Jobs UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

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Communication and Outreach Manager

Requisition Number:

64813

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City

Boulder

State

Colorado

Employment Type:

University Staff

Schedule:

Full-Time

Posting Close Date:

09-Jun-2025

Date Posted:

29-May-2025
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Job Summary

The Office of Strategic Relations and Communications at CU Boulder invites applications for a Communication and Outreach Manager! This is a full-time position in the Office of Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC), the university’s central marketing and communication unit. SRC is currently hiring two people to serve in this role. 
The roles will be members of SRC’s Business Operations Communication Team, which provides communication shared services to the operational units of Finance and Business Strategy (FBS), Infrastructure and Resilience (I&R), the Office of Information Technology (OIT), Human Resources (HR), the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC), and the Office of Compliance, Ethics and Policy (OCEP). Each Communication and Outreach Manager will serve as the primary strategic communication liaison to one or more of those units, while also contributing to the overall strategic needs of the shared services team and campus. The positions report to the Senior Director of Communication for Campus Operations. The roles are responsible for leading all aspects of communication strategy for their designated units, focusing on communication, outreach and occasional public relations support. The positions support the Issues Management and News Media teams with media relations as needed, and act as a communication liaison between designated units and other operational areas of the university.

The primary objectives of these positions are to ensure that:
  • Communication constituents are regularly engaged to evaluate their needs in relation to campus priorities and improve their communication effectiveness.
  • Raise the profile of key projects in support of campus strategic priorities and in alignment with the Integrated Marketing and Communication Plan objectives of: 
    • Demonstrating how CU Boulder positively impacts people’s lives
    • Demonstrating the value of a CU Boulder degree to state, local, national and international audiences
    • Enhancing and protecting the university’s reputation
    • Enhancing recruitment and retention of students, faculty and staff
  • Communication plans developed in advance to address a variety of audiences and objectives.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

Lead. Innovate. Impact.

Strategic Relations and Communications facilitates an integrated approach to campus-wide marketing and communications to inspire greater CU Boulder engagement, affinity, and support.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Communication coordination and support: 
  • Provide communication strategy to designated unit(s), including for critical initiatives, priority projects and change management efforts. 
    • Coordinate with the Sr. Director of Communications, Campus Operations and designated unit lead(s) on both short and long-term communication objectives and strategies that support campus strategic priorities. This includes developing annual strategic communication plans for each unit.
    • Attend designated leadership meetings to stay apprised of unit objectives and assess communication needs.
    • Work with unit leaders on communication plans for significant initiatives and projects in support of campus strategic goals.
  • Provide executive communication support to the designated unit lead(s) as needed.
  • Support the Issues Management and News Media teams with media relations inquiries as needed, and serve as a liaison between SRC, designated unit(s) and other operational units across campus. 
    • Proactively identify potential issues before they arise and assist the issues management team in creation of strategic plans on how to address such issues.
    • Work in collaboration with designated unit(s) to support customer service communication pathways when issues arise, including via social media.
  • Coordinate with leadership from designated unit(s) and the Sr. Director of Communications, Campus Operations to actively seek out opportunities to communicate successes with the rest of the campus, as well as local media and industry publications as appropriate. 
  • Assist with communication and event planning for constituent engagement if prescribed in strategic communication plans.
  • Assist with campus coverage of Board of Regents meetings as it relates to areas of subject matter expertise. 

In-house communication: 
  • In coordination with the unit lead(s), identify information that needs to be communicated across the organizations. 
  • Assess and support alternate communication channels as necessary to meet designated unit staff “where they live.”
Other duties as assigned: 
  • Contribute cross-functionally to assist with communication needs of other business and operational units as determined by the Sr. Director of Communications, Campus Operations.
  • Serve as a campus liaison to designated unit(s) for campus emergencies to help address issues related to areas such as IT security, infrastructure, policy, public health, etc. Communication should include the effects on the campus and focus on collecting and providing information and data as quickly as possible.
  • Represent SRC and designated unit(s) on campus committees as needed/appropriate and determined by Sr. Director of Communications, Campus Operations.
  • Perform other duties outside of their job description as needed. This can include but is not limited to participating in news and media relations efforts, marketing and other paid efforts, strategic event support, support crisis communications and participate in other strategic efforts for Strategic Relations and Communications. 

What You Should Know

  • Hybrid work modality offered.

What We Can Offer

  • Salary: $69,500 - $74,500.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be balanced. Be flexible. Be Boulder.

What We Require

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in communication, journalism, public relations or a related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute on a year for year basis. 
  • 3+ years in public relations/strategic communication role or a combination of reporting/editing for a media organization and/or institutional communication for a college, university or public agency/entity, or in the private or non-profit sectors.

What You Will Need

  • Excellent writing skills that require little editing and ability to write and edit in Associated Press style.
  • High emotional intelligence; ability to remain calm and in control during stressful situations.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate and coordinate effectively with all levels of the organization, from executive leadership to frontline staff.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Ability to provide effective advice and counsel on strategic and/or critical communication issues and to exercise effective judgment.
  • Effective at creating communication plans, strategy documents, talking points and Q&A primers for key executives and messengers.
  • Ability to write executive-level communications for internal and external audiences.
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines concurrently.
  • Proficiency using content management systems.
  • Experience using social media for institutional accounts.

What We Would Like You to Have

  • 7+ years in public relations/strategic communications role or a combination of reporting/editing for a media organization and/or institutional communication for a college, university or public agency/entity, or in the private or non-profit sectors.
  • Master’s degree in communication, journalism or public relations.
  • Subject matter expertise and/or experience working in one or more related fields, including:  Information Technology field and demonstrated ability to communicate complex IT topics; finance; compliance; human resources; health care.
  • Community engagement work promoting projects for higher education institutions, city/municipality or other large organizations.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials: 
  1. A current resume. 
  2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by June 9, 2025 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu