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Posting Detail Information

Working TitleAssociate Director for Communications

Position LocationFort Collins, CO

Work LocationPosition is fully in-office/in-person

Research Professional PositionNo

Posting Number202501578AP

Position TypeAdmin Professional/ Research Professional

Classification TitleProf/Indiv Contrib III

Number of Vacancies

Work Hours/Week40

Proposed Annual Salary Range$75,000 - 80,000

Employee Benefits

Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

+ Review our detailed benefits information here. (https://hr.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/01/benefits-summary-afap.pdf)

+ Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.

+ For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator (https://hr.colostate.edu/total-compensation-calculator/) .

+ Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in (https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-community/) !

Desired Start Date

Position End Date (if temporary)

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on11/10/2025

Description of Work Unit

Division of Enrollment and Access

The Division of Enrollment and Access includes the Office of Admissions, Office of Financial Aid, Registrar, Orientation, Transition and Family Programs and The Hub for Student Services totaling approximately 160 staff. The Division was formed in 2006 and has built a campus reputation for producing outstanding results, from the enrollment and onboarding of new students and re-enrollment of and transition support for continuing students to customer service for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. In addition, the Division is an integral campus partner in student success initiatives, helping to achieve the retention and graduation goals of CSU . The Division of Enrollment and Access is committed to excellence and setting the standard in meeting the undergraduate access, enrollment and degree completion goals of Colorado State University.

Orientation, Transition, and Family Programs includes three offices:

+ Parent and Family Programs ( PFP )engages parents and family members of Colorado State University ( CSU ) students in the life of the University to foster student success, personal involvement, and financial support.

+ Orientation and Transition Programs ( OTP ) creates dynamic, student-centered experiences to inspire purposeful transitions and provides programming and services designed to assist first-year, second year, and transfer students with a successful transition at Colorado State University. Programs within OTP include orientation, welcome week, new student seminars, and transition programming.

+ Fostering Success Program ( FSP )is a donor-funded community of students from independent backgrounds that include foster care, kinship care, orphan, ward of court, unaccompanied homeless youth, emancipated minor, and other similar types of independent status. FSP engages over 300 students and provides academic, financial, personal, and career support while also building a sense of belonging and support to foster growth and success in college and beyond.

Position Summary

As a member of Orientation, Transition, and Family Programs, the Associate Director for Communications specializes in content development, marketing, and project management of communication campaigns for students and families in collaboration with partner offices. This position requires creative and systems thinking to generate ideas and solutions to enhance communication, and the ability to work independently as well as within cross-functional teams.

The Associate Director for Communications reports directly to the Executive Director of Orientation, Transition, and Family Programs and serves as a member of the department leadership team. The work hours for this position are primarily Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with occasional evening and weekend work with events and programs.

Required Job Qualifications

+ Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field with a minimum of four years of full-time experience in communications field

+ Demonstrated writing and editing skills in digital and print platforms (articles, media stories, news releases, and/or web content)

+ Demonstrated working knowledge of industry software including Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) and website content management (Elementor, WordPress, etc.)

+ Demonstrated success managing and communicating large volumes of information to various audiences through various platforms

Preferred Job Qualifications

+ Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field

+ Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications campaigns

+ Demonstrated experience with project management

+ Demonstrated experience building and maintaining collaborative relationships with strategic campus partners

+ Demonstrated experience moderating and managing social media channels

+ Ability to analyze policies, programs, and initiatives to make recommendations for improvement

+ Demonstrated experience with public relations and issues management

+ Professional experience in a higher education setting

+ Experience managing or supervising student staff or interns

Essential Duties

Job Duty CategoryProject Management

Duty/Responsibility

+ Manage project calendars within a project management system including regular meetings with department staff and campus partners, ensuring project scope is defined, setting timelines, and confirming completion of projects

+ Provide regular updates and share information on project statuses and ensure projects are on schedule with department staff and campus partners

+ Collaborate on the new student and family onboarding communication plan with Admissions, Housing and Dining Services, and Academic Advising; share content with department staff and campus partners

+ Maintain and execute an annual calendar of content for parent/family engagement including timely topics, campus partner contributions, Parent and Family Programs content,CampusESPcontributions, etc.

+ Monitor media channels for information relevant to the department to identify potential issues to address; communicate with department leadership to strategize solutions; collaborate with University Marketing and Communication on appropriate responses

+ Create and maintain a social media strategy with the staff in PFP , OTP , and FSP ; annually evaluate opportunities, content contributors, guidelines for engagement, and need

+ Evaluate and ensure language translation and accessibility for OTFP content on websites, emails, and publications

+ Delegate projects to student staff and ensure completion of projects

+ Identify and execute opportunities to share PFP , OTP , and FSP stories and mission with campus partners and stakeholders (e.g. submit aSource (https://source.colostate.edu/) article, share infographics with campus partners, highlight student leaders, highlight campus collaborations in support of student success, etc.)

+ Represent OTFP on campus-wide communication committees; share updates and needs with OTFP leadership

Percentage Of Time40

Job Duty CategoryContent Development

Duty/Responsibility

+ Plan, write and edit promotional, technical, and informational content for PFP , OTP , and FSP websites, email, social media, and publications (print and digital)

+ Create and update OTFP content for the new student and family onboarding communication plan

+ Create and update OTFP content for parent/family engagement using the Parent and Family Programs website, CSU Parent and Family Facebook Group, and CSU Family Connection (CampusESP portal)

+ Review and edit OTFP websites and communications for timeliness, brevity, clarity, accuracy, and accessibility for end-user

+ Assist office leadership in developing content in response to student and family complex customer service issues and critical concerns

+ Engage students and families at campus events, tabling, and programs as a representative of the department

Percentage Of Time40

Job Duty CategoryStudent Supervision

Duty/Responsibility

+ Recruit, hire, and supervise 1-2 student staff

+ Support training and development of student staff

+ Develop work plans with students each semester

+ Conduct weekly check-ins with students

Percentage Of Time20

Application Details

Special Instructions to Applicants

For full consideration, application materials must be submitted by Monday, November 10, 2025 at 11:59pm MT. Please apply with a cover letter addressing the required and preferred qualifications, resume, and 3 professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates. If you have questions, please contact Cameron Smistek,[email protected].

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.

Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Conditions of EmploymentPre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)

Search ContactCameron Smistek, [email protected]

EEO

Colorado State University ( CSU ) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Background Check Policy Statement

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

References Requested

References Requested

Minimum Requested3

Maximum Requested3

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

+ * Do you have a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field with a minimum of four years of full-time experience in communications field?

+ Yes

+ No

+ * Do you have demonstrated writing and editing skills in digital and print platforms (articles, media stories, news releases, and/or web content)?

+ Yes

+ No

+ * Do you have demonstrated working knowledge of industry software including Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) and website content management (Elementor, WordPress, etc.)?

+ Yes

+ No

+ * Do you have demonstrated success managing and communicating large volumes of information to various audiences through various platforms?

+ Yes

+ No

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

+ Cover Letter

+ Resume

Optional Documents