Communications and Outreach Manager

University of Colorado System; Allenspark (CO); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

CU Boulder’s Strategic Relations and Communications Department invites applications for a Communications and Outreach Manager. This role blends strategy, storytelling, and digital fluency to translate university priorities into compelling content for campus and beyond.

You will partner with campus leaders to develop integrated communication strategies, create multimedia content, and drive engagement across channels while upholding inclusivity and editorial judgment.

Qualifications

• Experience in multimedia storytelling and content development.
• Strong editorial judgment and ability to translate complex initiatives into accessible narratives.
• Excellent collaboration, project management, and discretion.

Responsibilities

• Multimedia storytelling and content strategy: develop video, photography, social media, web and digital content, podcasts and other formats.
• Translate university priorities into compelling narratives in partnership with leaders and campus units.
• Think strategically across channels and audiences: create audience-centered content calendars and cohesive cross-channel messaging.
• Serve as a creative and strategic partner: bring entrepreneurial approaches to campaigns and experiences.
• Measure, learn, and optimize using analytics and trends to improve content, engagement and impact.

Job description

Job Summary

The Strategic Relations and Communications Department at CU Boulderinvites applications for a Communications and OutreachManager ! This role is a strategic multimedia communicationprofessional who helps translate university priorities, leadershipvision, and institutional initiatives into compelling stories andexperiences that engage diverse audiences across campus and beyond.Working within Strategic Relations and Communications and under theguidance of the Senior Director for Communication, this positioncombines critical thinking, creative storytelling, digital fluency,and audience-centered communication to advance the university’smission and priorities for a variety of campus administrativeunits.

The manager serves as a creative communication partner to campusleaders and administrative units, developing integratedcommunication strategies and multimedia content across a constantlyevolving university communication enterprise. The role movesfluidly among strategy, storytelling, content development, andproject execution—identifying opportunities to amplifyinstitutional priorities through the right channels, formats,voices, and platforms.

This position is designed for a communication professional who seesbeyond individual deliverables to the larger opportunity: buildinga more connected, contemporary, and strategic universitycommunication ecosystem. The successful candidate will help theuniversity tell its story with greater creativity, consistency,agility, and impact—using multimedia storytelling and emergingcommunication practices to advance institutional priorities anddeepen engagement with the audiences who matter most.

The role requires exceptional collaboration, editorial judgment,creativity, project management, and discretion, as well as theability to move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-oncontent creation. Success will depend on the ability to anticipatecommunication opportunities, build trusted partnerships, and turninstitutional priorities into stories that people understand,remember, and want to engage with.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with allapplicable federal, state, and local laws governingnondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals withdisabilities.

As the university’s central marketing and communications team,Strategic Relations and Communications advances CU Boulder’smission, vision and reputation through an integrated communicationsapproach supporting a campus-wide experience that inspires greateraffinity and engagement.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

50%:

Multimedia Storytelling and Content Strategy

• Develop and produce a broad range of high-qualitycommunications, including video, photography, social media, web anddigital content, podcasts and other emerging formats, emailcampaigns, print materials, infographics, executive communication,and other creative assets.
• Find opportunities to repurpose and extend content acrossplatforms and audiences.

Translate University Priorities into Compelling Narratives

• Partner with university leaders, communicators, faculty, staff,students, and campus units to understand strategic goals andtranslate complex initiatives into clear, accessible, and engagingstories.
• Help shape narratives that demonstrate the university’s impact,distinguish its strengths, and connect institutional priorities tothe experiences of its communities.

Think Strategically Across Channels and Audiences

• Develop audience-centered communications approaches and contentcalendars that consider purpose, timing, voice, platform,accessibility, cultural context, and desired outcomes.
• Help ensure communications are coordinated across channels andcontribute to a cohesive university narrative.

Serve as a Creative and Strategic Partner

• Bring an entrepreneurial, problem-solving approach tocommunications projects, helping campus partners move from ideasand opportunities to effective campaigns, stories, andexperiences.
• Recommend innovative approaches, technologies, platforms, andstorytelling formats that strengthen the university’scommunications capabilities.

Measure, Learn, and Optimize

• Use audience insights, analytics, social and digitalperformance data, and other measures to assess communicationseffectiveness.
• Translate data and emerging trends into recommendations thatimprove content, engagement, reach, and impact.

Advance Inclusive and