Director of Strategic Engagements and Grant Initiatives

Job Title:

Director of Strategic Engagements and Grant Initiatives

Location:

GHC - Floyd Campus

Regular/Temporary:
Regular

Full/Part Time:
Full-Time

Job

Georgia Highlands College is a multi-campus, state college member of the University System of Georgia. Founded in 1970 as Floyd Junior College, it now serves more than 6,000 students in Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama across its five locations in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, and Dallas. GHC currently offers over 30 areas of study with associate degree and bachelor's degree options both in the classroom and online.

We are a growing and progressive institution with opportunities for great employees to grow in a fast-paced and challenging work environment that encourages employee wellness and overall success. Our combined efforts at GHC have led to numerous awards, honors, and countless stories of success for students and employees. This includes our most recent honor of being recognized as one of the semifinalists for the 2023 and 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

This position will serve as a bridge between GHC's functions and its mission, working with the Georgia Highlands College Foundation and the Office of the President to ensure that existing events align with the college's mission as well as cultivating new partnerships that will open doors to additional resources. It also serves as a strategic integrator of presidential priorities, ensuring alignment between institutional initiatives, engagement efforts and the college's broader mission.

The Director focuses on advancing high-impact projects, strengthening institutional visibility through coordinated engagement strategies and supporting the President's Office through planning, analysis and executing of key initiatives. This position excludes administrative support and governmental relations functions.

Is responsible for understanding, supporting and carrying out the college's mission and new strategic plan and ensuring that our story is being told through functions, events and partnerships throughout the community

• Aligns institutional events, partnerships, and engagement opportunities with strategic priorities, ensuring consistency with the college's mission and goals
• Identifies and develops strategic partnership opportunities with community organizations, industry, and regional stakeholders to support institutional growth and visibility
• Develops frameworks and processes to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of events, initiatives, and partnerships
• Collaborates with the Director of Development and other divisions to support engagement strategies that contribute to resource development
• Leads the planning and execution of high-impact, cross-divisional initiatives originating from the President's Office
• Develops strategic content (e.g., briefing materials, summaries, institutional messaging) to support presidential priorities and initiatives
• Maintains oversight of institutional storytelling across events and initiatives to ensure alignment with strategic messaging
• Tracks progress on presidential priorities and provides updates, analysis, and recommendations to senior leadership

• Leads the planning, coordination, and execution of presidential and institutional signature events, including Commencement, President's Scholars Day, and other high-impact college functions
• Develops and maintains a comprehensive, strategic calendar of institutional events, aligning timing, audience, and purpose with institutional goals
• Serves as project manager for select high-priority initiatives on behalf of the President, ensuring alignment, accountability, and timely execution
• Coordinates cross-divisional efforts related to strategic initiatives, without assuming operational or administrative responsibilities of individual units
• Develops project plans, timelines, and deliverables for initiatives led by the President's Office
• Provides analysis and recommendations to inform decision-making related to institutional priorities and emerging opportunities
• Prepares executive-level materials, including summaries, reports, and presentations, in support of strategic initiatives

• Bachelor's degree in communications, business, education or related field from an accredited institution
• Minimum of 5 years progressive leadership experience and proven record of significant experience in cultivating community relationships
• Experience in creating strategic content including written material and social media engagement
• Familiarity with grant funding sources

$65,000 - $70,000 annually

• Strong written/oral communication skills
• Community ties and relationships which could lead to additional resources for the college
• Ability to engage with diverse stakeholders
• Experience with organizing events and meetings with targeted audiences
• Experience with strategic content development researching,…