Responsibilities

• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures
• Manages media relations, including proactive outreach and response coordination, and supports crisis and issues-related communication
• Supervises a student writer: this includes hiring, promotions, managing performance, assigning tasks, and approving their hours.
• Prepares executive remarks, messages, and presentations
• Manages the day-to-day operational unit plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives
• Develops, implements, and delivers communication materials through various mediums to designated audiences
• Plans, writes, and edits content for various internal and external stakeholders
• Plans and directs unit programs and/or projects to ensure adherence to deadlines and budgets

Requirements

• Experience authoring executive-level messaging, scripts, and/or formal remarks
• Experience with public and/or media relations
• Experience with communication planning and execution
• Ability to humanize initiatives with compelling narratives
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Ability to prioritize tasks and perform effectively under tight deadlines.
• High attention to detail: Superior editing skills with a sharp eye for accuracy, tone, and brand consistency
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional-level experience

Preferred

• Ability to exercise high discretion and sound judgment when interacting with executive and senior institutional leaders
• Demonstrated experience using plain language principles to translate complex or technical information for general audiences
• Familiarity with current public institution issues, trends, and governance in higher education
• A minimum of 5 years of professional work experience that includes executive messaging, media/public relations, strategic storytelling, and communications planning.

Benefits

• This position offers 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.