Director of Operations, Communications and Marketing

Lafayette College; College Hill (PA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lafayette College in College Hill, Pennsylvania is seeking a Director of Operations, Communications and Marketing to lead the division’s systems, processes, and planning. The role oversees intake, project management, reporting, and production calendars, aligning work with institutional priorities and quality standards.

Reporting to the leadership team and collaborating with campus partners, you will manage budgets, vendor contracts, and editorial planning while coordinating crisis response and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Seven or more years of progressive project management experience, preferably in communications, marketing, or higher education.
• Demonstrated experience assessing and improving intake, workflow, and project management processes for creative or communications teams.
• Experience managing budgets, vendor contracts, and agency relationships.
• Experience leading production or editorial planning, including calendars and regular production meetings.
• A strong appreciation for high-quality creative and editorial work.
• Proficiency with project management platforms; Smartsheet experience preferred.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively with senior leaders.
• Experience in a college or university setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead division operations and ensure systems, processes, and planning connect strategic and creative work.
• Manage intake, project management, and reporting to keep the division responsive and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Oversee production planning, calendars, and editorial workflows across teams including web and digital.
• Flag risks early and maintain project schedules from start to finish.
• Coordinate crisis and rapid response workflows and distribution as needed.
• Uphold division brand, editorial, and creative standards throughout the production process.
• Manage operating budget, forecasting, tracking, and reporting, and administer vendor contracts.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Vendor relations

Editorial planning

Organizational skills

Communication

University experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Smartsheet

Job description

Director of Operations, Communications and Marketing

The Director of Operations is a member of the Communications and Marketing division’s leadership team. The director is responsible for the systems, processes, and planning that connect the division’s strategic and creative work. The director assesses how work moves through the division today, then builds or rebuilds the intake, project management, and reporting systems that keep the division responsive, organized, and focused on institutional priorities. Working closely with the Vice President, the director leads production planning, anticipates upcoming needs, and ensures that work reflects the College’s standards for quality. The director also represents the division to campus partners and serves as a key operational leader as the division evolves.

Key responsibilities

Leadership

• Serve as a member of the division’s leadership team, contributing to planning, priorities, and decision-making
• Represent the Vice President in meetings with campus offices as delegated
• Partner with the Vice President on division-wide initiatives and organizational development

Intake and workflow

• Assess the division’s current intake process and build on or redesign it, including scoping conversations with campus partners before work begins
• Set and communicate realistic timelines, formats, and deliverables for each request
• Prioritize and route work to the strategic and creative teams, including web and digital, based on institutional priorities and team capacity
• Close the loop with requesters and ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for campus partners

Project management and production

• Assess the division’s project management systems, currently Smartsheet, and build on or redesign them to support consistent use across teams
• Lead regular production meetings to track active work, resolve bottlenecks, and anticipate upcoming needs
• Build and maintain the division’s editorial and production calendars in coordination with strategic and creative leads
• Flag risks early and keep projects on schedule from start to finish

Crisis and rapid response operations

• Support the Executive Director for Strategic Communications in crisis and rapid response situations by managing workflow, approvals, timelines, and distribution
• Maintain the division’s crisis protocols, contact lists, approval chains, and message distribution procedures, and help coordinate response logistics across the division

Standards and quality

• Understand and uphold the division’s brand, editorial, and creative standards throughout the production process
• Work with the Creative Director, the Director of Web and Digital Experience, and strategic leads to ensure work meets expectations for quality before it is delivered

Budget and vendor management

• Manage the division’s operating budget, including forecasting, tracking, and reporting
• Administer agency and vendor contracts, statements of work, and invoicing, in partnership with the division leaders who direct each vendor’s work
• Ensure vendor work is coordinated with in-house teams and delivered on scope and on budget

Reporting and measurement

• Develop regular reporting on workload, turnaround times, project outcomes, and budget to inform staffing and investment decisions
• Identify process improvements and document standards and workflows for the division

Partnership and service

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for campus partners on project requests
• Build strong working relationships with offices across the College, including Advancement, Enrollment Management, and Athletics

Future team development

• Assess the division’s operational needs and help define future operations roles, such as a project coordinator or traffic manager

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Seven or more years of progressive project management experience, preferably in communications, marketing, or higher education
• Demonstrated experience assessing and improving intake, workflow, and project management processes for creative or communications teams
• Experience managing budgets, vendor contracts, and agency relationships
• Experience leading production or editorial planning, including calendars and regular production meetings
• A strong appreciation for high-quality creative and editorial work
• Proficiency with project management platforms; Smartsheet experience preferred
• Excellent organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively with senior leaders
• Experience in a college or university setting preferred

Lafayette College is committed to creating a diverse community, one that is inclusive and responsive, and is supportive of each and all of its faculty, students, and staff. All members of the College community share a responsibility for creating, maintaining, and developing a learning environment in which difference is valued, equity is sought, and inclusiveness is practiced. All Lafayette operations reflect the College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) initiatives, and Lafayette welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds.