| Employer | UW-Madison | Student Affairs |
|---|---|
| Location | Madison, WI | Remote |
| Type | Full time |
| Apply by | February 17, 2025 |
| More details | https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/communications-manager-for-new-students-madison-wisconsin-united-states-1 |
| Posted on | February 6, 2025 |
Description
We are seeking an individual who values community, loves UW-Madison, and can’t wait to welcome new Badgers to campus. As the communications manager for new students, you will be charged with leading a collaborative and strategic communications approach to onboarding new students and accompanying them through their first year on campus.
As a member of the central Student Affairs communications team, you will work closely with Student Affairs colleagues and campus partners to align communications in support of a positive student experience. This will include overseeing communications and promotions for Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) and Wisconsin Welcome; supporting new student convocation; aligning new student and parent/family communications; and fulfilling compliance requirements for first-year communications. You will have the option to hire a student intern team to support these efforts.
The ideal candidate is a natural collaborator and influencer who centers inclusion and belonging in their work; a skilled facilitator and planner with a demonstrated record of success; and someone who has experience coordinating student-facing communications at the university level.
Student Affairs comprises approximately 850 professional staff from departments located across campus. We are unified by our dedication to ensuring every student experiences a just and caring community, a sense of belonging, and academic and personal success at UW-Madison. We seek candidates who are student-centered, practice collaboration, strive for excellence, and are eager to lead in making our campus a welcoming place for all students.
Responsibilities:
Develops and supervises the execution of communication programs and may supervise personnel and/or other resources in support of institutional or unit communication goals.
• 20% Manages the day-to-day operational unit plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives
• 15% Plans, writes, and edits content for various internal and external stakeholders
• 10% Plans and directs unit programs and/or projects to ensure adherence to deadlines and budgets
• 15% Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures
• 20% Develops, implements, and delivers communication materials through various mediums to designated audiences
• 5% Monitors reach and effectiveness of communication campaigns, projects, and initiatives
• 15% Facilitates alignment of new student communications among Student Affairs and campus colleagues
Tasks:
• Communications strategy and planning — Identify opportunities for communication alignment and collaboration; coordinate workflow; and refine or create work processes in support of a positive new student experience.
• New student orientation & welcome programming — Oversee branding, communication strategy, and promotional/collateral needs for SOAR and Wisconsin Welcome. Assist chancellor’s office with new student convocation.
• Parents & families — Assist staff from the Parent and Family Program to develop and implement a communication plan that aligns with new student issues and outreach.
• Compliance — Monitor and adhere to federal, state, UW System, and university requirements for communications to new students. Track and internally submit fulfillment of required communications.
• Required first-year programs — Coordinate communications from Student Affairs departments (University Health Services and Office of Inclusion Education) and Graduate School related to required online programs for new students.
• Website, social media, e-blasts — Set the communication strategy, content plan, and upkeep for SOAR website, Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement social media channels, and for SOAR and Wisconsin Welcome promotions.
• Supervision and advising — Hire and manage student interns to coordinate communication project workflow and execution. Advise on new student communication-related projects led by Student Affairs staff and interns.
• Special projects — Assist with development and facilitation of operational plans in support of special projects or campaigns. Support other Student Affairs departments as needed.
Qualifications:
Required — Minimum 5 years relevant professional experience, including managing multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment and leading student-facing communications in a higher education setting. Excellent organizational, writing/editing, and communication skills.
Preferred — At least 10 years relevant professional experience; ability to assess and align diverse stakeholder needs to meet organizational goals; excellent facilitation skills; supervisory experience; skilled with using content management systems (e.g., WordPress), email marketing software (e.g., Eloqua, MailChimp), project management software (e.g., Asana), and social media platforms.
Click here to apply online.
Application Deadline—February 17, 2025.