Communications and Outreach Manager

University of Colorado Boulder; Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 82,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Colorado Boulder seeks a Communications and Outreach Manager in the Strategic Relations and Communications Department to translate university priorities into multimedia stories engaging campus and beyond. This role combines strategy, storytelling, and hands-on content creation in a hybrid on-campus/remote schedule.

Under the Senior Director for Communication, you will partner with leaders, faculty, and units to deliver timely messages, measure impact, and advance an inclusive,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field and 5 years' experience in PR/communications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong project management and organizational abilities.
• Proficiency in multimedia storytelling and content creation.
• Experience with diverse audiences and accessibility considerations.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Audience analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in graphic design, journalism, marketing, public relations, or advertising

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Final Cut Pro

Premiere Pro

InDesign

HTML

Drupal

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.

Position Impact

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.

Who We Are

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 CompellingNarratives

• 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 andAudiences

• 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 Culturally ResponsiveCommunications

• Demonstrate cultural awareness and competence in developingcommunications for diverse audiences.
• Champion accessibility, inclusive storytelling, andcommunications practices that reflect the breadth of the universitycommunity.

Contribute to an Evolving University CommunicationsEnterprise

• Stay current with emerging technologies, platforms,storytelling practices, artificial intelligence, digital mediatrends, and changing audience behaviors.
• Experiment thoughtfully with new tools and approaches whilemaintaining standards for accuracy, ethics, accessibility, privacy,and institutional reputation.

30%:

Partner with the Office of Leadership Support andProgramming

• Dedicate approximately 30% of the position to supporting LSPpriorities and participating as an active member of the LSPteam.
• Responsibilities may include many of the functions noted above,which include:
• Strategic communication and marketing.
• Executive communication.
• Leadership storytelling.
• Multimedia content development.
• Event promotion.
• Occasional speech-writing for the senior vice chancellor ofLSP.

10%:

Support Leadership and ExecutiveCommunication

• Provide communication and content support to senior universityleaders, including messaging, talking points, digital content,multimedia storytelling, and occasional speech-writing.
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion when working withconfidential, sensitive, or high-profile information.

10%:

Other Duties as Assigned

To potentially include, but not limited to:

• Participation in the campus joint information center duringmajor emergencies.
• Event support.
• Serving on committees and task forces, as determined by theSenior Director for Communication and SRC leadership.

What You Should Know

This position is working in a hybrid work situation, working a mixof days on campus and remotely each week. This role could befully-in person.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this full-time position is $82,000 -$90,000.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we arecommitted to supporting the holistic health and well-being of ouremployees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical,dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuitionassistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for localtransit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulderoffers an inspiring academic community and access to world-classoutdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's BestLarge Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Coloradoand #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks andprograms through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be collaborative. Be game-changing. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• A bachelor's degree in graphic design, journalism, marketing,public relations, advertising or a related field. An equivalentcombination of education and experience may substitute on ayear-for-year basis.
• 5 years of relevant experience in a public relations orstrategic communications role; reporting or editing for a mediaorganization; institutional communications for a college,university or public agency/entity; or communications experience inthe private or nonprofit sectors.

What You Will Need

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, includingthe ability to synthesize information in a clear and concisemanner.
• Cultural awareness. Possess a deep and flexible culturalawareness of self and others-- in perceptions, values, beliefs,behaviors and practices -- and behaviorally shifts asappropriate.
• Adaptive communication. Contextualizes' equity commitments forvaried audiences without abandoning the substance of the work.
• Interpersonal relationship skills. Honors and incorporatesdiverse viewpoints, brings conflicts into the open and approachesthem as opportunities for growth, and involves appropriate partiesto find common ground or acceptable alternatives.
• Project management experience, including the ability to set andmeet set timelines, track project progress and communicatescheduling challenges.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and respond well to feedback.
• Strong organizational, prioritization and time managementskills.
• Photography and videography skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Excel,PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint and Teams.
• Knowledge of how to use social media tools in a professionalsetting.

What We Would Like You to Have

• 10+ years of relevant experience in a public relations orstrategic communications role; reporting or editing for a mediaorganization; institutional communications for a college,university or public agency/entity; or communications experience inthe private or nonprofit sectors.
• Master's degree (or equivalent experience) in communication,journalism, marketing, advertising, public relations or a relatedfield.
• Marketing and communications experience in a higher educationenvironment.
• Experience in email marketing.
• Experience working in an academic environment, communityorganization or nonprofit.
• Graphic design background.
• Proven expertise with Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, includingIllustrator, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro andInDesign.
• Knowledge of Web Express, ability to write HTML and/orexperience using Drupal or a similar website content managementsystem.