Carnegie Director of Communications

Job Details

The American Council on Education (ACE) is the major coordinating body for the nation's colleges and universities. ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practices. With a diverse base of member institutions, ACE represents nearly 1,700 college and university presidents and executives, serving as the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions. ACE's mission includes serving 280 minority serving institutions, 25,000 higher education professionals, and 7.7 million students enrolled in colleges and universities. ACE membership extends to all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and 21 other countries.

The Director of Communications works with the Carnegie Classifications team, as well as the larger ACE leadership and communications team, to increase the visibility and understanding of the Carnegie Classifications. This position will lead communications for both the universal Carnegie Classifications (Basic Classification, Social and Economic Mobility Classification, and research designations) and the Carnegie Elective Classifications (Community Engagement, Leadership for Public Purpose, etc.). This position reports to the Executive Director of the Carnegie Classifications and will coordinate and consult with the marketing, communications, and public affairs teams as appropriate. This position will create an overall strategic communications plan, lead the planning of all major Carnegie Classification announcements, plan and execute on a regular editorial calendar, connect with media, write press releases and roll out announcements, and produce a variety of external and internal documents. This includes written documents, slides, graphics/visuals, and other materials as needed.

All applicants must demonstrate strong written and verbal communications skills, with an ability to learn and effectively communicate about the Carnegie Classifications. They must be able to create strong and compelling messages about the classifications and be comfortable analyzing and working with data. They must have basic digital media skills, particularly with PowerPoint and graphics, in order to create and edit visual materials. Additionally, they should have experience leading rollouts and understand the planning and development that needs to occur.

Applicants should enjoy working on a team but be independently motivated to plan and produce content. This position will oversee and direct much of the Carnegie Classification’s communications activity, but as a member of a collaborative and nimble team, they will also be responsible for drafting products, overseeing production, and liaising with the internal marketing, communications, and public affairs teams for distribution. They will also be responsible for handling everyday tasks.

Essential Job Duties or Tasks:

• Learn and understand the Carnegie Classifications, including through self-guided learning and independent data analysis.
• Generate ideas and strategies that can support improving greater awareness, understanding, and engagement with the Carnegie Classifications.
• Plan, produce, and oversee the development of high-quality written and digital content for Carnegie Classification communications, including writing and creating blog posts, press releases, articles, newsletters, website content, social media posts, PowerPoints, graphics, and other external-facing communications.
• Support the development of presentation materials for conferences, meetings, and regular stakeholder engagement.
• Draft and finalize content for ACE and Carnegie Classification leadership and team members as well as from other surrogates as needed.
• Analyze analytics and feedback to continuously improve and develop or refine communications strategies.
• Coordinate with the broader ACE public affairs, marketing, and communications teams to edit, design, and release content for media, social media, newsletters, and websites.
• Collaborate with the Carnegie Foundation to ensure coordinated messaging efforts.
• Follow ACE’s style and branding.
• Manage and perform everyday tasks as necessary.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Excellent and compelling verbal and written communication skills.
• 5+ years of communications or marketing experience.
• Willingness to learn about the Carnegie Classifications and engage with data.
• Knowledge and interest in higher education issues.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, particularly with PowerPoint; familiarity with Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud is a plus.
• Ability to effectively and professionally interact with a wide range of people, including media and higher education leadership.
• Excellent collaboration and teamwork skills, including across a hybrid or remote environment.
• Project management skills, including goal setting, time management, follow-up, and prioritization.

Education/Experience/Specialized Knowledge and Competency Requirements:

• At least 5 years working in communications, with a preference for experience with higher education communications.
• Experience working with associations and higher education organizations.
• Experience working with external stakeholders, including media.

Working Conditions/Physical Effort:

Hybrid environment, with approximately 2 days/week in-person in Washington, D.C. Some travel (<10%/year) may be required.

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• Resume/CV highlighting relevant experience.
• Writing Sample: Provide a writing sample that demonstrates your ability to communicate a complex message to a diverse audience.
• Media Sample (Optional): Include a sample of any media-related work (e.g., articles with embedded multimedia, social media posts with engaging visuals).

We require the selected candidate to live within a 100-mile radius of our building, located at One Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC 20036.

The American Council on Education is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, matriculation, familial status, genetic information, source of income, place of residence or business, status as a victim of an intra-family offense, credit information, protected veteran status, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking.