Director, Community Relations & Strategic Initiatives

SUMMARY The Director, Community Relations and Strategic Initiatives is a strategic leader within the Campus President’s Office, responsible for building and maintaining strong, meaningful partnerships with community stakeholders, strategically aligning community-based initiatives with institutional goals, and advancing the College’s presence and impact within the campus service area as assessed through defined metrics aligned with the College’s strategic plan. This role connects internal strategy with external execution, ensuring community partnerships, events, and initiatives that align with the College’s mission and vision. This position will have access to confidential information regarding potential partnerships, donors, grants, and other private engagements pertinent to the advancement of the college mission and will be expected to maintain a high level of confidentiality in day-to-day work. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Develops and leads a campus-specific community engagement and impact plan aligned with institutional priorities, which includes devising robust models for tracking and analyzing partnership quality and quantity that will inform decision making. Cultivates strategic relationships with leaders in business, government, education, and nonprofit sectors as a trusted leader of the college. Represents the Campus President in high-level engagements with public officials and executive leaders along with community events and on boards to advance institutional visibility and trust. Leads cross-functional initiatives that support the Campus President’s strategic priorities, ensuring alignment with division (e.g., Academic Affairs, Governmental Relations, Workforce, Foundation) and College-wide goals. Independently identifies, evaluates, and activates external opportunities (e.g., grants, pilots, community projects) that benefit students and stakeholders aligned with the college’s mission and strategic plan objectives. Facilitates partnerships between community entities and relevant campus personnel (e.g., student and faculty engagement in community-based initiatives, creating opportunities for service learning, civic engagement, and local impact). Leads campus participation in community coalitions, partnerships, and advisory councils that align with the College’s mission and promote equitable access to education and workforce development. Oversees the planning and execution of signature campus engagements, including listening tours, college-hosted community events, and strategic convenings. Produces strategic briefings, talking points, presentations, and post-event syntheses on behalf of the Campus President. Develops and distributes written communications, including newsletters and recognition correspondence (e.g., thank you, congratulatory notes). Actively monitors and reports on emerging trends, opportunities, and community needs impacting the campus and surrounding region. Builds and manages a comprehensive stakeholder database, tracking engagements, partnership outcomes, and follow-up actions to ensure strategic continuity and relationship stewardship. Advises the Campus President and leadership team on matters of community perception, reputation management, and public affairs strategy. Assesses and reports on the effectiveness of community engagement strategies, using key performance indicators, feedback mechanisms, and partner surveys to measure institutional impact. Manages and tracks budgets pertaining to strategic community focused initiatives. Promotes awareness of campus programming and resources within the community through targeted outreach efforts, collaborations, and communications. Performs other duties as assigned