Director, Advancement Communications and Events

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Job Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, Advancement Communications and Experiences, the Director, Advancement Communications and Events provides leadership for Advancement's communications and events functions. Working closely with the Associate Vice-Principal (Strategic Engagement) and the Executive Director, the Director operationalizes advancement-wide strategies, leading their implementation through integrated plans, compelling content, communications, and experiences that advance Queen’s philanthropic, alumni engagement, campaign, and institutional priorities.

The Director establishes priorities, standards, processes, and resource plans to ensure coordinated, high-quality delivery and meaningful engagement experiences for alumni, donors, prospective donors, volunteers, and other key audiences. Working collaboratively with teams across Advancement, including Marketing & Publications, Digital Engagement, Donor Experience, Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving, Development, and Campaign, as well as faculties, schools, and other university partners, the Director ensures communications and events are audience-informed, aligned with institutional priorities, and contribute to broader Advancement objectives and constituent engagement and philanthropic journeys. The Director provides expert communications counsel, anticipates opportunities and risks, and ensures communications and events uphold Queen's standards, reputation, and commitment to excellence.

This position requires occasional travel within and outside of Canada and requires the incumbent to occasionally work evenings and weekends.

Job Description

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Works closely with the Executive Director to develop and operationalize Advancement-wide communications and experience strategies, translating strategic priorities into annual and multi-year communications and events plans, priorities, objectives, and measures of success.
· Develops, implements, and evaluates integrated communications strategies and plans in support of Advancement priorities, including fundraising and campaign priorities, alumni engagement, donor relationships, volunteer engagement, and other institutional objectives.
· Executes Advancement’s content strategy by developing through lines, standards, plans, and priorities to create compelling communications, stories, event briefs, and other content that engage key audiences and advance philanthropic and institutional objectives.
· Leads Advancement’s events function, establishing event strategies, priorities, standards, and approaches and overseeing the planning and delivery of signature, complex, and institutionally significant Advancement events and experiences. Determines where centralized events expertise and resources are best deployed based on strategic importance, complexity, scale, and audience needs.
· Establishes effective approaches for communications and events planning, intake, prioritization, and resource allocation, balancing Advancement and university priorities, strategic impact, timelines, audience needs, and available capacity while ensuring high-quality and timely execution.
· Provides expert communications counsel to Advancement leaders and colleagues on strategic, sensitive, complex, and high-profile matters; anticipates and manages communications issues and reputational risks; and develops appropriate strategies, messaging, briefing materials, and responses in coordination with partners as required.
· Works closely with Advancement Marketing and Publications and Digital Engagement to coordinate across channels, ensuring content and storytelling are effectively adapted, distributed, amplified, and optimized across audiences and channels.
· Partners with Development, Campaign, Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving, Donor Experience, faculties and schools, and other university partners to understand their objectives and audiences and translate them into effective communications, editorial, and event approaches, while maintaining clear professional standards, roles, and accountabilities.
· Establishes and monitors measures of communications, content, publication, and event effectiveness and uses audience insights, performance data, feedback, environmental trends, and emerging practices to improve approaches, inform resource decisions, and identify opportunities for innovation.
· Plans and manages Communications and Events budgets and resources and oversees relationships with vendors and external partners, ensuring resources are deployed effectively and work is delivered to appropriate professional, institutional, and university standards.
· Gathers information, coordinates, and prepares internal and external communications, briefing notes, research profiles, activity reports, and accountability reports.
· Develops and maintains an in-depth knowledge of the university’s activities, priorities and needs in both teaching and research. Applies this knowledge to inform communications and event strategies and identify opportunities to advance institutional objectives.
· Measures and analyzes initiatives to assess effectiveness, inform future direction, and provide leadership with clear insights into progress and outcomes. Conducts periodic competitive audits and performs ongoing environmental monitoring to identify emerging trends, opportunities, and practices relevant to portfolios.
· Gathers and leverages market data to inform communications and event approaches and strategies; develops, executes, and communicates plans for communications and events that support engagement and measurable behavioural outcomes. Works with partners to establish and measure programming goals informed by best practices and emerging trends. Stays abreast of new and emerging technology, current affairs, as well as communications, marketing and events trends in both traditional and non-traditional platforms to ensure communications and events remains relevant and effective. Develops standards, processes, systems, and best practices for programming development, execution, and evaluation/tracking, and establishes workflows for Communications & Events work.
· Builds, develops, and leads an outstanding high-performing team of Advancement professionals, fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and engaging work environment that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
· Plans, prioritizes and manages the work of employees, providing strategic and tactical advice, guidance and coaching.
· Identifies the need for staff resources, participates on staffing committees, and makes effective recommendations regarding employee selection.
· Manages performance by establishing performance standards, reviewing and evaluating performance and conducting formal performance reviews and talent reviews on an ongoing basis.
· Assesses staff training and development needs and ensures that employees receive training required to improve and sustain successful performance.
· Investigates, addresses, and resolves employee/labour relations issues, including disciplinary matters.
· Acts as an ambassador of Queen’s University representing the university and the Office of Advancement on committees and to internal and external audiences, ensuring understanding and adoption of Advancement policies and procedures.
· Acts as a back-up during the Executive Director’s absence, providing leadership and representing Communications & Events within the university community.
· Undertakes other duties as assigned in support of the unit and/or department.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

