Assistant Director, Communications, Arts & Sciences

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America's leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Occupational Summary

The Director of Digital Strategy serves as the strategic and operational lead for the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences digital communications ecosystem, including its websites, social media platforms, and internal communications channels. This position is responsible for both determining and implementing an integrated digital communications strategy that advances Trinity's academic mission, supports recruitment and reputation goals, strengthens faculty visibility, and enhances engagement among internal and external audiences.

Working closely with the Editorial Director, this position sets strategic direction and directly participates in content planning, digital production, platform optimization and execution of high-priority initiatives. A core responsibility is overseeing the collection, analysis and application of digital performance data across web, social and email channels to inform decisions, improve user experience, and increase impact. The director supervises the Digital Communications Strategist, Social Media Specialist, and student team members.

The Director works collaboratively across Trinity's nearly 40 academic departments and administrative units to align digital platforms with institutional priorities. Through strong relationship-building, consultation, and governance, this role ensures Trinity's digital presence is cohesive, mission-driven and responsive to evolving needs.

Work Performed

Integrated Digital Strategy (35%)

• Develop, implement and continuously refine a comprehensive digital communications strategy that integrates website, social media and internal communications efforts.
• Work closely with the Editorial Director to translate Trinity's academic priorities and leadership's goals into actionable digital initiatives and campaigns providing a robust array of written and multimedia content.
• Identify emerging digital trends, tools and technologies and assess their relevance to Trinity's goals.
• Establish measurable goals and performance benchmarks for digital engagement.
• Participate directly in executing high-priority digital initiatives, including content development, campaign planning and platform optimization in coordinating with the Editorial Director and content producers.
• In partnership with the Editorial Director, triage and prioritize incoming digital communications requests to ensure alignment with college-wide goals.
• Supervise student workers employed by the Office of Communications as they undertake work related to web content and editing, social media and other duties as assigned.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, department leaders, and staff across Trinity.

Website Strategy, Development and Governance (25%)

• Oversee the strategy, structure, governance and user experience of Trinity's web properties.
• Partner with departments to assess and strengthen their digital presence in alignment with departmental and college-level communications and recruitment objectives.
• Develop and enforce best practices for web content, accessibility, SEO, analytics tracking and brand consistency.
• Deploy a data-driven approach to building and editing webpages and digital packages for feature stories, announcements, academic programs and strategic initiatives.
• Curate and manage homepage and featured content to reflect Trinity's priorities and current initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Office of Information Technology and campus partners to implement enhancements and new web technologies.

Social Media Strategy (15%)

• Develop and oversee Trinity's comprehensive social media strategy across the college's platforms.
• Guide content planning and campaign development that highlight faculty expertise, student achievement and institutional milestones.
• Provide direction to the Social Media Specialist on the production, editing and publication of content.
• Identify opportunities to expand audience reach and strengthen brand voice consistency.

Internal Communications Leadership (15%)

• Lead the strategy, editing, and distribution of internal digital communications, including faculty and staff newsletters, leadership messages, RFP announcements, and other mass communications.
• Partner with dean and Trinity's senior leadership to shape messaging that is clear, timely, and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Maintain and manage an editorial calendar for recurring and strategic communications.
• Analyze email performance metrics (open rates, click-through rates, audience segmentation) and refine messaging to improve engagement.
• Directly draft and edit high-visibility communications as needed.

Data Analytics & Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive analytics framework across web, email, and social media platforms in collaboration with the Digital Communications Strategist.
• Use data insights to inform content planning, audience targeting and digital investment priorities.
• Promote a culture of data-informed communications across the team and departmental partners.

Other Duties as Assigned

Required Qualifications

Education:
Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Marketing, or a related field required.

Experience:

At least five years of experience in communications, public relations, marketing, sales and promotions or a related field in order to acquire skills necessary to administer communications and publications activities. Experience working in higher education is preferred.

Skills Required:

• Significant experience developing and executing digital communications strategies across platforms including web, social media and email.
• Demonstrated expertise managing websites (Drupal or comparable CMS), social media platforms and email marketing systems.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using digital performance metrics to inform strategy.
• Experience using project management tools to track projects from idea to completion.
• Exceptional writing, editing and content development skills.
• Experience supervising staff and managing cross-functional projects.
• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships within