Role Overview

The Communications Director relays the voice and accomplishments of Longhorn Developers (LHD). This director is responsible for creating and distributing content and press releases to publicize the activities, events, and projects of Longhorn Developers. They craft and execute the communications strategy to effectively promote LHD's mission, projects, and recruitment efforts to the student body and other stakeholders. This director acts as the primary media liaison with the President and, if applicable, ‣, particularly with The Daily Texan and other media outlets, and implements initiatives to improve communication with the student body. The Communications Director handles all external outreach, ensuring that LHD's open-source and transparent philosophy and student-focused work are clearly communicated across all platforms.

A crucial aspect of the Communications Director role is the level of autonomy and leadership expected. As an Executive Board member, the Communications Director should not expect extensive guidance in their day-to-day operations. Instead, they are expected to be the source of guidance and expertise for others in their domain. They must take initiative to advance the goals and mission of LHD as set by the President, and fulfill all key responsibilities listed below as a minimum expectation.

However, a truly successful and effective director will go beyond these minimum requirements. They will proactively pursue their own initiatives to advance LHD's mission, introduce innovative ideas, and improve current processes based on their communications expertise. This includes identifying opportunities for enhancement in areas not explicitly mentioned in this position document. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who can operate independently while maintaining alignment with organizational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• External Communications & Outreach
  • Develop and manage the overall communications and marketing strategy for LHD.
  • Create and curate engaging content for all official LHD channels, including social media, any newsletters, and the LHD website (WIP).
  • Assist the President in all public relations, including outreach to other student organizations, university departments, and potential external partners.
  • Promote LHD projects, public workshops, and recruitment opportunities to the student body.
• Brand Management
  • Maintain and enforce LHD's brand guidelines to ensure a consistent and professional image across all materials.
  • Highlight the success and impact of LHD's projects, through feature articles, social media spotlights, and demos.
  • Communicate LHD's open-source policy and mission to a wider audience to encourage community involvement.

• Team Leadership

  • Collaborate with all directors to understand their needs and effectively communicate their initiatives (e.g., promoting a workshop with the Events Director or a new feature/product launch with the Product Director).
• Finance Management
  • President

• Recruitment & Onboarding

Qualifications & Skills

• Required
  • Experience with content creation tools (e.g., Canva, Figma Buzz, Adobe Creative Suite).
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Experience managing social media accounts for an organization or brand.
  • Ability to think strategically about brand messaging and audience engagement.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple communication channels simultaneously.
  • Must be an active student at The University of Texas at Austin.

• Preferred

  • Familiarity with email marketing platforms.
  • Previous experience in a communications, marketing, or public relations role.

Term of Office

The Communications Director is expected to serve a full academic year, with renewal determined by majority approval of the Executive Board.