Director, Community Relations & Strategic Initiatives

Department: Campus President - W

Location: Western Campus

Reports To: President, Western Campus

Recruitment Type: External/Internal

Requisition ID: req6703

Employment Type: Administration and Professionals

Union Position: Non-Union

Work Schedule: Standard College Hours: M-F, 8:30am-5pm) with some late evening or weekend work possible.

Number of Openings: 1

Job Description:

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
  
  

Required Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE/TRAINING

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Significant related experience may substitute for education.
• Minimum of six years of experience with community relationships in the Northeast Ohio area
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and represent executive leadership in public settings.
  
  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, And ABILITIES

• Possess working knowledge of community relations concepts, practices, and procedures, with the ability to apply them in a community college setting and varying situations.
• Ability to travel within the region (Northeast Ohio).
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to prioritize/handle multiple tasks and work with deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, political acumen, and professional discretion.
• Ability to work collaboratively across divisions and with external partners.
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to develop and sustain productive relationships.
• Experience analyzing and responding to community, political, and educational trends.
• Ability to independently set goals and determine the best course of action to achieve desired results.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability to confidentially and discreetly handle subject matters requiring privacy and sensitivity.
• Ability to collaborate, persuade, resolve conflicts, and gain cooperation and acceptance of ideas on significant projects.
• Sensitivity to appropriately respond to the needs of students and the community.
  
  

COMPETENCIES

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES

• Communication
• Adaptability
• Quality of Work
  
  

VERY IMPORTANT COMPETENCIES

• Service Focus
• Time Utilization
  
  

IMPORTANT COMPETENCIES

• Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE/TRAINING

• Master’s degree in communication, public relations, or related field.
• Experience with CRM specific software (e.g., Salesforce)
  
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS

(The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• The work is performed in a normal, professional office environment.
• The work area is adequately lit, heated and ventilated.
• Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the duties of the job and will perform repetitive motions with hands/fingers using a computer mouse and keyboard to type. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, or carrying light items such as papers, files, pamphlets, books, etc.
• Work may also require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the worksite.
• The work involves significant regional travel (within Northeast Ohio), as well as participation in evening and weekend events and meetings
  
  

Target Starting Salary Range: $75,000 to $80,000 

The final offer for the successful candidate is targeted to fall within this range but will be based upon an assessment of internal equity, the unit’s available budget, and the candidate’s qualifications in relation to the minimum and/or preferred job requirement(s). 

Special Note: If hired, you must reside in the state of Ohio and be within commuting distance of this work location/campus to respond to onsite work demands upon the employment start date and throughout the duration of your employment with the College, as outlined in 3354:1-40-01.1 Recruitment and Selection Procedure .

Special Instructions to Applicants: During the application process, you may be required to attach a cover letter and/or resume. It is recommended that you have these documents ready to be attached electronically to the online application. This system accepts only MS Word or PDF attachments. Any employment with the College is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check and drug screen.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Cuyahoga Community College is committed to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a qualified workforce. Cuyahoga Community College is an equal employment/educational opportunity institution.