University of California, Santa Cruz · 22 hours ago
Director of Community Engagement
Santa Cruz County, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$128K/yr - $152K/yrThe University of California, Santa Cruz is a unique public university known for its innovative spirit and beautiful campus. They are seeking a Director of Community Engagement to develop and expand strategies that enhance the School's reputation, engage key partnerships, and build philanthropic support. The role involves working with various stakeholders to foster connections and promote the school's initiatives and accomplishments.
ArtEducationUniversities
No H1B
Responsibilities
Supervises the Communication and Marketing team members to extend the reach of news and creative content, ensuring that all potential audiences are regularly engaged
Ensures that marketing content and strategic communication effectively engage all target audiences, including prospective students, alumni, parents, peer institutions, and community
Mentors the team to identify opportunities to connect BE experts and accomplishments to external news and developments
Raises visibility of faculty, divisional initiatives and priorities, research centers/institutes, and school-wide organizations, including student clubs and societies
Develops talking points, speeches, and run-of-shows for events for the Dean and other divisional leadership
Works with faculty and researchers to develop communication skills to engage with the general public, news organizations, and the popular press
Develops and fosters comprehensive alumni engagement programs, including identification, recognition, communications, and events
Working closely with the BE Philanthropic and Corporate Development team, identifies and cultivates future donors and volunteers to support development, student mentoring, and career networking programs. Measures and reports on progress
Proactively connects the dots between people, programs, and opportunities to give frontline fundraisers and corporate relations officers actionable information to advance their relationships toward new and larger gifts, and to build a development pipeline of future donors
Contributes to developing strategies for corporate support, fundraising events, milestone fundraising, and comprehensive campaigns
Through effective communications, builds pride, connection, and identity among BE alumni, strengthening their relationship with and support for the school
Through student outreach and celebratory undergraduate and graduate commencement activities, establishes strong bonds between future alumni and the school
Identifies and pursues key strategic relationships that advance the school's initiatives and priorities
Seeks opportunities to promote the school's people and programs in the community and targeted regions
Works closely with the Government and Community Relations (GCR) team in University Advancement to ensure that the School of Engineering is apprised of opportunities to leverage relationships with community leaders and local, state, and federal elected officials
Works closely with the school and campus communications and marketing teams to ensure the visibility of the school's academic success, initiatives, and the accomplishments of its faculty, students, and alumni
In partnership with the BE corporate relations team, supports efforts to further industry relations, including events and communications
Works closely with the Innovation and Business Engagement Hub in the Office of Research to develop and share opportunities for faculty and students
Serves as a liaison with the University's business and entrepreneurship programs, including student organizations
Works with other campus divisions, units (University Advancement, Career Services, Admissions, Commencement, etc.), and colleges to facilitate cross-collaborations
Contributes to undergraduate and graduate admissions recruitment efforts by hosting events and sharing relevant information about the accomplishments of alumni and faculty with prospective students
Identifies local, regional, and national opportunities for the Dean and faculty to advance the School's initiatives, raise awareness, and build its reputation and visibility
Participates in university task forces and initiatives, e.g., Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley outreach, etc
Prepares presentations and reports
Creates outcome-driven and audience-focused events that fully support the School's engagement, philanthropic, advocacy, and brand goals, and have clear outcomes that are measured and evaluated
Leverages dean and faculty travel to host regional events. Works with faculty to develop storytelling competencies and tools, including creating presentations that are compelling to both technical and lay audiences
Hosts events that build community within the School
Supervises event staff
Provide leadership and oversight for the planning and execution of the BE Commencement and BE PhD Hooding Ceremony
Attends campus-level planning meetings, identifies student and keynote speakers, and oversees day-of-event management
Develops run-of-shows for the Dean and other divisional leadership
Drafts keynote speeches for the Dean
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
Leadership experience with demonstrated ability to analyze complex problems and implement effective short- and long-term solutions
Strong knowledge of the campus, including its mission, vision, achievements, infrastructure, products and services
Thorough understanding of marketing trends and best practices in higher education and related industries
Proven ability to represent and coordinate strategic initiatives with senior leadership, external partners, and community stakeholders
Advanced strategic planning skills to set priorities, allocate resources, and achieve defined goals
Experience managing staff at all organizational levels, including hiring, training, performance evaluation, and corrective action when necessary
Strong interpersonal and political acumen to build relationships and navigate complex internal and external environments
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop strategic documents, speeches, and presentations for executive audiences
Strong skills in market research and data analysis to inform and evaluate engagement and communications strategy
Conflict resolution skills and a demonstrated ability to handle sensitive personnel or stakeholder interactions with professionalism
Proven track record in project execution, with the ability to meet goals within defined budgets and timelines
Knowledge of University policies and relevant state and federal laws regarding copyright and licensing
Preferred
Fundraising experience, particularly in donor engagement and campaign support
Familiarity with contract and appointment processes in a higher education environment
Experience working in a research-intensive STEM or professional school setting
Benefits
Full benefits
Company
University of California, Santa Cruz
UCSC opened in 1965 with 650 students. Forty-five years later, the campus is home to nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 1,500 graduate
Founded in 1965
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$19.6MKey Investors
U.S. Department of AgricultureNational Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)James S. McDonnell Foundation
2023-06-21Grant· $10M
2023-01-10Grant· $0.15M
2022-02-24Grant· $0.25M
Leadership Team
Benedict Paten
Professor
Marco Rolandi
Jack Baskin Endowed Chair in Engineering
Recent News
News-Medical.Net
2025-11-24
2025-11-08
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