Director II, Public Information Officer

Position Summary

Located 45 minutes from the Nation’s Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has been twice named in the top 150 community colleges by the Aspen Institute with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is among America’s top 100 producers of Minority associate degrees in twenty categories, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student and community needs.

The hiring salary for this position will be from the min to mid-point of the salary range.

The Communications Director II/Public Information Officer is a dynamic and experienced communications professional responsible for overseeing a range of public relations functions within the college, with a focus on media relations, crisis communications, digital content management, leadership communications, and strategic planning. This role requires a thorough understanding of evolving public relations concepts, especially in the digital landscape, and the ability to think strategically about monitoring and managing the college’s public image and reputation.

The Communications Director II/Public Information Officer demonstrates a strong understanding of and commitment to the community college mission, embracing the institution's role in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality education to a diverse student body. This position actively supports the college's efforts to meet the educational needs of the community and contribute to the growth and success of all learners.

Reports to: Associate Vice President, Marketing, Admissions, and Recruitment and the College President for specific tasks.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

This position requires a strong team player who can collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and adapt quickly to new challenges. Key responsibilities include proactively generating media coverage and building relationships with media outlets, responding to crisis situations with clear and effective communication strategies, overseeing digital content and social media, managing the college’s online Newsroom, providing leadership in media production (CSM-TV), and coordination and collaboration with the college’s President to craft speeches, presentations, and a monthly newsletter that aligns with the college’s strategic goals.

As an expert in crisis communication, the successful candidate will also serve on the Emergency Management Operations Team and be available for emergency situations as needed. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in high-quality writing, media relations, digital communication platforms, and strategic communications.

Media Relations (25%)

• Proactively generates local and national media coverage and builds relationships with media representatives.
• Prepares media statements, press releases, and coordinates interviews.
• Responds to all press inquiries after appropriate approvals and in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
• Tracks media mentions of the college, analyzes the tone and content of the coverage, and addresses any misrepresentation or concerns promptly.
• Collaborates with senior leadership, mid-level managers, and students to provide coaching on media-related inquiries and to develop strategies and talking points that enhance the college’s reputation.
• Identifies experts at the college for interviews with the media on newsworthy topics, in response to media inquiries and proactive media pitches.

Presidential Communications (20%)

• Collaborates with the President to write speeches for a variety of events, including internal events (e.g., commencement) and external community engagements (e.g., keynote addresses, opening remarks). Develops presentations that accompany speeches.
• Writes a monthly newsletter from the President to the college community, highlighting the president’s community engagement and showcasing how college initiatives align with the strategic plan.

Crisis and Issue Management (15%)

• Develops and implements communication strategies during emerging issues or crises.
• Serves as PIO in the Incident Command Center and for weather-related emergencies.
• Anticipates and communicates emergency closures.
• Serves on the Emergency Management Operations Team to assist in the planning for emergency situations.

Digital Communications and Content Management (15%)

• Manages the college’s online newsroom and social media X account (Headlines).
• Supervises the media relations coordinator who supports the media relations function.
• Ensures the appropriate dissemination of information via these channels.
• Works closely with social media and advertising coordinator (Marketing) to monitor and respond to issues that arise on the college’s social media channels.

Media Production Oversight (15%)

• Oversees CSM-TV and video production operations, ensuring compliance with brand standards.
• Supervises the Station Manager to maintain effective media operations and promotion of the college.

Strategic Planning and Collaboration (10%)

• Serves on the Unified Communications Team to discuss college initiatives and address issues that require communications support.
• Works closely with Assistant Vice President of Government Relations to stay informed about governmental relations strategies and provide communications support, as needed.
• Identifies and develops strategic partnerships with Public Information Officers (PIOs) in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties to collaborate on crisis communication and response strategies.
• Collaborates across departments to ensure that all internal and external communications consistently reflect the same core message and support the strategic objectives of the college.
• Serves on college planning committees for major events.

Additional Duties:

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations or related field is required, master’s degree preferred.
• Five to seven years of experience working within a large organization in the capacity of public relations/public information, preferably in a higher education setting.
• Five years supervisory and budget management experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree
• APR in Public Relations

Minimum Qualifications and Standards Required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough understanding of PR concepts in a rapidly evolving digital PR landscape.
• Excellent oral and written communicator
• Ability to remain calm and professional under intense stress.
• Ability to be flexible and change direct
• Team player who can adapt to new situations quickly and mobilize others to do the same.
• Expert in crisis communication with thorough knowledge of Incident Command System and Risk Management practices
• Proven track record of producing professional, high-quality writing quickly, including research. Samples required.
• Ability to think strategically about public relations for the college.
• Experience with website content management systems
• Must always be available for emergency situations
• Technical competencies and general knowledge of digital platforms for professional use.

Work is performed in a relatively safe, and secure work environment.