Arts Communications Director: Lead Strategy & Brand

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking a Communications Director to lead a six-person team within the Division of the Arts. This role shapes the department's voice, strategy, and brand across campus and beyond, coordinating with faculty, staff, and external partners.

Reporting to the Senior Director for Arts and Media, the director will oversee budgets, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives, and attend events, including evenings and weekends, to advance UW‑Madison's arts profile.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years related professional experience.
• Specialized knowledge in strategic communications, public relations, marketing, media relations, journalism, brand strategy, or visual communications.
• Experience engaging multiple audiences through different channels and a variety of media.
• Exceptional communicator and editor with a clear, compelling, and accessible voice.
• Experience managing complex communications initiatives and programs.
• Minimum two years experience supervising professional staff.
• Minimum two years experience building and managing budgets.

Responsibilities

• Creates communications content
• Develops, implements, and monitors strategic communication initiatives for designated audiences and internal stakeholders to maximize engagement and strengthen collaboration efforts
• Identifies, establishes, and directs media relationships and partnerships with internal and external sources
• Audits and directs day‑to‑day operational plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives
• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revived operational policies and procedures
• 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

Skills

Strategic communications

Public relations

Marketing

Media relations

Brand strategy

Visual communications

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking a Communications Director to lead a six-person team within the Division of the Arts. This role shapes the department's voice, strategy, and brand across campus and beyond, coordinating with faculty, staff, and external partners.

Reporting to the Senior Director for Arts and Media, the director will oversee budgets, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives, and attend events, including evenings and weekends, to advance UW‑Madison's arts profile.