Title: Director of Advancement Communications

Employee Classification: AP - Administrative Professional

Pay Grade: AP 06

Division: Advancement

Subdivision: VP Advancement

Department: EMU Foundation and Advancement

Campus Location: Main Campus

General Summary

The Director of Advancement Communications is a senior-level leader responsible for overseeing and executing a comprehensive communications and marketing strategy in support of the Eastern Michigan University Foundation's mission and goals. This role manages the EMU Foundation (EMUF) brand and communications platforms, enhances donor engagement, supports fundraising and alumni initiatives, and aligns advancement communications across all colleges and units. The Director will lead a data-informed strategy to ensure consistency, clarity, and impact in messaging to internal and external audiences, including alumni, donors, and campus partners.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Communications & Brand Oversight:

• Provide strategic oversight of EMUF?s brand identity, ensuring consistent messaging and visual representation across all advancement materials and platforms.
• Develop and manage content strategy and editorial calendars for advancement channels, including e-newsletters, social media, and the website.
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of core advancement assets, including boilerplate content used across EMUF and EMU communications.
• Ensure alignment of advancement messaging with university-wide brand and communication standards.

Digital Content Management:

• Lead content creation and management of EMUF?s website and digital platforms,nensuring timely, engaging, and donor-centric content.
• Oversee the advancement communications calendar and its integration with campus-wide communications.
• Develop and execute social media strategies to support fundraising, alumni engagement, and institutional visibility.

Fundraising Communication Support:

• Collaborate with development officers (DODs) to craft compelling fundraising proposals and donor correspondence.
• Write and edit high-impact stories that demonstrate the tangible outcomes of donor support.
• Support college-based advancement strategies with tailored alumni and donor communications.

Campus Communication Audit & Collaboration:

• Conduct a comprehensive audit of communications across campus to identify gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for alignment.
• Develop and implement a strategy to streamline advancement communication processes and provide centralized support to colleges and departments.

Strategy, Analytics & Reporting:

• Lead the development of an annual communication strategy informed by data and aligned with institutional advancement goals.
• Use analytics tools to assess communication performance, engagement, and ROI, providing regular reports to senior leadership.
• Recommend and implement improvements in communication bandwidth and resource allocation based on analysis and forecasting.

Liaison Responsibilities

• Serve as the alumni engagement team liaison to assigned campus partners.
• Partner with academic leadership and advancement colleagues to align alumni engagement opportunities with college-specific initiatives and goals.
• Support college-based programming, communications, and volunteer management to enhance alumni affinity and philanthropic support.

Minimum Qualifications:

EMU seeks a focused communication philanthropy professional with proven experience communicating with alumni, donors, and colleagues.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 7 years of experience. Prior experience within higher education is desirable.

The selected candidate will be collaborative with a can-do attitude.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a passion for communications, advancement work, an appreciation for higher education, and a strong commitment to the mission and values of Eastern Michigan University.

Writing samples will be requested during the interview process.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor?s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field.

Minimum of 7 years of progressive professional experience in strategic communications, higher education, or nonprofit advancement work, or related areas.

Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.

Demonstrated experience in managing multi-channel communications strategies.

Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities and deadlines.

Ability to manage a work schedule that includes occasional evenings, early mornings, and weekends.

Familiarity with content management systems, email marketing platforms such as GiveCampus, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.

Ability to work collaboratively across departments and manage cross-functional initiatives.

Demonstrated success in managing integrated communication strategies that support fundraising and engagement goals.

Strong understanding of digital marketing, web content management, and social media best practices.

Proficiency in data analysis tools and using metrics to inform strategy.

Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on implementation.

Personal competencies:

• Excellent relationship and trust-building skills.
• Highly credible with personal integrity.
• Proactive and highly responsive.
• Solution-oriented/Identifies new opportunities.
• Results and goal-oriented.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Confidence to take action and "run with things.

Additional Information:

Eastern Michigan University Foundation offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package including health, dental and life insurance; a retirement plan with a 4% employer contribution; an outstanding vacation and time off policy; a tuition waiver program and much more. This role requires limited local travel for advancement events and meetings. This position is hybrid with an office based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This position reports directly to the Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement.

Salary:
The salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000 annually.

Appointment Percentage:

100%

About Eastern Michigan University

Since its inception, Eastern Michigan, first as a Normal School, then as a College and finally as a University, has grown and developed to respond to the ever-changing needs of society. Over the years, EMU has educated thousands of sons and daughters of Michigan, the nation, and the world. The University currently serves 23,000 students who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 200 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. Eastern Michigan's exceptional faculty, students and alumni include CEOs from major businesses; a National Student Teacher of the Year, National Teacher of the Year, numerous Fulbright Scholars and Milken Family Foundation National Educators award winners; and several Michigan Teachers of the Year.

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