Manager Portal & Internal Communications

The Culinary Institute of America offers bachelor’s and associate degrees, with campuses in New York, Texas, California, and Singapore.

The Manager of Portal Administration and Internal Communications is responsible for managing and producing communications for internal consumption by the employees of The Culinary Institute of America – on all its campuses globally. Under the direction of the Director of Human Resources, the incumbent shall create and execute a comprehensive, strategic internal communications program. The Manager shall also direct the strategy and execution of the CIA's internal portal for employee and student communications, the CIA Main Menu.

• Works with CIA leadership to plan and implement an internal communications agenda that supports the CIA’s strategy and objectives.
• Manages and drives communications on the employee portal; works with various department heads to ensure portal design is effective and content is accurate, consistent, and effectively written to maximize employee understanding, engagement and action.
• Elevates internal communications via portal to "best practice" status so that it becomes an essential part of “how we do business.”
• Helps to define the internal communications architecture, including various audiences, information needs, messages, media, forums, channels, frequency, techniques, and tools.
• Drafts communications for employee and student audiences, including "ghost" communications for CIA executives.
• Drafts and presents communication plans for initiatives of the Institute, including communication strategies, multi-faceted mediums, messaging for different constituencies and feedback loop.
• Works closely with Information Technology to ensure functional requirements are integrated into portal application development; facilitates the process of planning, prioritization, development and implementation of new content, to existing and new audiences, to expand portal use on our global campuses.
• Leverages analytical data to drive portal strategies and upgrades/updates.
• Maintains CIA brand standards while creating images and messages that are lively, interesting, and engaging to employees and students. Engages internal marketing services resources such as Creative Services, Communications, and Web Marketing as required for major projects.
• Resolves issues in a timely manner, advocating the use of technology to enhance communications on all our campuses for students, staff, and faculty, and to enable staff to provide the highest quality service to the Institute.
• Executes this agenda with practical and hands-on involvement, in part by managing, writing, editing, and producing numerous communications assets – print and electronic copy, push and pull communications.
• Supports the CIA’s rewards and recognition programming through production of an employee recognition event each year, including a full slate of video presentations.
• Participates in Human Resources projects as required.
• Any and all other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelors Degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Marketing , Information Technology, or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 2-3 years progressive experience creating and producing communications in a multi-disciplined, fast-paced environment, including experience in employee communications and presentations.
• 2-3 years experience in web design, creating web pages in HTML or portal administration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in developing communications in an Educational environment
• Experience with Sharepoint or similiar portal technology.
• Experience with Adobe Forms, Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Fireworks, and PremierePro.
• Experience with HTML coding.
• Basic audio/video production skills.

• Strong project management skills and proven ability to deliver to strict deadlines; ability to be adaptable, dependable and to handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal skills; excellent verbal communication skills; ability to effectively work with multiple teams across the organization to respond to business needs.
• Intellectually curious with ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources and develop clear, coherent and simplified communications.
• Proven copywriting and editing skills across a range of media (email, presentations, intranet, etc.); strong knowledge of grammar and style; strong proof-reading skills. • Advanced skills in internet usage, social media (Facebook, audio and pod casts, YouTube, etc.) and web site / portal design and communications.
• Ability to work independently with minimal day-to-day supervision; highly flexible and comfortable working with ambiguity, frequently changing time frames and short deadlines.