Strategic Communications & Outreach Lead

University of Central Florida - College of Medicine; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 58,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Pegasus Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Central Florida leads strategic communications, outreach, and stakeholder engagement to raise visibility and impact of multidisciplinary research. This role oversees content, digital platforms, events, and brand alignment across channels, advising senior leadership on messaging and crisis communications.

We seek a senior communications leader with a master’s degree and 7–10 years in strategic communications, capable of managing complex

Qualifications

• Master's degree with 7-10 years in strategic communications, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, or related program communications.
• Experience in communications strategy, message architecture, editorial planning, and brand governance.
• Experience in executive, sponsor, and multi-stakeholder communications.
• Experience with workshops, events, councils, industry outreach, and stakeholder engagement.
• Oversight of website content, publications, newsletters, annual reports, and technical communications.
• Ability to manage sensitive issues, media inquiries, reputational risks, and crisis communications.
• Team leadership and workload prioritization across communications deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive communications and outreach strategies that support institutional goals, research initiatives, and stakeholder engagement objectives.
• Create messaging frameworks, communication plans, editorial calendars, and brand governance standards.
• Lead executive, sponsor, public, and multi-stakeholder communications, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Oversee website content, publications, newsletters, annual reports, technical communications, and other digital and print resources.
• Coordinate and support workshops, conferences, advisory councils, industry engagement activities, public events, and community outreach initiatives.
• Develop communications materials that translate complex research and programmatic information for diverse audiences.
• Manage communications review and approval processes to ensure quality, compliance, and alignment with standards.
• Provide guidance for sensitive issues, media inquiries, reputational risks, and crisis communications activities.
• Monitor communication effectiveness and stakeholder engagement metrics and recommend improvements to outreach strategies.
• Collaborate with institute leadership, researchers, sponsors, university partners, government agencies, industry representatives, and external stakeholders.
• Supervise communications projects, prioritize workloads, and manage deliverables across multiple initiatives and deadlines.

Skills

Communications strategy

Message architecture

Editorial planning

Brand governance

Executive communications

Stakeholder engagement

Events coordination

Crisis communications

Team leadership

Education

Master's degree in a relevant field

Job description

Pegasus Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Central Florida leads strategic communications, outreach, and stakeholder engagement to raise visibility and impact of multidisciplinary research. This role oversees content, digital platforms, events, and brand alignment across channels, advising senior leadership on messaging and crisis communications.

We seek a senior communications leader with a master’s degree and 7–10 years in strategic communications, capable of managing complex