Communications Lead

umd

College Park (MD)

On-site

USD 94,000 - 112,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Job summary

University of Maryland, College Park seeks a Communications Lead within the Elevate team to distill technical and project information into clear messaging for the broader university community.

The role supervises a Communications Specialist, manages the communications plan, and coordinates with campus liaisons to ensure timely, culturally aligned content delivery and measurable impact.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Three (3) years of professional communications or marketing experience.
One (1) year of experience leading or supervising professional staff.
Additional work experience as defined above may be substituted on a year for year basis for up to four (4) years of the required education.

Responsibilities

Distills functional, technical, and project information into messaging for a broad University audience.
Manages the communications plan to ensure timely development, approval, and delivery.
Coordinates with school/college liaisons to develop templates and ready content.
Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of communications efforts.

Skills

Writing

Editing

Proofreading

Oral communication

Written communication

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Prioritization

Multitasking

Customer service

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Job Description Summary & Additional Information

Job Description Summary:

This position is available within the University of Maryland’s Division of Information Technology (DIT).

Join our Elevate team to be part of the transformation to the next generation of student services computing at the University of Maryland (UMD). We are seeking an experienced communicator to serve as a Communications Lead for the Elevate team.

The Communications Lead, supervising the Communications Specialist, distills functional, technical, and project-related information into messaging that will be consumed by the broader University community. The position is responsible for managing the communications plan to ensure efficient and effective development, approval, and delivery. Additionally this role monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of the communications efforts. The communications team also coordinates with communication liaisons at each school or college to develop templates and ready content to ensure information is distributed in a timely fashion and is culturally aligned to intended recipients.

The Communications Lead receives direct supervision from the Director but is expected to work across the Elevate team as necessary.

**This position is considered essential and may be required to work at the normal work location or an alternative location during a major catastrophic event, weather emergency, or other operational emergency to help maintain the continuity of University services.**

**May be required to work evenings, nights, weekends, or different shifts for extended periods.**

Physical Demands:

Normal office environment - Sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negotiable amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to travel around campus for meetings and to attend to duties.

Preferences:

Prior experience working within a higher-education environment (institutional, consulting, or system implementation) is strongly preferred.
Strong writing, storytelling, and strategic communication skills, with demonstrated ability to produce clear, audience‑specific content for complex initiatives.
Skilled at translating technical or process‑heavy information into accessible communications for broad stakeholder groups.
Experience overseeing communication planning, messaging frameworks, and digital content management for major technology or transformation initiatives.
Collaborative and detail‑oriented, able to partner with project team members and campus stakeholders in fast‑moving environments.

Additional Information:

Please note that all positions within the Division of Information Technology (DIT) have an in person component with expected time in our College Park, MD location per week. Telework is not a guaranteed work arrangement.

Visa Sponsorship Information:

DIT will not sponsor the successful candidate for work authorization in the United States now or in the future.
F1 STEM OPT support is not available for this position.

Required Application Materials:

Resume

Cover Letter

List of three References

Best Consideration Date:

July 28, 2026

Posting Close Date:

Open until Filled

Open Until Filled:

Yes

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Experience: Three (3) years of professional communications or marketing experience. One (1) year of experience leading or supervising professional staff. Other: Additional work experience as defined above may be substituted on a year for year basis for up to four (4) years of the required education.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES: Knowledge of writing, editing, and proofreading. Skill in oral and written communication. Skill in the use of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace products. Ability to prioritize assignments. Ability to multitask while demonstrating a commitment to customer service.

Job Risks

Not Applicable to This Position

Department

DIT-ERP-Enterprise Resource Planning

Worker Sub-Type

Staff Contractual (C2) (Fixed Term)

Salary Range

$93,720 - $112,464

Benefits Summary

For more information on Staff Contractual CII benefits, select this link.

Background Checks

Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information reported by the background check will not automatically disqualify anyone from employment. Before any adverse decision, the finalist will have an opportunity to provide information to the University regarding background check information. The University reserves the right to rescind the offer of employment or otherwise decline or terminate employment if the information reported by the background check is deemed incompatible with the position, regardless of when the background check is completed.

Employment Eligibility

The successful candidate must complete employment eligibility verification (on Form I-9) by presenting documents that establish identity and work authorization within the timeframe required by federal immigration law, and where applicable, to demonstrate renewed employment authorization. Failure to complete employment eligibility verification or reverification within the timeframe set forth by law may result in suspension or termination of employment.

EEO Statement

The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. Please read the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy.

Title IX Non-Discrimination Notice

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