Communications Director

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Job Category:

Employment Type:

Job Profile:

Job Summary:

The Communications Director serves as a communications strategist and trusted advisor in the Office of the Provost on executive, internal and institutional communications. The director operates as both a strategic advisor and an operational leader, balancing high-level counsel with hands-on execution across a broad portfolio of work.

This role is responsible for:

Executive and strategic communications

• Leads the development and execution of communications strategies that support the Office of the Provost and advance the academic mission of the University
• Ensures that high-level communications are reflective of the campus strategic framework

Internal communications leadership

• Leads communications efforts related to academic initiatives, leadership transitions, organizational priorities, policy changes and operational updates

Communications coordination

• Strengthens alignment and supports the institutional brand across the Provost's portfolio
• Develops communication that supports transparency, alignment, engagement and change management across complex academic units
• Develops a communications strategy workflow, and smooth execution on daily needs, as well as longer term projects
• Fosters connections and supports alignment and partnership among communicators in units reporting to the Office of the Provost
• Ensures alignment with central campus communication priorities and the Office of Strategic Communication Issues management
• Anticipates institutional risks, reputational considerations and opportunities
• Provides guidance on sensitive and high-profile issues, serves as a key liaison with university-wide partners, and assists in executing urgent or emergency communications

Content development

• Supports the provost's engagements with internal and external audiences
• Develops presentations, correspondence, speeches, remarks, web content and talking points
• Manages daily operational communication needs of the Office of the Provost
• As needed, support units reporting to the Office of the Provost

The Communications Director will report to the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Provost with a dotted line to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs and Institutional Communications in the Office of Strategic Communication to ensure communication coordination and alignment.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Develops, implements, and monitors strategic communication initiatives for designated audiences and internal stakeholders to maximize engagement and strengthen collaboration efforts (40%)

• Identifies, establishes, and directs media relationships and partnerships with internal and external sources (20%)

• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revived operational policies and procedures (20%)

• Audits and directs day-to-day operational plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives (20%)

Department:

Office of the Provost

Compensation:

The minimum salary for this position is $125,000. Actual salary is negotiable and will depend on the selected candidate's qualifications.

This position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid-time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Review the benefits summary for more information.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of progressively responsible communications experience
• Exceptional writing, editing and verbal communication skills
• Experience leading communications in complex environments
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated organizational judgment, discretion, and ability to manage confidential and sensitive matters
• Experience prioritizing and managing multiple competing priorities
• Track record of building trust through clarity, follow through, and consistency
• Proven ability to build relationships and influence across multiple stakeholders without formal authority
• Experience managing organizational change or large-scale internal communications initiatives
• Demonstrated openness to learning, listening to different perspectives, and adapting strategies when presented with new information
• Understanding of communication technologies and channels and a vision for using them strategically
• Familiarity with higher education organizational structures, including shared governance; academic culture; and institutional decision-making processes
• Experience advising institutional leaders or senior executives on communication strategy and messaging
• Skilled facilitator
  

Education:

Bachelor's degree required

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.

Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Contact Information:

Kory Breuer, HR Manager, kory.breuer@wisc.edu

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
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