Graduate School Communications Manager

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 61,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Comprehensive benefits package

Wisconsin Retirement System

Job summary

The Graduate School at UW–Madison seeks a Communications Manager to guide proactive communications for graduate education and postdoctoral training.

Reporting to the Assistant Dean, you will lead web content, email campaigns, analytics, and cross‑unit outreach, driving measurable impact. This full‑time hybrid role requires strong writing and collaboration across a large university.

Hybrid work includes at least 3 days on site and 1–2 days remote per week.

Qualifications

• Strong written communication with ability to adapt style for audience.
• Experience with website strategy and CMS (e.g., WordPress).
• Experience planning and executing targeted email campaigns.
• Ability to manage end-to-end communications projects.
• Ability to analyze web/email metrics to improve outreach.
• Collaborative mindset with cross-functional partners.
• Proactive planning and project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Manages day-to-day unit plans aligned with strategic initiatives.
• Identifies and updates unit policies and procedures.
• Directs unit programs and projects to meet deadlines and budgets.
• Writes and edits content for internal and external audiences.
• Develops and delivers communication materials across mediums.
• Collaborates with campus partners to align timelines and initiatives.

Skills

Written communication

Website strategy

Email marketing

Project management

Web analytics

Collaboration

Proactive planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

WordPress

Eloqua

Job description

Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Communications Manager

Job Summary

The Graduate School Communications Manager will report to the Assistant Dean for Professional Development and Communications and serve as a communications expert responsible for guiding the development, execution, and continuous improvement of a proactive communications strategy that elevates the visibility and impact of graduate education and postdoctoral training across UW–Madison.

This role offers an exciting opportunity for a collaborative communications professional ready to leverage strong written communication skills, as well as expertise in web strategy, analytics, email marketing, and targeted outreach. This position will amplify existing offerings, track audience engagement, and ensure various stakeholders and campus partners are informed and supported. Highly qualified candidates will bring strong written communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and the leadership trajectory required to independently plan, manage complex projects, and drive unit-level communications initiatives across a large, decentralized organization.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Manages the day-to-day operational unit plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives (30%)
• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures (5%)
• Plans and directs unit programs and/or projects to ensure adherence to deadlines and budgets (5%)
• Plans, writes, and edits content for various internal and external stakeholders (20%)
• Develops, implements, and delivers communication materials through various mediums to designated audiences (20%)
• Collaborates proactively with internal Graduate School teams and distributed campus partners to align communications timelines, foster shared ownership, and support cross-institutional initiatives. (20%)

Department

The Graduate School - Office of Professional Development and Communications

The UW–Madison Graduate School provides institutional leadership for graduate education, serving over 11,000 graduate students, 800 postdocs, and over 260 master’s, specialist, and doctoral degree programs. The Graduate School fosters excellence in partnership with graduate programs, faculty, and staff by advancing graduate students’ and postdocs’ research, learning, career development, and professional success. The Office of Professional Development and Communications (OPDC) coordinates, develops, and promotes learning opportunities to foster the academic, professional, and life skills of the graduate education community, and portrays, through various media platforms, the values and identity of the graduate education mission of the university.

Compensation

The expected starting salary for this position is $68,000. Actual pay will depend on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.

This position is eligible for 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. Review the benefits summary for more information.

Work Type and Location

This an ongoing, full-time (100% FTE) position.

This is a hybrid position, with the expectation of at least 3 days of on-site work per week and flexibility for 1-2 days of remote work per week.

Required Qualifications

• At least 2 years of professional experience providing communication support, working both independently and within team settings.
• Strong written communication skills, with keen attention to audience, accuracy, accessibility, and clarity. Demonstrated ability to write in a variety of professional styles, including drafting web copy, email marketing, and announcements.
• Experience with website strategy and user-centered design principles using content management systems (e.g., WordPress).
• Experience developing and executing targeted email campaigns, newsletters, or other mass communication using email marketing tools (e.g., Eloqua).
• Experience managing end-to-end communications projects, including establishing timelines, coordinating cross-functional contributors, and tracking deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze web and email metrics (e.g., Google Analytics, email platform reports) to evaluate engagement and refine outreach strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships with colleagues, subject matter experts, and distributed institutional partners.
• Demonstrated ability to take a proactive approach to planning and project management, anticipating upcoming communications needs well in advance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience and/or interest in writing feature stories about graduate and postdoc work and accomplishments.
• Experience working within higher education and familiarity with graduate (master’s and doctoral) education.
• Experience with digital layout, design, and/or video editing tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva).
• Experience developing advance editorial calendars and project workflows for multi-channel initiatives.

Education

Bachelor’s degree required; focus in a communication-related field is preferred but candidates with any relevant background and training are encouraged to apply.

Contact Information

Kory Breuer, HR Manager, [e-mail]

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.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, 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 by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including 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.