Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is led by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor. Our staff is dedicated to serving students and to helping them succeed in and out of the classroom in areas including health and well-being, identity and inclusion, leadership and engagement, and student advocacy. Student Affairs includes departments led by the Dean of Students; departments that provide identity-based spaces and leadership resources; the Wisconsin Union; University Health Services; and University Recreation and Wellbeing.
Student Affairs is committed to being a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, LGBTQ+ and non-binary identities, women, persons with disabilities, military service members, and veterans are strongly encouraged.
Please note that 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 the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
We seek an individual who values community, loves UW-Madison, and can't wait to welcome new Badgers to campus. As the inaugural Communications Manager for New Students -- an elevated role in Student Affairs -- you will be charged with developing a collaborative and strategic communications approach to onboarding and welcoming our new students.
As a member of the central Student Affairs communications team, you will work closely with Student Affairs colleagues and campus partners to align communications in support of a positive student experience. This will include overseeing communications and promotions for Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) and Wisconsin Welcome; supporting new student convocation; aligning new student and parent/family communications; and fulfilling compliance requirements for first-year communications. Since this is a new position, you will be able to shape the role as we continue to identify priority needs and opportunities in new student communications. You will have the option to hire a student intern team to support these efforts.
The ideal candidate is a natural collaborator and influencer who centers diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their work; a skilled facilitator and planner with a demonstrated record of success; and someone who has experience coordinating student-facing communications at the university level.
Student Affairs comprises approximately 900 professional staff from 23 departments dedicated to ensuring every student experiences a just and caring community, a sense of belonging, and academic and personal success at UW-Madison. We seek candidates who are student-centered, practice inclusivity and collaboration, strive for excellence and are eager to lead in making our campus a welcoming place for all students.
Required Qualifications:
Minimum 3 years relevant professional experience, including managing multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment and leading student-facing communications in a higher education setting.
Preferred Qualifications:
At least 10 years relevant professional experience; ability to assess and align diverse stakeholder needs to meet organizational goals; excellent facilitation skills; supervisory experience; skilled with using content management systems (e.g., Wordpress), email marketing software, and social media platforms.