Are you looking for a place to work where you can make a real difference in the lives of over 200,000 college students every year?

Would you like to be part of an organization that adds $7.2 billion dollars to the economy and supports nearly 100,000 jobs in the fastest growing county in the United States?

Whether you’re teaching, working, or learning Make It Happen At Maricopa County Community Colleges!

About Us

What's Currently Happening at Maricopa

• Many of our campuses have received grant awards through the National Science Foundation to improve undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving institutions program (HSI Program).
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and employee groups to create an environment of shared governance
• One of the largest community college systems in the country
• 2020 Healthy Arizona Worksites Program recipient
• Named 19th Best Employer for Women by Forbes
• 2019 No. 42 in Arizona’s Best Employers

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is committed to providing you with a competitive, comprehensive benefits program that provides the care you and your family need to lead healthy and productive lives. Our benefits are designed to provide support for every life stage and lifestyle in our community.

Benefits & Perks Options:

• 16 paid observed holidays
• Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) & 12% Employee Contribution Match (Pension, Long Term Disability, and Health Insurance)
• Paid vacation, sick, and personal time (if applicable)
• Maricopa Employee Store: Perks & Gears (exclusive discounts and offers for Maricopa Community Colleges faculty and staff)
• $4,000 Annual professional development growth funding (if applicable)
• Tuition reimbursement for employees and dependents (if applicable)
• Flexible work schedules
• Maricopa Employee Health & Wellness Program:
  • Sight-On-Site Eye Care Services
  • Diabetes Empowerment Education Program
  • Mobile On-site Mammography Screenings
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Wondr™ online program that teaches clinically-proven, healthy habits that lead to less stress, better sleep, weight loss, and more
  • Pre-Retirement Events
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (may forgive the remaining balance on a federal student loan made directly by the U.S. Department of Education after qualifying).
• 10+ Maricopa Affinity Resource Employee Groups (Celebrates diversity, embraces inclusion, and supports employees, students, and community!)

Maricopa County Community College (MCCCD) is seeking a talented, energetic, and solution-focused Chief Communications Officer to join our External Relations team!

The Chief Communication Officer provides leadership on reputation, values, and culture across the District. This position is responsible for designing and implementing marketing, public relations, and communications systems, such as those that support enterprise-wide branding, community engagement, or social media strategy, in addition to publishing content for external stakeholders. This opportunity is an integral component in defining and modeling MCCCD’s corporate character by directing teams, sponsoring collaboration, and demonstrating how organizations interact with and inform stakeholders, retain loyalty, and drive financial performance.

MCCCD is a leading public employer in Arizona, a Platinum-ranked Healthy Arizona Worksite, and one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Women. Come join our award-winning organization and make a difference in your community!

35% Recommends and executes strategic communications plans at the direction of, and on behalf of, the MCCCD Chancellor regarding internal and external events and activities during the course of daily business operations.

• Prepares and delivers responses to media inquiries made to the MCCCD Administration.
• Advises the Chancellor of political, legislative, and community landscape in Arizona, as well as nationally, in relation to communicating the needs, challenges, and opportunities of the higher education system and on occasion advocating for student groups.
• Performs duties as primary press/media contact with demonstrated mastery in responding to inquiries from news agencies, journalists, and various media outlets in addition to conducting interviews in person, remotely, and via other modalities as a designated representative of the organization on behalf of executive leaders such as the Chancellor and MCCCD Governing Board. Provides reports that leverage enterprise data analytics to facilitate systems-level decision-making within communications and marketing operations to target segments of Maricopa County meant to increase college program awareness and enrollments.
• Creates and executes crisis communication plans for a multi-site organization that coordinates efforts among all essential personnel to promote, protect, and preserve public health/safety and minimize or mitigate damage to district property, assets, resources, and reputation.

35% Provides districtwide Marketing, Public Relations, and Communications (MPRC) leadership on reputation, values, and culture across the MCCCD enterprise. Designs and administrates marketing, public relations, and communications systems, such as those that support enterprise-wide branding, community engagement, or social media strategy.

• Defines and activates corporate character. Develops and publishes content for external stakeholders.
• Direct teams, sponsor collaboration and demonstrates how organizations interact with and inform stakeholders, retain loyalty, and drive financial performance.
• Convenes districtwide Marketing Development Council (MDC) to facilitate shared governance with College Marketing Directors of districtwide marketing and public relations messaging; coordinates public information and community engagement activities with College Presidents; and oversees the management of Regional Communications Officers as a shared team of resources between the Colleges. Manages budgets, allocating resources to achieve strategic objectives.

