Executive Director, External Relations

St. Jerome's University; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 118,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended health

Dental

Life insurance

Long term disability

Pension

Vacation

Tuition benefit

Travel medical coverage

Health Care Spending Account

Employee and Family Assistance Program

Job summary

St. Jerome’s University seeks an Executive Director, External Relations, to lead Marketing and Communications and Advancement with a mission-driven approach. The role collaborates closely with senior leaders and with the University of Waterloo teams.

The Executive Director will advance fundraising strategies, alumni engagement, and brand stewardship, while managing a small team and ensuring ethical fundraising practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in the liberal arts required; Masters preferred.
• 10+ years of directly related and progressively responsible professional experience.
• Experience in Marketing and Communications.
• Experience in Advancement.
• Experience working in a university environment an asset.
• 5+ years of experience managing and supervising a team.
• Equity, diversity, and inclusivity training and experience an asset.
• Adaptability and comfort operating in a rapidly evolving environment, including AI.

Responsibilities

• Speaks the language of mission and translates it in inclusive, accessible ways.
• Provides vision, strategy, and implementation across Marketing, Communications, and Advancement.
• Leads staff, budget management, and external partnerships with dioceses and foundations.
• Represents the University in external forums and development meetings.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in the liberal arts

Masters

Job description

Salary: $117,565.00 - $129,969.00 Annually

Application Deadline: Oct 4, 2026

Institutional Advancement

Benefits: Extended health, dental, life insurance, long term disability, pension, vacation, tuition benefit, travel medical coverage, Health Care Spending Account, Employee and Family Assistance Program

Work Location: On campus with opportunity for remote work days that consider the requirements of the position and St. Jerome’s flexible work policy

Start Date: December 2026 or January 2027

Jointly reporting to the President and Vice President Academic and Dean (VPAD), the Executive Director, External Relations is St. Jerome’s chief storyteller. Working closely with the University’s senior leaders and collaboratively with a small team, the Executive Director is a leader in providing vision, strategy, and implementation across the portfolios of Marketing and Communications and Advancement. The Executive Director has a key responsibility to speak the language of mission and to translate mission in inclusive and accessible ways that never lose sight of St. Jerome’s mission, vision, and values. They are a key liaison with University of Waterloo’s various marketing and communications teams and with the staff that are part of the Vice-President, Advancement & External Relations team at University of Waterloo.

About St. Jerome’s University

At St. Jerome’s University, we embrace and celebrate the philosophy of educating the whole person – intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Our commitment to academic excellence and to the integration of knowledge, research, and experiential learning allows us to inspire learning and discovery not only in our students but also in those with whom we interact. The University’s mission focuses on preparing leaders who are conscious of the diversity, complexity and richness of the human experience and are formed here to contribute thoughtfully, creatively and positively to the common good of society. We foster a respectful, inclusive community that is centered on the well‑being of our students, staff, and faculty, and the promotion of the common good, consistent with the ideals of the contemporary Roman Catholic Church.

How will you contribute as the Executive Director, External Relations?

Marketing and Communications

• Works with Manager, Outreach and Recruitment and VPAD on undergraduate strategic enrolment plan communications strategy in collaboration with University of Waterloo and support of St. Jerome’s academic departments
• Develops and executes strategy for recruitment into St. Jerome’s only graduate program the Master of Catholic Thought and leads marketing and communications needs for continuing education programs
• Develops, in partnership with event owners, communications components for all official St. Jerome’s events (e.g. Lectures in Catholic Experience, Feast of St. Jerome’s)
• Provides marketing and communications support for university wide initiatives such as the Pope Francis Institute, and may support departmental initiatives
• Strategically promotes faculty research and teaching activity to enhance St. Jerome’s reputation for academic excellence
• Manages all media relations including strategy for maintaining and enhancing reputation
• Provides oversight of website and all social media in collaboration with content providers across the institution
• Provides oversight of brand standards and leads process of brand refresh if/as needed
• Supports issues management and crisis communications as needed in consultation with senior leaders

Advancement

• Provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University’s advancement portfolio, including fundraising, alumni and donor engagement, stewardship, advancement communications, campaigns, and events ensuring all activities advance the University’s mission, priorities, and long-term sustainability
• Collaborates with the President to set fundraising priorities, including annual, major, and planned giving initiatives
• Leads strategy on major gifts, working to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects “pipeline,” including individuals, foundations, and corporate partners with support from Board and Ad hoc fundraising committees
• Develops key accountability metrics including a public facing annual report
• Leads fundraising relationships with the University of Waterloo and Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo
• Works with the President, VPAD, and Finance on oversight and management of donor-created funds including a complex portfolio of scholarships, awards, and bursaries
• Supports the development of programs/events that engage alumni as ambassadors, mentors, and supporters of the University
• Ensures best practices in fundraising and compliance with relevant policies, standards, and ethical fundraising practices

Other

• Provides leadership, direction, and support to a small team of communications and advancement staff, including facilitating annual goal setting, measuring and evaluating performance, and providing feedback
• Manages Marketing and Communications and Advancement budgets
• Builds and maintains strategic partnerships with ecclesial, educational, corporate, and philanthropic organizations (e.g. Diocese, WCCF, etc.)
• Represents the University in external forums, events, and development meetings
• Cultivates relationships with Catholic dioceses, school boards, parishes, and community organizations.

As a successful Executive Director, External Relations, you possess:

• Bachelor’s degree in the liberal arts required; Masters preferred
• 10+ years of directly related and progressively responsible professional experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Impeccable judgement and an intuitive ability to incorporate the University’s mission, vision, and values into work
• Strategic thinker with the ability to integrate multiple portfolios into a unified vision and execution plan
• Experience in Marketing and Communications
• Experience in Advancement
• Experience working in an organization in the Catholic sector strongly preferred
• Experience in a university environment an asset
• 5+ years of experience managing and supervising a team of professional staff, with preference for supervision of both individual contributors and managers
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work effectively with various stakeholdersDemonstrated ability to build collegial relationships
• Possess strong planning and organizational skills
• Experience with departmental budgeting
• Demonstrates diplomacy, tact, and confidentiality
• Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Equity, diversity, and inclusivity training and experience an asset
• Adaptability and comfort operating in a rapidly evolving environment, including the implications of emerging technologies such as AI

The Way We Work & Live

At St. Jerome’s, we embrace the Catholic philosophy of attending to the needs of our students as ‘whole people’ through education and formation, and this philosophy extends to the way we work with our employees. We strive to foster a culture where everyone feels welcome, supported, and can flourish.

St. Jerome’s University is a Catholic University that welcomes people from all religious, cultural and socio-demographic backgrounds who embrace our mission and the importance of equity, diversity, inclusion, reconciliation, and accessibility as central to the mission of a Catholic university.

We acknowledge, with respect, that St. Jerome's University and the University of Waterloo reside and operate on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our University is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land Frederick Haldimand granted to the Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations of the Grand River in 1784 that includes 10 kilometers on both sides of the Grand River and extends from its source to Lake Erie.

We give thanks for the privilege to work and live on this land, and we are committed to building respectful relationships with Indigenous people and communities, to enhance our knowledge, and learn how we can have an active role in reconciliation.

The University respects, appreciates, and encourages diversity. Applications from all qualified individuals are encouraged. Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process upon request through [e-mail]. This posting is advertising an existing vacancy. Candidates will be assessed based on their qualifications and without the use of artificial intelligence.