Executive Director of Communications

Salary:

Negotiable
ANNUAL (12 months)
This position is eligible for a relocation stipend as well as a signing bonus of up to 10% of the position's annual base salary. 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. For a summary of benefits, please see https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf .

Job Summary:

The Executive Director of Communications will join an energetic and forward-thinking team committed to the mission of creating a diverse, inclusive, and excellent learning and working environment for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), one of America's top-ranked public universities. Reporting to the Senior Operations Officer and Chief of Staff to the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) for the University and Director of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement (the Division or DDEEA), the Executive Director of Communications will be a passionate and strategic thinker working creatively to champion the culture of belonging and advance the work of the Division in multiple platforms and media. This position has institution-wide influence, providing strategic communications leadership and consultation across campus. This is an exceptional opportunity to embrace the values of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) by directing and implementing strategic communications with a focus on raising the profile of campus EDIB efforts locally, regionally, and nationally.

UW-Madison is committed to creating an inclusive environment that enables all students, faculty, and staff to thrive. Since 2014, this work has been guided by the campus Diversity Framework and its 10-year implementation plan, R.E.E.L. Change. As the final two years of the plan are enacted, the campus reaffirms its commitment to this work, continuing to focus on the following four priorities:
- Build a culture of organizational learning that promotes the principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging;
- Foster a culture of belonging to enhance the recruitment and retention of students, staff and faculty, especially those from underrepresented populations;
- Facilitate an effective model of distributed strategic diversity leadership for shared visioning and implementation;
- Utilize and maximize data to inform equity-minded policies, practices, and decision-making.

The Executive Director of Communications will be expected to:
- Design and implement strategic divisional communication plans that interweave marketing, storytelling, messaging, and engagement to celebrate the mission, goals, and accomplishments of the Division and the institution to internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide leadership to the communications team, setting direction and priorities that align with the strategic directives of the CDO, and taking a collaborative approach to coaching and mentoring the team to improve effectiveness.
- Provide oversight and direction for the Division Events team, which develops manages, and executes divisional and institutional-level events in support of learning, engagement, and community building related to EDIB.
- Provide strategic support and oversight of the research, production, and publication of articles, internal messages, news releases, speeches for the CDO, social media posts, and other media content.
- Develop protocols to enhance and maintain a divisional brand strategy for all divisional communications and events, promoting awareness across communication platforms, and working in collaboration with key partners in University Relations.
- Take a collaborative approach with campus partners to raise the profile of the Division by establishing award conventions, nomination processes, and organizational protocols for the recognition of excellence in EDIB across the university.
- Provide strategic allocation of human and financial resources and supervision of unit staff. Effectively oversee, manage, and evaluate staff in accordance with university policies and procedures. In addition, foster a culture of organizational learning, professional development, and continuous quality improvement among the communication and events teams.
- Foster a strong culture of inclusivity by identifying, establishing, and cultivating collaborative relationships and partnerships with colleagues in University Communications, University Marketing, external media stakeholders, and other relevant parties.
- Take an active role in serving on campus-wide communication councils, committees, and task forces with a wide range of constituencies.
- Provide leadership of various university programs and committees, as needed, on EDIB communication issues. Collaborate with, and advise, other campus stakeholders on effective EDIB communication strategies.
- Advise and prepare the CDO on critical communication issues, interviews, special projects, and compelling storytelling to celebrate the good work of the Division and the university.
- Develop a crisis communications plan, manage the crisis communications response for the Division, and assist central campus in relevant crisis communication efforts.
- Coordinate with University Relations and other campus stakeholders in working with local, state, and federal policymakers, as well as community and corporate partners.
- Ensure that the most current technologies and effective communication platforms are utilized by Division staff

Responsibilities: Directs communications strategic planning, and execution. Provides approval and guidance for communications including staffing and budgetary planning in support of institutional communication goals.

• 30% Develops, implements, and monitors strategic communication initiatives for designated audiences and internal stakeholders to maximize engagement and strengthen collaboration efforts
• 30% Identifies, establishes, and directs media relationships and partnerships with internal and external sources
• 10% Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revived operational policies and procedures
• 10% Audits and directs day-to-day operational plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives
• 20% Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

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
Degree in English, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field

Preferred
Master's Degree
Or advanced degree in communications, marketing, or a related discipline

Qualifications:

The Executive Director of Communications will provide strategic Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) leadership to the DDEEA Communications unit and will function as a central campus communications resource by serving as a convener, catalyst, consultant, and passionate community builder. Central to the position is a proven ability to engage diverse audiences and move them to action through compelling storytelling and marketing across multiple platforms, including web, social media, podcasts and events.

- Professional experience in strategic communications, marketing, public relations and/or media, preferably related to higher education.
- Knowledge and understanding of issues and communications relevant to EDIB, particularly within a large and complex organization.
- Awareness of current events, issues, and developments in higher education in general, and in large public institutions of higher education in particular, with a focus on EDIB.
- Knowledge of and experience with news media operations and protocols, from the research process through effective dissemination.
- Demonstrated savvy with exercising discretion when handling sensitive or confidential material.
- Experience working collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds, including senior campus leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, communications colleagues, community members, and news media.
- Ability to anticipate public events that can be used to advance institutional objectives, or that might spark a crisis, and address them accordingly.
- Expertise with organizing and managing multiple projects in fast-paced environments while balancing various priorities and a varying workload.
- Experience with leading, managing, and empowering teams toward a shared goal.
- Proficiency in resource management.

Work Type:

Full Time: 100%

It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Additional Information:

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their 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 need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

How to Apply:

AGB is assisting the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this search. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. To assure full consideration please submit your application before June 20, 2023.

Candidates should provide:

1. A letter of interest that addresses specifically the leadership priorities described in the profile.
2. A current curriculum vitae or resume.
3. The names and contact information of five professional references including their relationship to the candidate. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the candidate.

Application materials and nominations should be sent electronically (Word and PDF) to: UWMadisonDirCommunications@agbsearch.com.

Nominations and expressions of interest are encouraged and will continue to be accepted through the application deadline. Please note that all nominations are kept confidential by AGB Search.

Please direct confidential inquiries and, nominations to:
- Concetta M. Stewart, Ph.D., Principal, concetta.stewart@agbsearch.com, 908-341-2178
- Tamara Jhashi, Ph.D., Executive Search Consultant, tamara.jhashi@agbsearch.com, 248-821-4766

Contact:

Kayla Eckerty
kayla.eckerty@wisc.edu
608-890-4609
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Communications Director (Inst)(CM072)

Department(s):

A02-GENERAL SERVICES/A0205/G SERV/COMMUNICATIONS

Employment Class:

Limited

Job Number:

278071-LI

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, 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 through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website: https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/

Employment will require a criminal background check. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding 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).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department .