Director of Issues Management & Crisis Communications

Southern Methodist University Inc; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement programs

Tuition benefits

Job summary

Southern Methodist University Inc in Dallas seeks a Director of Issues Management to lead issues preparedness, reputational risk monitoring, crisis communications planning, and coordinated response.

Working on‑campus, you will partner with Legal Affairs, SMU Police, Student Affairs, Risk Management, Academic Affairs, Human Resources and other units to develop protocols and guidance for effective crisis and issues response.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• Minimum seven years in strategic or crisis communications or related fields.
• Experience advising executive leaders during sensitive situations.
• Experience as a public information officer and in higher education or related sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead issues management and crisis communications program.
• Develop crisis protocols, escalation procedures, and templates.
• Coordinate with Legal Affairs, HR, Risk Management and campus partners.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership during high-profile matters.
• Lead tabletop exercises and after-action reviews to improve readiness.

Skills

Strategic communication

Crisis communications

Public relations

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Executive advisory

On-call responsiveness

Stakeholder coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Content management systems

Crisis management platforms

Wordpress

Veoci

ICS training

Job description

Southern Methodist University Inc in Dallas seeks a Director of Issues Management to lead issues preparedness, reputational risk monitoring, crisis communications planning, and coordinated response.

Working on‑campus, you will partner with Legal Affairs, SMU Police, Student Affairs, Risk Management, Academic Affairs, Human Resources and other units to develop protocols and guidance for effective crisis and issues response.