25% Recommends and executes strategic communications plans and activities to the Governing Board while serving the communications needs of its members individually and collectively to achieve strategic priorities. Prepares and delivers responses to media inquiries made to the MCCCD Governing Board. Performs duties as primary press/media contact with demonstrated mastery in responding to inquiries from news agencies, journalists, and various media outlets in addition to conducting interviews in person, remotely, and via other modalities as a designated representative of the organization on behalf of executive leaders such as the Chancellor and MCCCD Governing Board.

5% Provides External Relations Division leadership support by directing teams, sponsoring inter-department collaboration, and demonstrating how organizations interact with and inform stakeholders, retain loyalty, and drive financial performance.

Minimum Qualifications for Student Affairs or non-academic pathway:

Master’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution in Education, Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing and four (4) years of progressively responsible management and/or leadership experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing that includes two (2) years of supervisory experience. Examples may include progressively responsible business or higher education management/administration experience in the field of assignment or student affairs/academic support program management, project management, budget development and management related to programs or projects, staff supervision, policy development, administration, evaluation, and compliance.

OR

Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution in Education, Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing and six (6) years of progressively responsible management and/or leadership experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing that includes two (2) years of supervisory experience. Examples may include progressively responsible business or higher education management/administration experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing or student affairs/academic support program management, project management, budget development and management related to programs or projects, staff supervision, policy development, administration, evaluation, and compliance.

OR

Associates Degree from a regionally accredited institution in Education, Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing and eight (8) years of progressively responsible management and/or leadership experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing that includes two (2) years of supervisory experience. Examples may include progressively responsible business or higher education management/administration experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing or student affairs/academic support program management, project management, budget development and management related to programs or projects, staff supervision, policy development, administration, evaluation, and compliance.

OR

High School Diploma or G.E.D. and ten (10) years of progressively responsible management and/or leadership experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing that includes two (2) years of supervisory experience. Examples may include progressively responsible business or higher education management/administration experience in Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing or student affairs/academic support program management, project management, budget development and management related to programs or projects, staff supervision, policy development, administration, evaluation, and compliance.

Minimum Qualifications for Academic pathway:

Master's Degree in a teaching Political Science, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing and four (4) years of experience in academic leadership and/or supervisory role in higher education and three years of teaching that includes curriculum/coursework development. Examples of academic leadership/supervisory experience includes: division/department chair, project management, policy development, administration, evaluation and compliance, committee leadership, program director, and shared governance. No equivalency.

A. Demonstrated understanding of the political, legislative, and community landscape in Arizona, as well as nationally, in relation to communicating the needs, challenges, and opportunities of the higher education system and advocating for students.

B. 5+ Strategic communications experience that includes successful development and implementation of complex communication plans for large organizations with measurable results.

C. Experience using enterprise data analytics in systems-level decision-making. Experience should demonstrate a strong understanding of the importance of data-informed decision-making within communications and marketing to target segments of Maricopa County meant to increase college program awareness and enrollments.

D. Experience as primary press/media contact with demonstrated mastery in responding to inquiries from news agencies, journalists, and various media outlets in addition to conducting interviews in person, remotely, and all other modalities as the designated representative of the organization on behalf of the executive leaders such as the Chancellor and MCCCD Governing Board.

E. Experience creating and executing crisis communication plans for a large organization that coordinates efforts among all essential personnel to promote, protect and preserve public health/safety and minimize or mitigate damage to district property, assets, resources, and reputation..

F. Experience working closely with the governing board and Chancellor / CEO of an organization while serving the communications needs of its members individually and collectively to achieve strategic priorities.

G. Portfolio of successfully managed budgets, allocating resources to achieve strategic objectives.

Applicants are required to submit a cover letter and resume showing how the applicant meets the minimum and desired qualifications. All minimum requirements must be met at the time of the application.

Additional materials will not be accepted after the job posting has closed.

Missing materials or incomplete employment history will not be considered.

Please ensure your materials clearly provide the following information.

• Clearly illustrate how prior experience, knowledge and education meet the minimum and desired qualifications for this position.
• Indicate whether former or current employment is Full-Time or;
• Part-Time employment, to include Adjunct or Associate Professor (must include number of hours worked, contact hours or load)
• Provide employment history in a month/year format (e.g., 09/07 to 10/11) including job title, job duties, for each position held and name of employer for each position.
• Three professional references, preferably current and/or former supervisors. If references are not provided in resume upon application, they will be requested at time of interview.

Apply on or before Friday, March 3, 2023, to be considered.