Communications And Outreach Manager

Job Summary:
The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) is seeking a creative and productive Communications Manager to support the Director, senior staff, faculty, and researchers with public-facing communications and media relations, as well as outreach. The primary objective of this position is to create engaging public messages, materials and content that communicate the broad range, value, and necessity of the superior life-saving research, services, and animal care occurring at the WNPRC. This position will report to the WNPRC Director.

The Communications Manager will develop audience-focused content, including targeted email, telephone and face-to-face responses to customers, news releases, newsletters, articles for outside requestors if such articles promote the center's mission, videos, photography, websites, presentations, and other material designed to promote WNPRC research and services. This position will coordinate consistent communications strategies, events, and other output with the WNPRC Director, the National Primate Research Centers, University Communications, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and other campus, state, national, and international collaborators and affiliates of the WNPRC, including biomedical research proponents. The Communications Manager assists as needed in coordinating and developing relevant communication tools to support activities related to long? and short? term strategic planning, federal relations, brand alignment and promotion, center development, and project development, implementation and evaluation.
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
• 20% 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
• 10% 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
• 20% Supervises the implementation of outreach-program-focused strategic planning initiatives & objectives. Promotes stable, productive relationships between the university & community. Strives to expand & ensure access to programs & educational services.

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.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion
Education:
Required
Bachelor's Degree in animal and/or biological sciences, communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
Qualifications:
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
-At least five years of full-time work experience in developing, writing, and/or editing print and online content and strategies, including website and social media, in a news media relations or a strategic communications setting.
-Superb writing and editing skills, particularly the ability to write with clarity, accuracy, and brevity.
-Exceptional attention to detail.
-Ability to adapt writing style to various media and audiences, including websites, social media and marketing items, targeted email responses, newsletters, outreach materials, and other communication needs.
-Fluency in drafting and editing publications and documents in standard Microsoft applications, as well as experience with InDesign or comparable application.
-Applied experience with updating and maintaining webpages on WordPress or other Content Management System.
-Experience and comfort speaking to diverse audiences.
-Demonstrated skill in translating complex scientific information into clear, engaging, and straightforward language for general audiences.
-Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to work independently, effectively, and efficiently under tight timeframes; must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
-Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to work independently and within a diverse team environment; must be committed to exceptional customer service for a wide range of end users and visitors.
-Strong problem solving and trouble shooting skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
-Experience in an academic communications setting strongly preferred.
-Familiarity with biomedical research and scholarship highly desirable.
-Experience with video editing software (iMovie, Adobe After Effects, etc.) preferred.
-Demonstrated experience with management and execution of livestreaming events/webinars highly desirable.
Work Type:
Full Time: 100%

This position will require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. (International remote work is not an option.) Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA). RWAs require successful candidates possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform their work on a university provided computer.
Appointment Type, Duration:
Ongoing/Renewable
Salary:
Minimum $66,000 ACADEMIC (9 months)
Depending on Qualifications
Employees in these positions can expect to receive a generous benefit package, including paid time off, competitive insurances and savings accounts, and retirement benefits.
Additional Information:
-University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer, and therefore, is not eligible to employ F1 STEM OPT Extension participants. If you are selected for this position, you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.
-Employees are expected to act in the best interest of the University and to protect the University from both actual conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest.
-The WNPRC is a tuberculosis free environment.
-A one-year period of evaluation will be required.

The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) is one of seven federally supported National Primate Research Centers and the only one in the Midwest. The WNPRC's mission is to increase the understanding of basic primate biology and to improve human health and quality of life through research. To accomplish this, the WNPRC helps discover treatments, preventions and cures for human disease; generates new knowledge of primate biology, from the molecular and whole animal levels to the understanding of primate ecosystems; facilitates research progress by providing expertise, resources and training to scientists worldwide; and collects primate information and disseminates to the research community and to the public.
How to Apply:
Click on the "Apply Online" button to start the application process.
You will be prompted to upload the following documents:
Resume (REQUIRED)
Cover letter (REQUIRED)

Please use your cover letter to speak to each of the Required Qualifications for this position (listed above in the Qualifications section). For each Required Qualification, describe your relevant experience, using specific examples from your work history to illustrate how your experience satisfies the requirement. If you have experience that matches with the Preferred Qualifications, describe your relevant experience with specific examples.

Final candidates will also be asked to provide at least 3 professional references, including phone and email addresses. In addition, finalists will need to provide 2 to 3 original writing samples, such as articles, newsletters, outreach materials, etc. that showcase their experience and skills.
Contact:
Deb Jurmu
djurmu@primate.wisc.edu
608-263-3504
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Official Title:
Communications Manager(CM003)
Department(s):
A34-OVCR/PRIMATE/PRIMATE
Employment Class:
Academic Staff-Renewable
Job Number:
304317-AS