University of Wisconsin–Madison
Head of Strategic Communications/PR
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, us, 53774
Job Summary: As the Head of Strategic Communications / PR at Wisconsin Athletics you will lead the strategic direction and execution of all communication efforts, ensuring a clear, consistent, and impactful strategic communications strategy. This role requires a visionary leader who can drive messaging strategy with authority while maintaining strong cross-functional collaboration. You will oversee external and internal communications, executive messaging, crisis management, and media relations to enhance brand reputation and align communication efforts with business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
You will work with several units across sports and campus, partnering closely with Head of Brand Marketing, Events & Promotional Marketing, Legal, Campus Relations, etc. Develop and own a comprehensive communications strategy that enhances corporate reputation and stakeholder trust. Provide strong leadership, guiding a team of communication professionals to execute high-impact initiatives. Drive messaging strategy, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with business goals while maintaining autonomy in decision-making. Oversee media relations, including press outreach, thought leadership, and proactive storytelling. Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership, shaping executive messaging and guiding public positioning. Implement crisis communication plans, ensuring proactive and reactive strategies to manage risk. Maintain an acute awareness of internal culture and external landscape, adapting communication strategies accordingly. Leverage data analytics to measure the impact of communication efforts and optimize future strategies. Ensure strategic communication efforts are aligned with key business initiatives across the organization. Essential Responsibilities: Provides strategic leadership for all communication initiatives, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives, internal culture, and external factors. Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Develops and executes an integrated communications strategy. Oversees media relations, crisis communication, and public affairs. Advises executive leadership on strategic messaging and positioning. Manages internal communications to ensure employee engagement and alignment. Leads and mentors a high-performing communications team. Ensures compliance with brand standards and ethical communication practices. Key Traits:
High Emotional Intelligence: Understands the nuances of messaging, stakeholder engagement, and organizational culture. Strategic Authority: Leads with confidence and ensures communications remain effective, not dictated by committee. Strong Leadership: Proven experience running a strategic communications team and setting the direction. Situational Awareness: Understands both the internal dynamics and external factors that impact communication. Execution-Focused: Aligns communication efforts with business goals and drives measurable results. Knows the Role: Recognizes when and where to be involved, ensuring communications are a strategic asset. This role is an opportunity to lead with vision, ensuring Wisconsin Athletics maintains a strong, strategic, and cohesive communications presence across all platforms. Responsibilities: Provides strategic direction and leadership for administration of sports and other key areas within the Athletics Department. Serves as executive staff member of the Athletic Director's Senior Management Team responsible for a $150 million, 23 sport, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Program. 10% Assists with overall strategic planning efforts for the athletics program 70% Provides oversight of major administrative areas and department initiatives which may include sports administration and other key functions within the athletics division 5% 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 5% Responsible for policy development, budget planning, and ongoing staff development 5% Develops, communicates, and monitors goals for areas of responsibility that support strategic plans and department initiatives 5% Ensures compliance with department policies as well as bylaws, rules, regulations, and interpretations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and all applicable conferences with which the University may be affiliated Education:
Required
If you want to know about the requirements for this role, read on for all the relevant information. Bachelor's Degree Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field Preferred Master's Degree Qualifications:
15+ years of experience leading strategic communications, public relations, or corporate affairs. Proven ability to develop and implement high-impact communication strategies. Strong media relations experience, with established industry connections. Exceptional leadership and decision-making skills; can lead comms without unnecessary dilution. Expertise in crisis management and executive messaging. Interest in consuming news & media Proficiency in all media platforms is required Strong analytical mindset; measures impact and refines strategy accordingly. Work Type: Full Time: 100% It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Appointment Type, Duration: Ongoing/Renewable Salary:
Minimum
$175,000 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications 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; - Badger gear & season tickets for Badger football, men's basketball and men's hockey, and/or the varsity sports pass. More Benefits information can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/. Additional Information: Conditions of Appointment: This is a 100% Limited 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. How to Apply: To ensure full consideration, please submit your completed application no later than 11:55 p.m. CST on the assured consideration date. Your application should include: 1. A cover letter detailing how your qualifications and experiences align with the responsibilities of the position. 2. A comprehensive resume. 3. Contact information for at least three professional references. Finalists will be contacted before any communication with these references. Applicants selected to proceed in the selection process will be notified directly. All applicants will receive notification once a final selection has been made and the search is complete. Contact: Kayla Weisensel kw4@athletics.wisc.edu 608-262-6340 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
