceptional student work, engaged faculty, and meaningful community connections. We welcome ambitious and driven candidates whose backgrounds and lived experiences will contribute to a richer understanding of architecture in a global context.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and execute marketing strategies and marketing plans / programs to meet departmental and/or organizational objectives.
• Lead the execution of communication and brand strategy for multiple programs incorporating appropriate channel.
• Recruit, manage, develop, and retain staff.
• Set budget, goals, and objectives in alignment with organizational goals.
• Oversee event management as needed to support marketing objectives.
• Manage vendor relationships.
• Oversee market research and analysis.
• Use the results to inform decisions regarding strategic marketing direction, product segmentation and customer targeting.
• Assess market opportunities and track market trends. Implement marketing improvements based on findings.
• Develop and implement comprehensive communications and marketing strategies that elevate the School of Architecture’s visibility, reputation, and impact.
• Define and maintain a consistent brand identity and messaging strategy across digital, print, and social media platforms.
• Create, write, and edit compelling content tailored to a range of audiences, including students, faculty, alumni, media, and the public.
• Oversee the school’s digital presence, including regular website updates and content strategy for social media and email campaigns.
• Manage the production of marketing and communications materials such as newsletters, event promotions, brochures, and branded collateral.
• Manage the communications and media archive, printed and digital, in alignment with the school’s standards and best archival practices.
• Plan and support strategic events that align with communications goals and reinforce the school’s mission and values.
• Advise school leadership and staff on communications strategy, leveraging data and insights to shape priorities and outreach efforts.
• Supervise communications staff and project-based collaborators, fostering a collaborative, creative, and high-performing team culture.
• Manage communications budgets and vendor relationships, including designers, writers, printers, and web developers.
• Lead the school’s crisis communications and media response efforts in close coordination with university communications.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners, including campus communications teams, peer institutions, and media contacts.
• Represent the School of Architecture in university-wide communications initiatives and contribute as a strategic communications leader.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• 4+ (four) years of professional experience in communications, programming, publishing, editing, public relations, or related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, art, design, art history, or related field
• Design experience with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign and Photoshop in particular).
• Strong photography, image- and video-editing skills.
• Excellent management skills and ability to manage multiple projects.
• Ability to craft inspiring messages for various platforms and audiences: academic and public; internal and external; alumni and friends, etc.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including storytelling and editorial skills that have the clarity, quality, and exactitude of expression.
• Understanding of narrative and visual modes of communication specific to architectural culture, including schools, firms, and other organizations.
• Attention to craft and detail.
• Experience with social media accounts and digital communication channels.
• Experience with management systems for web (e.g., Drupal, etc.), social media scheduling/analytics tools (e.g., Zoho, Sprout), and e-mail and CRM management tools and HTML builders (e.g. BBIS, Blackbaud, Mailchimp, Befree, etc.).
• Experience with digital asset management systems and archiving
• Knowledge of architecture, art, design, and other related fields, including their leading institutions (schools, museums, publishers, foundations, firms, etc.).
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple deadlines and production schedules.
• Ability to manage multiple programs, people, and projects—including vendors and freelancers—ensuring consistency and accuracy of the various communication channels and events
• Editorial, curatorial, and/or teaching experience is a plus
• Collaborative mindset and ability to thrive in a mission-driven, intellectually rich environment.

PREFERRED:

• Master’s degree with a demonstrated track record of success in multiple institutional settings
• Experience in architectural, professional, and/or cultural organizations, including academic and nonprofit settings
• Demonstrated ability to lead brand and communications strategy and manage complex, multi-platform campaigns
• Familiarity with architecture and design disciplines
• Experience managing production timelines for communications initiatives

Special Note to Applicants: When applying for this role, please submit your cover letter and resume in a PDF format.

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities.

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