Assistant Dean of Communications – Brooks School of Public Policy, Communications & Marketing

This position is based in Ithaca, NY, within the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy on the Cornell University campus.

   

The Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy harnesses the University’s broad disciplinary excellence in public policy, along with its innovative teaching, research, and engagement programs, to solve pressing global challenges. The school’s prestigious faculty apply an interdisciplinary and problem-oriented focus to wide-ranging public policy issues as they explore how government choices intersect with people’s lives. The school’s initial areas of focus are in data science and technology policy; environmental and sustainability policy; health policy; global security; inequality and social policy; the politics and economics of development; and race, racism, and public policy.

The Opportunity

The Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy is seeking a strategic, creative, and collaborative Assistant Dean of Communications to lead the school's communications and marketing efforts and raise its visibility locally, nationally, and globally.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced communications leader who can set a clear vision, build strong partnerships across many stakeholder groups, and tell compelling stories about the research, people, and programs that make the Brooks School distinctive.

Reporting to the Dean, with a shared reporting line to the Vice President for University Relations, the Assistant Dean of Communications is the school's lead communications resource and a strategic partner to the Dean and senior leadership, including faculty, center and institute directors, and staff. The Assistant Dean sets communications and marketing priorities, executes an annual strategic communications plan, allocates resources, tracks outcomes, and leads a team of two communications professionals.

Cornell communicators share a mission to protect and strengthen the university's reputation as a top research institution and a leader in higher education. Communications at Cornell work through a matrixed model in which University Relations houses News (Cornell Chronicle), Media Relations, Brand, Strategic Communications, and Cornellians. The Assistant Dean works closely with these central teams and meets regularly with the Vice President for University Relations and the Associate Vice President for Communications.

Candidate Profile

A successful candidate in this role needs to have established the following:

• Develop and execute the Brooks School's comprehensive communications and marketing strategy, ensuring clear, consistent messaging that advances the school's mission, priorities, reputation, and visibility across internal and external audiences.
• Direct the school's communications portfolio, including digital and print content, publications, websites, social media, and media outreach. Partner with University Relations to promote faculty expertise, research, and key initiatives while maintaining brand alignment and messaging consistency.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to school leadership, supervise communications staff, manage departmental resources and budgets, and foster a collaborative, high-performing communications team that delivers measurable results.

More information about the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy can be found at, https://publicpolicy.cornell.edu/.

We require these qualifications:

• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Demonstrated skill in understanding of cultural differences.  
• Bachelor’s degree with 7-10 years of experience, or equivalent education and experience, in communications, public affairs, marketing, public relations, media relations or journalism, with demonstrated experience as a communications leader serving multiple stakeholders.
• Exceptional leadership and vision to provide strategy development to advance the Brooks School of Public Policy’s mission. Experience creating and maintaining an annual strategic communications plan.
• Proven ability to effect successful marketing and media campaigns and crisis-management communications.
• An entrepreneurial and innovative attitude and orientation together with the ability to see opportunity and thrive in a time of uncertainty.
• Ability to write quickly, clearly, and concisely in collaboration with others.
• Experience generating, reporting, writing, editing and/or assigning stories, multimedia projects, and/or social media content that advances a unit’s mission and goals.
• Ability to work with partners in Brand, Media Relations, News, and Strategic Communications staff on internal and external branding and messaging, multimedia storytelling, and crisis prevention/management.
• Experience hiring and managing freelancers/vendors, managing small and large projects with multiple stakeholders, and ability to work with University Relations/Procurement partners to manage and maintain standard vendor contracts, costs, and timelines.
• Exceptional team-building skills, a commitment to transparency, and a strong sense of ethics.

You will be a top candidate with our preferred qualifications:

• Experience in higher education, government, corporate or non-profit setting with a focus on policy-oriented public affairs, public relations, corporate communications, marketing or related fields.
• Experience in the direction and development of multimedia products including video, flash animation, digital signage, blogs, etc. as well as active participation in online social networks.

To apply

For full consideration, applicants must include both a resume and cover letter with their application. 

Important Notes About Applying

• This is a full-time, hybrid position based in Ithaca, NY, within the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy on the Cornell University campus.
• The Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy appreciates employees by providing the opportunity to work a 4:1 campus-to-home hybrid schedule after a period of orientation and acclimation.
• There is no visa sponsorship available for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays.

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell 

   

University Job Title:

Communication Mgr II

   

Job Family:

Communications/Marketing

   

Level:

H

   

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

   

Pay Range:

$133,840.00 - $163,582.00

   

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

   

Company:

Endowed

   

Contact Name:

Stephanie Hyland

   

Contact Email:

sh2546@cornell.edu

   

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• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

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2026-10-30