Position Description – Director of Public Relations

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Position Title:	Director of Public Relations	FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to:	President
Department:	Public Relations
Date Prepared:	June 2005

BASIC FUNCTION

The Director of Public Relations directs all news bureau work of the College and supervises all overall College promotional activities. This position exists to provide information about the College to a variety of constituents.

NATURE & SCOPE

The Director of Public Relations reports to the President of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. While the President does assign some specific projects, most work is self-generated. The incumbent has almost complete autonomy over decisions regarding public relations, with the exception of some specific campus-wide projects such as the Master Plan. This position has latitude to consider courses of action within general College policies, principles, and goals. The incumbent has the latitude to consider what activities must be undertaken with the area of public relations in order to achieve the goals of the College.

Many aspects of this position are comparable to a salesperson or a marketing professional. The Director of Public Relations is charged with selling a positive image of ABAC to people in various situations in life. This includes making television appearances, coordinating programs, speaking at events, advertising, and other image-boosting activities. The goal of these activities is to increase interest in ABAC by several constituencies, including prospective students, alumni, donors, and corporations.

The incumbent must be well-organized and an effective manager of time and resources. The Public Relations department at ABAC is relatively small, and therefore many jobs fall to the Director. The incumbent must be able to complete these tasks in an efficient, quality-oriented manner.

Communication skills are perhaps the most vital trait of the Director of Public Relations. These skills help in all facets of the position. The incumbent must regularly be in contact with other campus departments in order to develop plans and strategies, and communication skills help expedite this process. Additionally, these skills help in public appearances and in selling the image of the College. Many people will relate their perception of ABAC directly to the work of the Director of Public Relations, so it is imperative that he/she be able to connect with these people.

Position Description – Director of Public Relations

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Ø Works with the media on stories about the College and its people

Ø Coordinates special events of the College

Ø Coordinates special projects for the President

Ø Works with the admissions office on recruiting and recruitment materials

Ø Serves as advisor to ABAC Ambassadors

Ø Fulfills other duties as necessary to facilitate the goals of the College

BUDGETARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Public Relations manages Public Relations, Promotions, Foundation, and Ambassador budgets totaling over $200,000.

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

This position typically requires beyond a four-year college degree, but not necessarily an advanced degree, and seven to ten years of work experience.