Marketing and Communications Director (College of Computing & AI)

University of Wisconsin - Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous vacation

Insurance

Retirement benefits

Job summary

The College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence (CAI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison seeks an experienced Marketing and Communications Director to shape the college’s identity and presence. You will lead the marketing and communications function, partnering with college leadership to implement an integrated strategy that elevates reputation and engagement.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, you will build a proactive operation, guide a communications team, and balance

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in communications, marketing, public relations, or related field.
• Experience leading strategic marketing or communications initiatives across multiple audiences and channels.
• Ability to translate complex research or technical topics for diverse audiences.
• Experience directing work of others and coordinating teams.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience advising leaders and collaborating with stakeholders on communications strategy.
• Ability to set priorities, exercise sound judgment, and manage competing demands.

Responsibilities

• Audits and directs day-to-day operational plans to align with strategic initiatives and meet objectives.
• Develops and monitors strategic communication initiatives for designated audiences and internal stakeholders.
• Supervises and develops staff, including hiring, promoting, and performance management for at least 2.0 FTE.
• Manages media relationships and partnerships with internal and external sources.
• Proposes and implements new or revived operational policies and procedures.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategic communications

Stakeholder management

Excellent writing

Research communication

Project coordination

Prioritization skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Marketing and Communications Director

Requisition number: JR10016119

Remote type: On Site

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Category: Communications and Marketing

Time type: Full time

Job category: Limited

Employment type: Regular

Job profile: Communications Director (B)

Department: UW-Madison, College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence

Job summary

The College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence (CAI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking an experienced and collaborative leader to serve as its Marketing and Communications Director. As UW–Madison’s first new college in more than 40 years, CAI is at a defining moment in building its identity, reputation, and organizational culture. This position offers a distinctive opportunity to help shape how a new college tells its story, engages its audiences, and establishes its presence as a leader in computing, data, information, and artificial intelligence.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer & Chief of Staff, the Marketing and Communications Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for the college’s marketing and communications function. Working in close partnership with college leadership, the Director will develop and implement an integrated marketing and communications strategy that advances CAI’s priorities, strengthens its reputation, and builds the college’s marketing capabilities.

The Director will lead and develop the college’s communications team, establish priorities and effective workflows, and strengthen coordination across the college, its departments, and the broader university. They will help build a proactive, collaborative marketing and communications operation that elevates faculty and student achievements, advances research visibility, supports internal engagement, and responds thoughtfully to emerging opportunities and challenges.

As a trusted advisor to college leadership, the Director will bring strategic judgment, creativity, and communications expertise to a dynamic academic environment. The successful candidate will be comfortable balancing long-term strategy with hands‑on leadership and will thrive in an evolving organization where there is an opportunity to build, innovate, and make a lasting impact.

Key job responsibilities

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

Compensation

The expected salary range for this position is $90,000 to $128,500 with flexibility based on qualifications and experience. Candidates whose qualifications and experience support placement at or above the top of this salary range are expected to demonstrate substantial relevant experience and expertise in strategic communications and marketing leadership.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as:

• Generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off
• Competitive insurances and savings accounts
• Retirement benefits

Required qualifications

• At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic marketing or communications initiatives across multiple audiences and channels, including coordinating stakeholders and managing complex projects.
• Experience communicating complex research, technical, or complex subject matter to various audiences.
• Demonstrated experience directing the work of others, including coordinating assignments, providing feedback, or leading project teams.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, accurate, and compelling content.
• Experience advising organizational leaders and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on communications strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, exercise sound judgment, and manage competing demands in a complex organizational environment.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience working in a research-intensive university, academic division, research institute, or similarly complex organization, with an understanding of academic culture and institutional decision-making.
• Experience supervising, coaching, and developing professional marketing or communications staff.
• Experience developing audience-focused marketing strategies including digital campaigns, audience research, analytics, or strategies supporting student recruitment and enrollment.
• Experience leading research communications, media relations, or thought leadership initiatives that strengthen organizational reputation and visibility.
• Experience establishing or improving marketing and communications operations, including workflows, editorial planning, resource allocation, and coordination across multiple units.
• Experience advising senior leaders on sensitive issues or high-profile reputational opportunities.
• Experience managing budgets, external vendors, or agency relationships.

Education

Bachelor’s degree required

Conditions of Appointment

This is a 100% Limited Staff appointment. Salary will be assigned within the appropriate range, commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience. An excellent benefits package is also included. Successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

Contact information

Kayla Weisensel at [e-mail]

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1.

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.

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).