Director, Communications

The Center for Public Leadership (CPL) brings together esteemed faculty, distinguished leaders in practice, inspiring students, and skilled staff to advance principled and effective public leadership. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director, Communications will contribute to the overall leadership of the Center. They will play a key role on the Center’s senior leadership team in setting CPL’s institutional priorities and overseeing their implementation, fostering a culture, structure, and resourcing to advance the success of the Center, and advancing operational excellence across the organization. 

The Director, Communications at the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) oversees the development and operationalization of the Center’s communications and marketing strategies, effectively promoting CPL’s scholarship, students, and programs. The Director plays a leading role as content strategist and marketer, helping identify and reach key stakeholders and audiences within the Harvard community (such as current students and alumni) and in the public sphere (such as leading scholars and public leaders across the government, business, and non-profit sectors). The Director is responsible for the development, production, and dissemination of digital and print content and collateral that grows CPL’s reach, promotes CPL programming, and elevates CPL scholarship. 

The successful candidate will bring a proactive and strategic mind, along with a commitment to our mission and strong team culture. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute proactive data-driven communication and marketing strategies that effectively highlight CPL’s scholarship, expand access to public leadership curricular material, and enhance the CPL brand.
• Identify CPL’s key audiences and develop targeted strategies to effectively engage them, incorporating metrics to assess and enhance the Center’s impact and outreach efforts.
• With the Faculty Director and Executive Director, develop CPL’s voice and key messaging points, conducting audience testing and revising over time.
• Help identify and prioritize new audiences, outlets, and other opportunities for delivering CPL-related communications.
• Oversee the production of all CPL-branded materials, including newsletters, social media, and digital and print materials, ensuring they accurately reflect CPL’s work and mission and effectively market CPL’s events, research, fellowships, and programs.
• Develop robust online and print content for CPL resident affiliated faculty and faculty-led programs. Advise faculty programs on effective leveraging of communications tools to identify and reach target audiences.
• Support CPL’s donor engagement efforts through creation of compelling stewardship materials that spotlight CPL’s people and programs.
• Manage CPL’s website and website content, ensuring it effectively reaches CPL’s key stakeholders.
• Serve as the operational liaison between CPL and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs (OCPA) to ensure CPL strategy and best practices align with school priorities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets and journalists to enhance CPL’s visibility, proactively pitching stories and promoting the work of CPL faculty, students, alumni, and initiatives to secure media coverage and amplify the Center’s impact.
• Manage the process of producing CPL-branded items and swag, ensuring compliance with school and university trademark guidelines.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, including managing to budget.
• Directly manage staff, providing leadership, support, and guidance.
• Performs other responsibilities and serves in additional capacities as needed.
• Some work on nights and weekends required.

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