Duke University is seeking an experienced communications professional to join Duke Global as Communications Manager, a strategic position focused on strengthening the university’s global presence through compelling storytelling, digital communications, strategic messaging, and audience engagement.
This is an opportunity for a communications specialist who understands how powerful content can connect institutions, researchers, students, leaders, partners, and audiences across borders.
The successful candidate will help shape the narrative surrounding Duke’s global initiatives while managing high-impact communications platforms and projects across Duke Global, the Office of Global Health and Safety, the Global Travel Office, and the Future Universities Alliance.
Position Overview
The Communications Manager will serve as Duke Global’s primary content strategist, storyteller, communications project manager, and brand steward. Reporting to the Director, Global Administration, the position will work closely with senior leaders, faculty, staff, students, external partners, vendors, and communications teams across the university.
The role combines strategic communications with hands-on content production. It offers significant responsibility for developing editorial strategies, managing websites and social media, producing newsletters and multimedia content, supporting executive communications, coordinating external media engagement, and using analytics to strengthen communications performance.
The position is based in Durham, North Carolina, and follows a hybrid work arrangement requiring approximately two to three days per week on campus, with additional in-person participation depending on events, leadership meetings, strategic initiatives, and business needs.
Key Responsibilities
1. Lead Strategic Writing, Content Production and Storytelling
Approximately 35% of the role will focus on developing and executing Duke Global’s editorial strategy.
The Communications Manager will identify important stories and communications priorities, conduct interviews, and produce high-quality stories, announcements, and other content highlighting Duke’s global research, education, partnerships, innovation, and impact.
The role will also involve identifying global initiatives across Duke and ensuring that the university’s website, newsletters, social media channels, and other communications platforms consistently showcase relevant opportunities, events, research, and achievements.
The successful candidate will additionally support communications for senior leadership, including presentations, interviews, external engagements, and internal communications.
An important element of the position will be managing health and safety and outbound visa services messaging, including communications during crisis situations.
2. Shape Digital Platforms and Website Strategy
Approximately 30% of the position will be dedicated to website design, development, management, and digital content strategy.
The Communications Manager will lead the development of a new Duke Global website, coordinating stakeholder input, leadership feedback, technical resources, and decision-making throughout the process.
Responsibilities will include managing websites for Duke Global, the Future Universities Alliance, the Office of Global Health and Safety, and the Global Travel Office.
The position will also oversee social media and web content to ensure that communications are accurate, timely, accessible, aligned with Duke brand standards, and optimized for search engines and digital audiences.
The role requires strong collaboration with the university’s OIT web strategy team, as well as external freelancers, contractors, designers, photographers, writers, and technical consultants. The Communications Manager may also contribute to managing project budgets and allocating communications resources.
3. Drive Future Universities Alliance Communications
The Future Universities Alliance represents another major component of the position, accounting for approximately 25% of responsibilities.
The Communications Manager will identify compelling stories from participating institutions and determine the most appropriate channels for sharing them, including Substack, podcasts, websites, and social media.
Responsibilities include managing the Substack editorial calendar, coordinating contributions from Alliance leadership, copyediting content, overseeing formatting and publication, and managing the podcast production calendar from recording through publication.
The successful candidate will also manage the Alliance’s standalone website, social media presence, and LinkedIn strategy while coordinating cross-promotion across Duke Global and Alliance platforms.
Media relations will be another important responsibility. The Communications Manager will respond to journalist inquiries, pitch stories to relevant outlets, coordinate press logistics, and support communications surrounding major events such as the Global Summit in October 2026.
4. Strengthen Audience Engagement and Communications Performance
The role also includes responsibility for internal communications, audience engagement, budgeting, and analytics.
The Communications Manager will help develop annual communications budget recommendations, assess resource requirements, and determine how communications funding should be allocated across priorities.
The position will establish audience engagement strategies designed to strengthen relationships with both internal and external audiences.
The successful candidate will also oversee the vision, design, and execution of the Duke Global newsletter while ensuring alignment with senior leadership and key stakeholders.
Data and analytics will play an important role in measuring communications effectiveness. The Communications Manager will monitor reach, engagement, and impact across communications channels and use performance data to refine strategies and tactics.
Required Qualifications
Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, English, or a related field.
Duke requires at least four years of professional experience in journalism, communications, public relations, marketing, or a related discipline.
Candidates should demonstrate experience developing and publishing content across digital and print communications channels, alongside strong project management, organizational, and strategic communications capabilities.
Experience working in international, global, or cross-cultural environments is specifically required.
Strong writing, editing, storytelling, and stakeholder engagement skills are also essential.
Preferred Qualifications
Duke identifies several additional qualifications that can strengthen an application.
These include experience in higher education communications, demonstrated success delivering audience-centered storytelling campaigns, executive communications and leadership messaging, crisis communications, SEO, website accessibility, web analytics, and digital content strategy.
Experience managing newsletters, podcasts, social media platforms, websites, and integrated multi-channel communications campaigns will also be highly valuable.
Compensation and Employment Details
The anticipated annual base salary range is USD $62,766 to $97,798. Duke University notes that final compensation may depend on factors including responsibilities, professional experience, education and training, skills, internal equity, and market considerations.
Eligible employees may also receive comprehensive medical and dental benefits, retirement benefits, and a range of family-friendly and cultural programs.
Position: Communications Manager, Duke Global
Employer: Duke University
Location: Durham, North Carolina, USA
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Requisition Number: 273765
Posted: August 13, 2026
Employment Type: Regular
Why This Opportunity Stands Out
This position goes beyond traditional content management. It offers an opportunity to influence how one of the United States’ leading research universities communicates its global contribution.
For communications professionals with experience across digital content, strategic storytelling, international engagement, websites, social media, media relations, analytics, and stakeholder management, the role provides a broad platform to combine creativity with institutional strategy.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work across research, education, innovation, global partnerships, health and safety, international mobility, and higher education communications while engaging with audiences and institutions around the world.
The role is particularly suited to professionals who can move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-on execution: developing a communications strategy in one moment, editing a story or newsletter in the next, coordinating a website project, managing a media request, or analyzing audience data to determine what should happen next.
Application Opportunity
Professionals who meet Duke University’s qualifications and are interested in shaping global institutional communications are encouraged to explore the full vacancy and application requirements through Duke University Careers.
Application: Duke University Careers – Communications Manager, Duke Global
For communications specialists seeking a role combining global impact, strategic storytelling, digital communications, leadership engagement, media relations, and higher education, the Duke Global Communications Manager position represents a significant opportunity to help shape how global ideas, partnerships, research, and institutional impact are communicated to the world.
