Director of Communications, School of Social Welfare

Position Summary

The Director of Communications serves as the strategic communications leader for the School of Social Welfare, building the school's visibility, articulating its identity and connecting faculty research to broader audiences.

• Develop and maintain core messaging that articulates the school's identity, direction and value proposition - including differentiation from peer programs.
• Translate strategic plan priorities into accessible narratives for faculty, staff, students and alumni.
• Support internal change communications as the school evolves programs, structure and curriculum.
• Manage school's internal communications program, including digital signboards, announcements and regular updates to faculty and staff.
• Draft talking points, remarks and written materials for the dean and school leadership.
• Compile and produce regular strategic plan progress reports in partnership with school leadership.
• Develop messaging frameworks for faculty retreats and strategic planning sessions.
• Monitor school reputation across social media, earned media and internal channels; flag issues and opportunities.
• Attend and document events that advance strategic narratives about the school, including occasional evening and weekend work.

• Identify, pitch and develop SSW faculty research stories for institutional channels, including UC Berkeley News, social media and video.
• Partner with faculty and dean to define research theme clusters that connect SSW scholarship to institutional narrative priorities.
• Participate in Strategic Comms content planning meetings and coordination processes.
• Support institutional campaigns (e.g., Research with Results) with relevant SSW content.
• Manage media inquiries for SSW faculty expert requests.
• Ensure school materials align with institutional brand and messaging priorities.

• Maintain school web properties and content to advance institutional narrative to external audiences and provide accurate, relevant information to internal audiences.
• Maintain active social media presence across Linked In, Instagram and Facebook.
• Produce 2-4 electronic newsletters annually; coordinate occasional print communications for alumni and donors.
• Develop recruitment and yield materials in partnership with the Admissions, Advising and Student Experience team.
• Maintain the school's photo and video library.
• Create materials for national conferences, donor meetings and external presentations.
• Ensure consistent application of school and university brand standards across all channels.
• Serve as the school's Information Technology Accessibility Lead, ensuring digital communications meet campus accessibility requirements and best practices.

• Maintain currency with emerging communications trends and best practices, including monitoring peer schools of social work for approaches worth adopting.
• Coordinate with communicators in other schools and colleges with similar goals.

• Serve as primary liaison between SSW and Strategic Comms for communications support.
• Manage external vendors and contractors for projects requiring specialized expertise.
• Integrate Strategic Communications tools and systems into school communications workflows.

• Support school and Strategic Communications initiatives as needs arise.
• Contribute to cross‑functional projects that advance school or institutional priorities.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex information—research, policy, strategy—into clear narratives for diverse audiences.
• Strong writing and editing skills across formats: web, social media, newsletters, talking points, presentations.
• Ability to navigate and communicate complex issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, ability and other intersectional topics.
• Experience managing multiple projects and competing priorities with limited supervision.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous environments and adapting to evolving priorities.
• Proficiency with social media platforms and analytics (Linked In, Instagram,…