You will work with several units across sports and campus, partnering closely with Head of Brand Marketing, Events & Promotional Marketing, Legal, Campus Relations, etc. Develop and own a comprehensive communications strategy that enhances corporate reputation and stakeholder trust. Provide strong leadership, guiding a team of communication professionals to execute high-impact initiatives. Drive messaging strategy, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with business goals while maintaining autonomy in decision-making. Oversee media relations, including press outreach, thought leadership, and proactive storytelling. Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership, shaping executive messaging and guiding public positioning. Implement crisis communication plans, ensuring proactive and reactive strategies to manage risk. Maintain an acute awareness of internal culture and external landscape, adapting communication strategies accordingly. Leverage data analytics to measure the impact of communication efforts and optimize future strategies. Ensure strategic communication efforts are aligned with key business initiatives across the organization. Essential Responsibilities: Provides strategic leadership for all communication initiatives, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives, internal culture, and external factors. Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Develops and executes an integrated communications strategy. Oversees media relations, crisis communication, and public affairs. Advises executive leadership on strategic messaging and positioning. Manages internal communications to ensure employee engagement and alignment. Leads and mentors a high-performing communications team. Ensures compliance with brand standards and ethical communication practices. Key Traits:
High Emotional Intelligence: Understands the nuances of messaging, stakeholder engagement, and organizational culture. Strategic Authority: Leads with confidence and ensures communications remain effective, not dictated by committee. Strong Leadership: Proven experience running a strategic communications team and setting the direction. Situational Awareness: Understands both the internal dynamics and external factors that impact communication. Execution-Focused: Aligns communication efforts with business goals and drives measurable results. Knows the Role: Recognizes when and where to be involved, ensuring communications are a strategic asset. This role is an opportunity to lead with vision, ensuring Wisconsin Athletics maintains a strong, strategic, and cohesive communications presence across all platforms. Responsibilities: Provides strategic direction and leadership for administration of sports and other key areas within the Athletics Department. Serves as executive staff member of the Athletic Director's Senior Management Team responsible for a $150 million, 23 sport, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Program. 10% Assists with overall strategic planning efforts for the athletics program 70% Provides oversight of major administrative areas and department initiatives which may include sports administration and other key functions within the athletics division 5% 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 5% Responsible for policy development, budget planning, and ongoing staff development 5% Develops, communicates, and monitors goals for areas of responsibility that support strategic plans and department initiatives 5% Ensures compliance with department policies as well as bylaws, rules, regulations, and interpretations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and all applicable conferences with which the University may be affiliated Education:
Required
If you want to know about the requirements for this role, read on for all the relevant information. Bachelor's Degree Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field Preferred Master's Degree Qualifications:
15+ years of experience leading strategic communications, public relations, or corporate affairs. Proven ability to develop and implement high-impact communication strategies. Strong media relations experience, with established industry connections. Exceptional leadership and decision-making skills; can lead comms without unnecessary dilution. Expertise in crisis management and executive messaging. Interest in consuming news & media Proficiency in all media platforms is required Strong analytical mindset; measures impact and refines strategy accordingly. Work Type: Full Time: 100% It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Appointment Type, Duration: Ongoing/Renewable Salary:
Minimum
$175,000 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications 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; - Badger gear & season tickets for Badger football, men's basketball and men's hockey, and/or the varsity sports pass. More Benefits information can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/. Additional Information: Conditions of Appointment: This is a 100% Limited 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. How to Apply: To ensure full consideration, please submit your completed application no later than 11:55 p.m. CST on the assured consideration date. Your application should include: 1. A cover letter detailing how your qualifications and experiences align with the responsibilities of the position. 2. A comprehensive resume. 3. Contact information for at least three professional references. Finalists will be contacted before any communication with these references. Applicants selected to proceed in the selection process will be notified directly. All applicants will receive notification once a final selection has been made and the search is complete. Contact: Kayla Weisensel kw4@athletics.wisc.edu 608-262-6340 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
#J-18808-Ljbffr