Job Description

The Office of the Provost advances and supports the university’s academic mission across its schools, divisions, research enterprise, faculty affairs, student support functions, and institutional academic initiatives. Serving as the university’s chief academic office, the Provost’s Office works closely with faculty, students, academic leaders, researchers, trustees, and administrative partners to support excellence in education, research, and academic operations across the institution.

We are seeking an Assistant Vice Provost for Communications, Provost Office to lead, coordinate, and strengthen collaboration across the communications function throughout the Office of the Provost. This role is responsible for ensuring clear, strategic, and high-impact messaging across a wide range of audiences and platforms, with a primary focus on academic affairs, faculty affairs, research, education, student support, and institutional priorities.

This role is responsible for directing the development, execution, and coordination of high-visibility communications, including speeches, internal messaging, web content, executive correspondence, and leadership materials. The Assistant Vice Provost also leads communications planning and stakeholder engagement strategy, including development of an annual communications plan for the Provost’s Office.

The Assistant. Vice Provost plays a central role in aligning communications across the Provost’s Office and its sub-units, fostering collaboration with embedded communicators and key partners across the university, including University Communications, the President’s Office, and Finance & Administration (F&A) communications. The role also guides and supports the Provost in their role as a key spokesperson and messenger for the university and its research and education mission, ensuring effective positioning across internal and external forums.

Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice Provost for Strategy and Operations/Chief of Staff, this is a highly visible role requiring strong judgment, discretion, relationship management skills, and the ability to manage complex, fast-moving priorities.

This non-classified, appointed position is primarily in-person in a work environment that requires regular engagement on campus, including participation in university events, meetings, and leadership activities.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Communications Leadership, Strategy, and Planning

• Lead and coordinate communications for the Office of the Provost, ensuring university-wide alignment and collaboration across priorities, initiatives, and stakeholder groups.

• Develop and manage messaging calendars across multiple communications channels and vehicles, including leadership announcements, internal communications, speeches, events, web communications, newsletters, and stakeholder engagements.

• Prepare and oversee an annual communications plan for the Provost’s Office, aligning communications efforts with institutional priorities.

• Lead community and stakeholder engagement strategy, ensuring effective communication with key internal and external audiences.

• Coordinate messaging across verticals within the Provost’s Office, including close collaboration with communications staff embedded in sub-teams and units (i.e., Admissions and Student Affairs).

• Ensure consistency, quality, and strategic alignment of messaging across the Office.

• Serve as a key liaison and collaborative partner to institutional communications colleagues, including university communications and marketing, the President’s Office, and finance & administration.

Speechwriting and High-Visibility Messaging

• Serve as lead speechwriter for the Provost’s Office, developing high-visibility speeches, remarks, talking points, and messaging.

• Prepare communications for a wide range of engagements, including university-wide events, advisory boards, leadership meetings, faculty engagements, student events, and external forums.

• Tailor messaging for diverse audiences, ensuring clarity, tone, and strategic positioning.

• Review and refine briefing materials to support speaking engagements and public appearances.

Spokesperson Support and External Positioning

• Guide and support the Provost in their role as a key spokesperson and messenger for the university and its research and education mission.

• Support strategy development for external positioning, including identifying opportunities for visibility and engagement.

• Assist with media engagement, including preparation of messaging and coordination with communications partners in university administration and across the divisions.

• Draft communications and materials for external audiences, including public statements and engagement materials in coordination with communications partners at the institutional and divisional levels.

• Facilitate participation in public forums, events, and external engagements.

• Provide consultative editing and briefing support to ensure clarity, consistency, and effectiveness of messaging.

Internal Communications and Strategic Messaging

• Lead planning, drafting, and execution of internal communications for the Provost’s Office.

• Develop high-visibility communications including leadership announcements, institutional updates, faculty and student communications, and messaging related to key initiatives.

• Coordinate collaborative review and approval processes across multiple stakeholders.

• Translate complex, sensitive, or evolving academic and institutional topics into clear and effective communications.

• Support messaging for crisis communications and issues management, in collaboration with Central Communications, the Office of the President and other critical leadership stakeholders.

Executive Correspondence and Communications Intake

• Draft and oversee correspondence originating from the Provost’s Office, including letters, memos, and formal communications.

• Support the Provost and Chief of Staff on executive-level searches, appointments, and annual letters.

• Lead coordination of responses to incoming correspondence, including from other offices, ensuring timely, accurate, and appropriately routed communications.

• Support proactive outreach efforts and communications planning related to internal and external stakeholders.

Briefings, Presentations, and Leadership Materials

• Develop and support preparation of briefing materials for the Provost and senior leadership.

• Create and refine executive presentations (including PowerPoint materials) for Provost’s Office leadership, teams, trustees, and external audiences.

• Ensure materials are clear, accurate, and aligned with strategic messaging.

Board and Governance Support

• Support the Board of Trustees’ Committees on Academic Policy and Student Life.

• Assist with record keeping and coordination of planning efforts in partnership with the JHU Board Office.

• Contribute to preparation of materials and communications supporting Board engagement from the Provost’s office.

Website and Digital Presence

• Oversee the Provost’s Office website and digital communications presence.

• Ensure content is accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with strategic priorities.

• Support ongoing improvements to structure, content, and user experience.

• Coordinate with internal and external partners on enhancements or redesign efforts.

Special Projects and Strategic Support

• Lead or contribute to special projects requiring communications leadership or strategic messaging support.

• Support high-priority initiatives, often on complex or time-sensitive topics.

• Evaluate and prioritize requests to ensure alignment with core responsibilities and available capacity.

Additional Responsibilities

• Build and sustain strong relationships with colleagues across university leadership, faculty, students, researchers, and administrative units to inform communications.

• Monitor developments in higher education, research, public policy, and institutional priorities to inform messaging.

• Review and refine communications prepared by others for the Provost’s Office to ensure quality and alignment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.

• Ten years of relevant experience.

• Advanced Degree may substitute for required experience, as permitted.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills for high-visibility communications.
• Strong ability to synthesize complex information into clear, compelling messaging.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and collaborate across a decentralized organization with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Experience developing executive-level presentations (e.g., PowerPoint).
• Familiarity with media engagement and public positioning.
• Understanding of higher education issues, academic administration, faculty culture, research enterprises, and institutional governance strongly preferred.

• Experience working in higher education, academic medicine, research institutions, or similarly complex mission-driven environments.

• Experience supporting senior leaders in a communications or strategic advisory capacity.

• Experience leading, coordinating, and collaborating on communications in a complex organization.

Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency

• Crisis Communications - Advanced
• Editing - Advanced
• Internal Communications - Advanced
• Media Monitoring and Analysis - Advanced
• Media Relations - Advanced
• Public Speaking - Advanced
• Stakeholder Engagement - Authority
• Vendor Relationship Management - Advanced
• Writing - Authority

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

The expected base pay salary range for this position is $175,000 - $225,000.

Classified Title: Assistant Provost-MGM
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Assistant Vice Provost for Communications, Provost Office
Role/Level/Range: ADMOFF/01/EX
Starting Salary Range: Commensurate w/exp.
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: Office of the Provost
Personnel area: University Administration