Job Summary:
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health seeks an accomplished, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as Vice Dean for Strategic Communications. Reporting directly to the Dean of the Faculty and serving as a member of the School’s senior leadership team, the Vice Dean will serve as the School’s chief communications strategist and a trusted advisor to the Dean and senior leaders on institutional positioning, reputation, and public engagement.
They will be a thoughtful, values-driven leader who combines strategic vision with operational rigor; a calm and credible presence in moments of uncertainty; and a collaborative partner who respects academic culture while advancing clarity, relevance, and impact in service of public health. The Vice Dean will lead a talented, multidisciplinary communications team and provide school-wide leadership for communications strategy, standards, and priorities for advancing the Dean’s vision of a school of public health that meets the needs of the world today and into the future.
Working closely with faculty, researchers, students, and staff, the Vice Dean will articulate and steward a clear, compelling institutional narrative that reflects Harvard Chan’s leadership in research, education, and public purpose. The role partners closely with Harvard University’s central communications office (Harvard Public Affairs and Communications) to ensure alignment, coordination, and consistency across School- and University-wide communications efforts.
Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Strategic Communications Leadership
- Develop and implement a comprehensive, School-wide strategic communications plan aligned with the Dean’s vision, the School’s mission, and institutional priorities.
- Serve as the School’s chief communications strategist, with authority to set communications standards, frameworks, and priorities across platforms and audiences.
- Lead and mentor a high-performing, multidisciplinary communications team of 20 employees encompassing digital and social media, the School’s website, news and media relations, design, content creation and writing, and a multimedia studio; Serve as the direct manager to 7 staff
- Act as a principal advisor to the Dean and senior leadership on communications strategy, reputation management, and public positioning, particularly in moments of institutional opportunity or challenge.
- Establish and steward a clear institutional voice that reflects the School’s intellectual rigor, values, and global leadership in public health.
- Build capacity across the School for clear, thoughtful, and effective communication in complex, fast-moving, and sometimes polarized environments.
Integration and Innovation of Platforms
- Integrate, elevate, and continuously improve the School’s communications platforms to ensure coherence, accessibility, and strategic impact.
- Identify opportunities for innovation in format, storytelling, and audience engagement, including emerging digital and multimedia approaches.
- Build a connected communications ecosystem that links research, education, and engagement in mutually reinforcing ways.
- Leverage data, analytics, and audience insights to assess impact, refine strategy, and inform investment and prioritization across platforms.
External Visibility and Partnerships
- Collaborate with external communications partners and counterparts across academia, government, NGOs, foundations, and industry to extend the reach and impact of Harvard Chan’s work.
- Position faculty and institutional leaders as trusted, values-driven public voices in public health at national and global levels.
- Advance proactive media and public engagement strategies that elevate the School’s thought leadership and real-world influence.
Brand Stewardship
- Refine and steward the Harvard Chan brand within the broader Harvard University brand ecosystem, ensuring distinction, clarity, and alignment.
- Translate complex public health research and concepts into clear, accessible, and compelling narrative and visual content for varying audiences.
- Highlight research breakthroughs, educational innovation, and real-world solutions in ways that resonate broadly while maintaining scientific rigor and academic integrity.
Crisis Communications and Reputation Management
- Establish crisis communications frameworks and preparedness protocols in partnership with School and University leadership.
- Lead communications strategy during crises with authority, calm, sound judgment, and discretion.
- Anticipate, assess, and manage reputational risks to the School, advising senior leadership on mitigation and response.