Communications Manager

Job Description

The Office of the Vice President for Communications (OVPC) is the central communications unit for the University of Michigan and works in collaboration with hundreds of communicators across our three campuses and academic medical center. Within that larger unit, you will play an important role on our Public Affairs team, which handles reputational issues, media inquiries for the central administration, and communications planning for major initiatives.

Our work is often fast-paced, deadline-driven, and high-volume, requiring diplomacy, organizational skills, and resourcefulness. As a communications manager, you will focus on responding to requests from journalists, writing for the University Record, advising partners on strategy, developing communications plans, and otherwise helping to develop, manage and execute communications from across the university. 

In working with local and national journalists, you will evaluate media requests and develop responses. Your work will involve gathering information from across a large, decentralized organization, validating facts and synthesizing multiple perspectives into succinct and accurate statements. A key to success will be your ability to write with power and precision, capturing the university's position in a way that conveys nuance and complexity but is also easy to understand for the general public. 

You will report to the Director of Public Affairs and will work onsite 4 days a week. Responsibilities may fall outside of traditional working hours given the time-sensitive nature of our work. For questions or accommodation requests, please contact talent.acquisition@umich.edu.


Responsibilities:

• Support communications and issues management.
• Develop and execute communication plans related to university initiatives and priorities.
• Write, edit, and advise on multiple written communications including media statements, releases, campus messages, and briefing documents.
• Develop and maintain long-standing relationships with members of the media. 
• Collaborate with a broad array of internal partners.
• Represent the Director in meetings.

All applicants must apply at https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/253375/communications-manager

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• 5+ years of applied expertise in public relations, journalism, and writing.
• Interest or experience working in higher education or a decentralized, complex organization.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

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