• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $125,000 – $140,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, Communications, the Senior Director, Media & Internal Relations is a key leader within Columbia Business School's Marketing and Communications team, responsible for executing strategic communications across faculty, centers, and divisions, and for managing the School's media relations and external positioning. This role serves as the institutional liaison for communications partnerships, ensuring consistent service delivery, building productive relationships with internal stakeholders, and elevating CBS's presence in key media and business communities.

The Senior Director operates at the intersection of institutional coordination and external engagement, translating CBS priorities into coordinated communications activity while serving as the primary point of contact for how partners across the School engage with the communications function. This role implements media relations initiatives, manages external agency relationships, and ensures that faculty, centers, and administrative units receive clear guidance and responsive support.

The incumbent manages complex stakeholder relationships and partners closely with faculty, research centers, student offices, and communications professionals across CBS to ensure that institutional communications are coordinated, strategically aligned, and executed with excellence. The position works collaboratively with the Executive Director, Communications to advance institutional priorities through effective media engagement and stakeholder coordination.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers, and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools which advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs.

Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world. Our ever-evolving curriculum—featuring pioneering AI courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning—prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and innovation, twenty-first century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS' educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

Institutional Communications Coordination

• Serves as the primary institutional liaison for communications needs with faculty, centers, divisions, and student offices across Columbia Business School.

• Coordinates communications outreach to ensure consistent service delivery for faculty and internal partners.

• Educates stakeholders on communications processes, capabilities, and best practices, helping partners understand how to effectively engage with the communications team.

• Builds and maintains productive relationships with academic units, administrative offices, and research centers to strengthen collaboration and institutional alignment.

• Works in close partnership with the Executive Director, Communications to ensure that internal communications coordination supports institutional priorities and strategic objectives.

Media Relations and External Positioning

• Implements strategic media relations initiatives that elevate CBS's visibility and reinforce its position as a premier source of business thought leadership.

• Manages relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and industry influencers to secure high-impact coverage for CBS faculty, research, and institutional initiatives.

• Identifies and develops priority faculty voices for thought leadership positioning in alignment with institutional strategy; partners with content team on strategy and approach.

• Proactively packages faculty research and institutional initiatives for media visibility and external engagement.

• Executes media pitching, press activities, and external positioning initiatives to ensure alignment with institutional priorities.

• Manages external communications agency relationships, setting priorities, coordinating regular engagement, and ensuring vendor activity aligns with CBS strategy.

• Provides strategic direction for media relations and serves as senior contact for complex or sensitive media inquiries.

• Monitors media coverage and reputational trends, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervises and mentors junior staff .

• Collaborates with colleagues across the Marketing and Communications team to ensure integrated planning and execution.

• Supports crisis communications planning and response as needed.

Strategic Implementation and Stakeholder Engagement

• Works in close partnership with the Executive Director, Communications and senior leadership to operationalize institutional priorities through coordinated media and stakeholder engagement.

• Identifies opportunities to strengthen CBS's external profile through strategic media engagement, thought leadership positioning, and proactive outreach.

• Represents the communications function in cross-School initiatives and serves as a trusted resource to internal partners on communications execution.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in public relations, media relations, communications, or related fields.

• Demonstrated success managing complex media relations programs and securing high-impact coverage.

• Proven ability to build and maintain productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience coordinating across functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.

• Exceptional judgment and discretion in managing sensitive communications matters.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred.

• Experience in higher education, mission-driven organizations, or similarly complex institutions.

• Experience managing external agency relationships and vendor partnerships.

• Background in business, financial, or academic communications.

• Experience serving as institutional liaison or relationship manager for communications functions.

• Familiarity with crisis communications planning and execution.

• Demonstrated ability to educate and support non-communications professionals in effectively engaging with communications teams.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.