· University degree.
· Minimum seven years of progressive experience and a demonstrated track record of success within a multi-constituent environment, with a focus on strategic communications and events, preferably in a university setting.
· Demonstrated experience working collaboratively to develop and implement integrated communications strategies that align organizational priorities, audiences, messaging, and content across multiple channels and initiatives.
· Clear understanding of and strict adherence to ethical fundraising standards and supporting legislation.
· Proven track record in strategy development and implementation, project planning, budget and revenue forecasting, program analysis, and meeting objectives.
· Demonstrated ability to define and communicate strategy and tie portfolio activity and planning back to overarching goals and the “big picture”.
· Proven leadership, management, and relationship building experience, with a demonstrated ability to promote inclusion in the workplace and effectively organize, motivate, and direct professional staff and colleagues to achieve objectives; and work effectively with senior leadership.
· Demonstrated success using diverse communications platforms including print, web, social media, video, and other forms of digital communications, and writing and editing to deadlines (including stories, cases for support, newsletters, key messages, Q’s and A’s, and communications plans).
· A valid G-Class driver’s license and passport with no travel restrictions is required.
· Satisfactory Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check required.
· Knowledge of the Canadian philanthropic and university environment, including the challenges faced by both.
· Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

· Stand behind/live Advancement’s core values of Integrity, inclusivity, accountability, collaboration, and service.
· Ability to effectively work across multiple departments and portfolios within the university.
· An innovative and strategic thinker able to draw on substantial experience to provide clear, focused leadership and advice to achieve organizational priorities.
· Excellent business insight, political and cultural awareness, and influencing skills, with the ability to strategically place communications and events objectives in a larger organizational context.
· Persuasive and creative communication and presentation skills that allow success both within the campus environment and in the field. Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communications skills.
· Recognize diversity of abilities and adapt content, tone, medium, and style to audience to be inclusive. Ability to assimilate information quickly and accurately.
· Strong analytical, research skills, and the ability to think about institutional information in an interdisciplinary way to improve and integrate communications and events initiatives to target audiences.
· Ability to research, develop, and write innovative strategies, tools, and approaches that enhance alumni and donor engagement effectiveness. Proven ability to identify and implement operational, process, and system improvements that strengthen program performance and service delivery.
· Strict attention to detail and exceptional accuracy. Proven ability to make difficult and complex decisions with good judgment and with acute sensitivity for the implications of errors for the University and the Office of Advancement with respect to reputation and relationship building.
· Strong organizational, problem solving, and project management skills. Ability to initiate and coordinate multiple, simultaneous cross-functional initiatives, while consistently delivering high-quality actionable solutions according to required timelines.
· Ability to embrace change to effectively translate objectives into strategic alumni engagement solutions.

DECISION-MAKING:

· In collaboration with the Executive Director, determines content for annual and long-term plans and strategies based on sound fundraising and alumni engagement principles and effectively communicates Queen’s value proposition to inspire deeper engagement and philanthropy. Oversees implementation and monitors progress against established targets, ensuring opportunities to generate philanthropic revenue for Queen’s are maximized.
· Assesses issues/priorities and provides expert guidance to senior administrators and other staff on strategic and operational issues.
· Determines how to protect, harmonize, and enhance the Office of Advancement and university’s reputation and image in all alumni and donor activities.
· Recognizes opportunities to collaborate with constituents and leverage messages and objectives across different formats and platforms, to enhance branding and communications consistency across Advancement.
· Determines and implements necessary strategies to measure and benchmark the effectiveness of initiatives.
· Determines appropriate communications methods, tone, and content of information that makes it accessible and understandable to the intended audience.
· Determines optimum strategic use of university leadership, including the Chancellor, Principal, Vice-Principal (Advancement), and/or top university volunteers in fundraising and engagement strategies.
· Recognizes when to involve Advancement staff, leadership, and/or senior administration in new initiatives or on issues that require decisions, or to make decisions and take independent action.
· Makes budget and staffing decisions related to Advancement Communications & Events.
· Monitors and evaluates progress and impact on assigned work of unit staff, assists in problem-solving, and determines necessary adjustments to maximize effectiveness and timely completion of tasks.
· Evaluates job candidates and makes effective recommendations on suitable hires.
· Decides and/or makes effective recommendations regarding transfers and promotions.
· Evaluates employee performance and decides on appropriate training or coaching to address lack of proficiency in carrying out responsibilities, or remedial action for staff disciplinary situations.
· Assesses investigation outcomes of grievances and makes effective recommendations on appropriate course of action or next steps on grievances.
· Makes effective recommendations on level of discipline up to discharge and probationary termination.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized persons, Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to those who are legally eligible to work in Canada.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to all applicants who require accommodation due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including those with disabilities. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to contact Human Resources at [email protected].