What does a university relations director do?
University Relations Directors manage the company's partnership with schools. They are employed by companies with businesses that cater to universities, colleges, or other related academic institutions. They handle the group that works as account managers or act as account managers themselves. They are in charge of setting their department's targets. They also create strategies to meet their goals. University Relations Directors should have a wide network. They should know how to create professional relationships with clients, maintain clients, and ensure customer loyalty. University Relations Directors should be familiar with the current trends in the academe and their business field.
University relations director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real university relations director resumes:
- Draft all shareholder communications and 1993 annual report/Form 10-K; manage registrar/transfer agent activities and relationship with NASDAQ.
- Experience in managing stock splits, odd-lot buybacks, proxy fights, annual meetings, litigation settlements and securities offerings.
- Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
- Initiate and execute successful programs to encourage alumni attendance, involvement and donations.
- Maintain CRM database used for benefactor tracking, financial reporting and marketing-driven fundraising efforts.
- Establish automation and integration with CRM databases that enable accurate audience segmentation and time responses.
- Coordinate all public filings with the relevant securities commissions, and maintain compliance with continuous disclosure requirements.
- Design and maintain a social media network consisting of daily blogging and monitoring social activity on Facebook.
- Work with the NASDAQ market intelligence team to regularly analyze shareholder base and develop investor targets.
- Participate in NYSE Euronext U.S.-European strategic dialogue concerning international banking and financial systems.
- Monitor and record media placements electronically and with hard-copy press clips.
University relations director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of University Relations Directors are proficient in Marketing Campaigns, Project Management, and Investor Relations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of University Relations Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Marketing Campaigns, 25%
Initiate marketing campaigns and collaborate with marketing team for implementation.
- Project Management, 22%
Led project management for all temporary construction related to the event.
- Investor Relations, 7%
Headed Investor Relations department, developed and executed a comprehensive communication strategy for existing and potential investors in the capital market
- Investment Community, 4%
Developed and implemented an integrated strategic communications plan that enhanced the perception of the company by the investment community.
- Website Content, 3%
Developed and managed stewardship website content.
- Professional Development, 3%
Provide day-to-day guidance and periodic review of these individuals; help guide the professional development of these individuals; encourage teamwork.
"marketing campaigns," "project management," and "investor relations" are among the most common skills that university relations directors use at work. You can find even more university relations director responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a university relations director to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive cooperation from, their media contacts and donors." University relations directors often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "designed and implemented a comprehensive investor relations and financial marketing and communication strategy for a $1 billion data intelligence corporation. "
Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling university relations director duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "public relations and fundraising managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities." According to a university relations director resume, here's how university relations directors can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "supported executive leadership by managing the production of all investor relations presentation content & events. "
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for university relations directors to perform their duties. For an example of how university relations director responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a university relations director: "share organizational responsibility for strategic planning, staff deployment, and staff development. ".
Problem-solving skills. For certain university relations director responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a university relations director rely on this skill, as "managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what university relations directors do: "provided 'back-end' performance investor relations solutions for their publicly traded clientele. "
Speaking skills. A commonly-found skill in university relations director job descriptions, "speaking skills" is essential to what university relations directors do. University relations director responsibilities rely on this skill because "public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak on behalf of their organization." You can also see how university relations director duties rely on speaking skills in this resume example: "presented on behalf of the corporation to investor conferences, often served as sole company representative. "
Writing skills. Lastly, "writing skills" is an important element of what a university relations director does. University relations director responsibilities require this skill because "managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches." This resume example highlights how university relations director duties rely on this skill: "grant writing, fundraising, and budget management. "
The three companies that hire the most university relations directors are:
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Compare different university relations directors
University relations director vs. Vice president of communication
A vice president of communication is in charge of overseeing and implementing internal and external communication programs. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, allocating budgets, delegating tasks, liaising with key clients, and managing the workforce to ensure an efficient workflow. They may also produce progress reports for the president and other executives, prepare presentations, develop business plans, and devise strategies to optimize services and operations. Furthermore, as vice president, it is essential to implement the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between university relations directors and vice president of communication. For instance, university relations director responsibilities require skills such as "marketing campaigns," "media buying," "investor relations," and "investment community." Whereas a vice president of communication is skilled in "strategic communications," "press releases," "oversight," and "powerpoint." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, vice president of communications reach lower levels of education than university relations directors. Vice president of communications are 6.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.University relations director vs. Manager of corporate communications
A manager of corporate communications is primarily responsible for overseeing the external and internal communications in a company, ensuring everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for managing marketing communications and public relations, and even developing various marketing content. There are also instances where they must handle a company's social media platforms, review communication materials, and provide progress reports of different projects and programs. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage team members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, university relations director responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "media buying," "investment community," "professional development," and "investor presentations." Meanwhile, a manager of corporate communications has duties that require skills in areas such as "press releases," "strategic communications," "employee engagement," and "powerpoint." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, managers of corporate communications achieve similar levels of education than university relations directors. They're 4.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.University relations director vs. Director of public affairs
Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast. They create guidelines on the proper crafting of communication materials that will be published or broadcasted. They also lead the public affairs department in networking activities and industry events. Directors of Public Affairs must be level-headed, calm, and creative. They should know how to communicate with the public, handle crises, and create successful brands.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from university relations director resumes include skills like "marketing campaigns," "project management," "media buying," and "investor relations," whereas a director of public affairs is more likely to list skills in "government affairs," "public policy," "external stakeholders," and "policy issues. "
When it comes to education, directors of public affairs tend to earn similar degree levels compared to university relations directors. In fact, they're 1.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.University relations director vs. Communications/senior communications manager
A communications/senior communications manager specializes in handling and overseeing internal and external communications within a workplace, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Their responsibilities typically revolve around developing strategies for better workforce and public communications, crafting marketing materials such as press kits and newsletters, and coordinating with other departments to create new materials and opportunities for marketing. A communications/senior communications manager may also participate in managing social media operations and launching strategies for product launches and events. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of university relations director
Updated January 8, 2025
