• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $130,000 - $150,000

Position Summary

The Senior Editorial Director provides leadership for the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons editorial communications activities, including print and online news and publications. The Senior Editorial Director is part of a team of professionals in the Department of Communications who support the communications, marketing, and branding priorities of the medical school, Columbia’s clinical practice, and the wider medical center. This individual oversees creative, accurate, high-quality, timely, and well-researched and reported content for digital newsletters, websites, institutional publications, and the Columbia Medicine magazine.

The Senior Editorial Director reports to the Chief Communications Officer for Columbia University Irving Medical Center and supervises the work of full-time staff members and contractors responsible for developing and executing a multichannel content strategy for a range of audiences, including external constituents, patients and potential patients, and internal, alumni, faculty, staff, and student audiences. 

Responsibilities

• Work closely with CCO, Executive Director of Digital Strategy and Web Services, and department sub-unit leads for strategic communications, media relations, multimedia, and design to develop and implement multichannel editorial content strategies that uphold brand identity and advance a range of communications and marketing goals for internal and external audiences
• Develop and maintain integrated editorial calendar across editorial products that supports department-wide communications goals.
• Manage team of six full-time writers and editors and additional contractors and freelancers.
• Oversee production of three issues each year and website presence for the Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons magazine, Columbia Medicine, including budget management
• Supervise production and edit content produced for CUIMC Newsroom, internal and external e-newsletters, including patient-facing newsletters, websites, social media, or other editorial purposes
• Edit the VP&S digital annual report and quarterly alumni e-newsletter
• Manage multimedia editorial production and review social media content
• Supervise content and distribution of broadcast emails
• Provide editorial support to CUIMC schools and offices as appropriate, particularly Development, Education, Columbia Doctors (clinical practice) and Events
• On request, review materials produced by the Dean’s office and other offices for counsel, proofreading, copyediting
• Special projects as assigned, e.g., chair recruitment brochures, State of the School, writing for the dean
• Mentor writers and other content producers and provide professional development guidance to nurture staff growth and satisfaction

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The senior editorial director must show excellent judgment, have an above-average creativity sensibility, possess aptitude for collaboration, and exhibit the passion and energy necessary to promote the ideals of academic medicine. A focus on strategic communications planning and implementation is important to the success of the senior editorial director. Additional skills needed:

• Demonstrated experience managing a team of communications professionals
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Knowledge of and experience in supervisory techniques, management principles, and organizational leadership
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Enthusiasm for and experience in team building using skills in a collaborative working environment
• Leadership and management skills that include the ability to inspire productivity in a small but motivated team

Ability to function well in the University’s collaborative, achievement-oriented culture and establish themselves as an effective partner to the faculty, the administration, development, and other key stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, mass communications, or similar field.

• At least 10 years of related experience, with some experience in academic medicine and magazine production.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred.

• Experience in a higher education setting preferred.

• Experience in academic medicine strongly preferred. 

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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