Please excuse any unavoidable cross-postings....preferred candidates for this position do ‘not’ reside in North America

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ICA COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR
JOB DESCRIPTION


ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
The International Communication Association (ICA) is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. ICA began more than 60 years ago as a small association of U.S. researchers and is now an international association with more than 4500 members in over 80 countries. Since 2003, ICA has been officially associated with the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization (NGO).

The mission of ICA is to advance the scholarly study of human communication by encouraging and facilitating excellence in academic research worldwide. The purposes of the Association are (1) to provide an international forum to enable the development, conduct, and critical evaluation of communication research; (2) to sustain a program of high quality scholarly publication and knowledge exchange; (3) to facilitate inclusiveness and debate among scholars from diverse national and cultural backgrounds and from multi-disciplinary perspectives on communication-related issues; and (4) to promote a wider public interest in, and visibility of, the theories, methods, findings and applications generated by research in communication and allied fields.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Communication Director (a new position within the organization) will be responsible for spearheading strategic direction initiatives and planning, coordination, and management of the ICA’s integrated marketing, public relations, and strategic communications program. The Communication Director (CD) will work with both external and internal constituencies to promote the field of communication, with ICA as its standard bearer.  In addition, the CD will create and communicate the organization’s messages and ensure overall continuity of institutional brand consistency and image.  Moreover, the CD will support the organization’s staff and board in developing and maintaining strategic partnerships with external organizations and funders. The CD will also develop and implement initiatives that would serve the association  membership, and thus increase the benefit of being a member.  The association is based in Washington, DC, but the CD can be located anywhere in the world through telecommuting.  Some travel is required.  The CD reports directly to the association executive director.  Salary will be commensurate with experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The Communication Director is responsible for the overall planning, organization, and direction of ICA’s communication strategies and public information activities and promoting the importance of the field of communication, with ICA as its standard bearer, to media elites, policymakers, funders, and leaders in higher education.
 
The CD is responsible for fostering and maintaining relationships with international news media, editors, reporters, other Communication Directors, partner organizations, international institutions and governmental officials and their staff (when relevant); fostering greater awareness about ICA, ongoing research, and dominant themes in the field among members; and facilitating opportunities for ICA members to showcase their work and be active in public life.
 
Duties include but are not limited to:


REQUIREMENTS
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Although a financial evaluation of outcomes will be key to sustaining this position in the long-term, we recognize that the value of a successful Communication Director is measured more by the benefits (tangible and intangible) that they bring to the association and its members.  Below is the list of key performance categories and indicators on which we expect this position to be evaluated.


  Category   Outcome   Indicators   
  Association Visibility   Increased national and international media coverage   # of news stories High conversion of press releases into news stories   
     Increased traffic to ICA website or other digital platforms   Increased website (or other platform) traffic Lower website bounce rates Higher search performance Increased newsletter viewing   
     Increased visibility at events relevant to the association and membership   Increased invitations to relevant events, panel discussions, hearings, etc. internationally   
  Association Brand Value & Reputation   Increased positive brand perception among members   Overall association membership positive value (as measured in annual conference or other survey)   
     Increased positive brand perception among external partner/audience   Increased  partnerships and sponsorships Increased invitations to relevant events Increased press interviews Increased partnerships with both private and public institutions   
     Increased number of ICA-branded events   Number of events (workshops, regional conferences, gatherings) supported by or explicitly associated with ICA   
  Member Engagement   Increased Conference Attendance among members   % of ICA members at conferences   
     Increased Member Retention   % of ICA members retained YoY   
     Increased Member Satisfaction   Overall satisfaction ratings (as measured in annual conference or other surveys)   
     Increased Non-Conference Member Activity   Increase in amount of activity occurring in non-conference venues set up, such as virtual conferences, discussion communities, social networks, etc.   
  Financial   Increased Membership   YoY membership increases across all categories or stable membership in the event of an increase in membership fees   
     Increased Sponsorships   YoY increase in # of sponsors Increased sponsorship/exhibitor rates   
     Increased Advertising Revenue   Increased ad revenue on all relevant platforms (e.g., conference program, Website, social media)  
For some of the less tangible outcomes, such as increased association reputation, brand value, and member satisfaction, we recommend that the new Communication Director implement clear measurement plans (e.g., annual member and partner surveys, post-conference exhibitor satisfaction interviews/surveys) to help assess the effectiveness of their and the association’s overall efforts.

EVALUATION

The CD position will include regular and rigorous monitoring of performance impact by the Executive Director and a special Task Force appointed by the ICA President. The data should help ICA to assess the value of the position and make future recommendations. Illustrative impact indicators could be:
Evaluation criteria of the work will be built into the annual work plan of the CD.
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