Director of Content Development

Position Summary

The Director of Content Development exercises significant authority to develop and implement campus-wide strategic communications content in support of UNC-Chapel Hill’s brand strategy.  The Director serves as one of the lead contacts for communications professionals across the UNC campus and provides counsel to leaders in the various schools and units.  He/she has a masterful command of content creation as well as the ability to use holistic, integrated thinking to create, approve, and execute strategies for telling the University’s story across all University-owned, non-paid platforms. 

In this role, the Director will exercise independent authority as a content specialist and mentor to members of multiple content teams – writers, social media and web coordinators, and internal communications specialists – who create University-level content and digital media projects.  In addition, this position will approve and implement systems for project management, efficient workflows, and managing short, often variable deadlines and priorities.  The Director is responsible for exhibiting substantial authority to approve and implement strategy appropriately in supporting the goal of engaging key audiences with a dynamic presence and a unified, University-aligned focus.

Principal Functions

Develop and Implement Content Development (65%)

• Develop and implement compelling and significant content and storytelling strategies for distribution across all University-owned platforms that help the University achieve desired leadership positioning, particularly in the areas of student accessibility and affordability, research, and community relations.
• Direct communicators across campus on projects to determine when and where story content is published – unc.edu, CarolinaCommitment, UNCNews.edu, etc., and that the content is consistent with overall University positioning and messaging and aligned with University priorities and branding.
• Coordinate with other branches of University Communications (such as Media Relations, Executive Communications, etc.) to plan and publish content across all platforms.
• Independently direct cross-divisional teams to maintain site standards with regard to new development, consistency of brand and voice, and search engine optimization.
• Exercise final authority as a clearinghouse of editorial feedback from internal and external stakeholders across multiple departments to maintain appropriate alignment with University priorities.

• Plan, research, write, and package dynamic content for university publications and determine the best platform for distribution.  Closely collaborate with university-wide colleagues to amplify to ensure quality and alignment with University priorities and initiatives.
• Cultivate and establish collegial working relationships with local and regional media personnel, including reporters, and editors for print and broadcast outlets.
• In addition to directing content development, lead university-wide efforts to periodically redesign the unc.edu website in accordance with university guidelines and priorities.

Personnel Management (30%)

• Manage content teams – writers, social media coordinators, and web services professionals, – and assign content and deadlines for distribution.
• Direct the work of the Social Media and Digital Media teams on standards and projects, and to determine proper distribution to web pages using HTML, CSS, the University web content management system and various social media tools.
• Provide management, staff development, and career enrichment for the content teams, as well as any student or part-time employees.
• Effectively direct day-to-day operations of the content teams, including exercising independent oversight and approval of budgets, project timelines, and workflow.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

• Other duties as assigned by the Vice Chancellor for Communications and other senior-level administrators.

All applications must be submitted online at:  https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/118308