Jobs That Make a Difference: Senior Director Communications

At Cengage Group, our mission-driven culture creates jobs that make a difference in the lives of learners. Working here means having a direct impact by helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. From Directors of Content Development to Account Executives, our people help give learners the choice in how, where and what they learn.

We spoke with Emily F., Senior Director Communications, about why she is passionate about sharing Cengage Group’s mission and impact through storytelling. 

 

 

How does your role and the work you do help students and learners?

As part of the Group Communications team, I help tell Cengage Group’s story. My aim is to increase understanding for who we are, what we do and why we do it. The work we do each day impacts the lives of learners and educators. It’s powerful. In my role, I’m focused on showcasing that impact in a way that is authentic, relatable and easy to understand when speaking to a range of engaged audiences – from talent to customers,  investors and the media.

What is something you're proud of that has impacted learners?

There have been many inflection points in my years with the company that I’m proud of, but the most recent was the beta launch of our GenAI Student Assistant. Collaborating closely with stakeholders from across our product, technology, research and marketing teams, we showcased the thoughtful and solution-driven approach that our teams adopted while developing and introducing this product to the market; all with the ultimate goal of enhancing learning. I’m proud of the way we were able to highlight that innovation and the collaborative process we took to develop this product in partnership with educators and students.  

What motivated you to work at Cengage Group and in edtech? 

I spent the first half of my career working for public relations agencies. It was fast-paced, exciting work – there was always a new challenge, a new client or industry to tackle. When I made the transition to working in-house – working for directly for a company to manage its public relations activities – it was important to me to work for an organization that made a meaningful impact. I’ve experienced first-hand how education can shape an individual and know how powerful it can be. When the opportunity at Cengage Group came up, I saw it as a perfect way to marry my skills and experience in a field where I felt passionate.  

Based on your experience, what is the strongest element of Cengage Group’s culture? 

One of the core tenants of our ethos is “doing more together,” and in my experience, this truly is one of the top strengths we have as an organization: the people. We have a collaborative culture at Cengage Group; we are united in our mission of helping learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams.  

In what ways have the opportunities at Cengage Group contributed to your career growth? 

I’ve been incredibly lucky during my time at Cengage Group to have had managers and mentors who have helped me strengthen my skills, expand my responsibilities and explore new areas of opportunity. Cengage Group has a comprehensive goal setting and performance review process that I have found incredibly valuable – it allows me to have a firm sense of direction and guidance in what I am working towards and how my success will be measured. I have always felt that my work was recognized and appreciated here, which has been an incredible source of motivation for me to stay with the company and continue to grow in my responsibilities.   

My managers have always been transparent and supportive about the career opportunities that exist for me at Cengage Group, and because of this, I have been able to stay with the company through several promotions.  

Why is continuous learning important? 

The only thing that is constant is change. This holds true in communications, as in most fields, with strategies, tactics and best practices constantly evolving. Whether it is consolidation in the media landscape or the emergence and disappearance of social networks, I have found complacency is not an option. You have to be open to learning new skills, experimenting with new technologies and opening yourself up to new experiences. An openness to continuous learning has been vital for me as I strive to grow in my career. As a hiring manager, I also highly value this quality when recruiting and managing talent.

Learn More:

Cengage Group employees make an impact and change the world. Here, transparency and collaboration are core values. We provide challenging careers, competitive benefits, a strong technology focus and a great team of co-workers and customers.

To learn more and apply for an open role, visit the careers section of our website.