Job Summary
The Director of Communications and Marketing for Campus Sustainability & Climate Action will join an energized leadership team to develop and implement a comprehensive communications program in support of the university's strategic sustainability and climate commitments. You will play a pivotal role in galvanizing coordinated strategy and content-development coordinating with the Office of the Vice President for Communications (OVPC) as they manage U-M's overall reputation as a leader in this space. Leveraging the university's new Sustainability and Climate Executive Leadership Council (SCELC), our education and research strengths, internal and external networks and partnerships, and our campus as living and learning laboratory, the university seeks to amplify its story to unprecedented levels among its over community of more than 100,000 faculty, staff and students and more than 640,000 living alumni, as well as to local, regional, national and global communities.
The Director's responsibilities include leading, strategizing and overseeing marketing, storytelling, and other communications related to University of Michigan's campus sustainability efforts, including its 2040 carbon neutrality efforts, overarching "Planet Blue" enterprise, and sustainability priorities outlined in the university's Vision 2034 framework, Campus Plan 2050, and the Look To Michigan capital campaign. Other responsibilities include internal and external messaging, reputation management, and leveraging internal and external networks, including local community engagement efforts as needed related to U-M's sustainability and climate action work.
You will bring direct experience drafting and delivering complex communications plans and collaborating with a broad set of internal constituents.
You will serve as a member of the lead team under the Associate Vice President for Campus Sustainability (AVPCS) in the Office of the Executive Vice President and CFO, with a collaborative, dotted-line relationship to the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing in Business and Finance.
You will also work in close coordination with the two other executive sustainability leadership teams: the Office of the Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action, and the Senior Vice President and Chief Environmental, Social and Governance Officer at Michigan Medicine. Other important collaborators include the Office of the Vice President for Communications (OVPC), and the Planet Blue Communicators network representing various units, including the Graham Sustainability Institute, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA), the School for Environment and Sustainability, and Student Life Sustainability, Facilities and Operations, among others. You will supervise one direct report responsible for communications associated with the Office of Campus Sustainability programs, as well as student interns as needed.
In the short term, this role will achieve several key outcomes: lead time-sensitive strategic efforts, enhance coordination among sustainability and climate action communicators within the university, create short- and long-term communication and marketing plans aligned with institutional vision and goals, manage communications and marketing for campus decarbonization and sustainability initiatives, take responsibility for producing the annual impact report, and maintain and further develop current "Planet Blue" enterprise resources along with its messaging channels and digital assets.
Responsibilities*
Leadership Responsibilities: (70%)
- Strategy: Develop and execute comprehensive marketing and communication strategies that align with U-M's sustainability and climate initiatives, including principles regarding transparency, tone and rigor. This leadership includes collaboration across various internal and external networks.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, partners, government agencies, and the public, to build support for climate and sustainability objectives.
- Media Relations: Establish and maintain strong relationships with media outlets, journalists, and key influencers to secure positive coverage and increase awareness of the university's climate- and sustainability-related initiatives. Monitor relevant media coverage, coordinate media inquiries and responses in collaboration with Public Affairs and others.
- Branding: Maintain and advance communications support for the broad Planet Blue enterprise on behalf of all sustainability and climate action activities at U-M in coordination with the Office of the Vice President for Communications and partners across the university.
- Content Strategy: Oversee the creation of exceptional multi-media content, including articles, infographics, reports, marketing materials for specific initiatives, creative storytelling materials (podcasts, videos, etc), and social media content to educate, engage, and inspire specific internal and external audiences.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Lead the weekly Planet Blue communicator check-ins and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, to support consistent representation of data and messaging, maximize engagement, and align with sustainability and climate goals.
- Digital Marketing: Lead digital marketing efforts, including website management, email marketing, and social media campaigns, to effectively reach and engage a broader audience on climate and sustainability topics.
- Public Relations: Plan and execute targeted campus public relations campaigns to build excitement around and tolerance for potentially disruptive energy transition projects, as well as other climate and sustainability efforts, achievements, and events.
Administrative Responsibilities: (30%)
- Collaboration: Work closely with the AVPCS team, and other leadership teams within the office of the EVPCFO, to coordinate efforts on key priorities and initiatives.
- Performance Measurement: Implement key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytics to track the impact and effectiveness of marketing and communication efforts, making data-driven decisions to optimize strategies.
- Sustainability Reporting and Presentation Materials: Lead the development of comprehensive climate and sustainability reports and disclosures, conveying the university's performance and progress, as well as executive-level presentation materials.
- Financial Management: Develop and oversee a marketing and communication budget, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and efficiently to meet communication goals.
- Enterprise Communications Management: Manage the Planet Blue website and associated content updates, with support from the OVPC media teams and partner communicators. This includes managing internal communications, facilitating meetings, and determining and leading the social media strategies for Planet Blue.
- Consultant and Team Management: Manage the communications lead for the Office of Campus Sustainability (OCS), working in close collaboration with the OCS director and AVPCS lead team, and manage student employees and/or consultants and freelancers as needed.
Required Qualifications*
Education - Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Marketing, or other relevant discipline.
Experience - Five or more years of experience in writing, public relations, communications, marketing or related discipline.
Desired Qualifications*
Technical:
- Bachelor's degree and 7 or more years of marketing and/or communications work with increasing levels of responsibility.
- Additional training and expertise in climate action and sustainability preferred.
- Demonstrated excellence in message and brand development, with an emphasis on evidence-based impact, education and engagement.
- Experience developing and implementing effective principles-driven direct marketing campaigns, employing both earned and paid strategies, across multiple channels.
- Experience designing messaging and campaigns integrated with engagement objectives.
- Demonstrated success managing design, video, and other multimedia production projects.
- Experience writing across multiple mediums including content for presentations, press releases, and reports, integrating content from multiple experts.
- Demonstrated understanding of rigorous communication standards in the climate and sustainability field preferred.
- Experience with educational engagement, higher education environment, and research universities preferred.
Behavioral:
- Develop positive relationships and work collaboratively with a variety of campus partners and climate and sustainability stakeholders, including executive level management, to achieve shared objectives.
- Demonstrate careful attention to detail, and a commitment to quality and accuracy.
- Demonstrated ability to set schedules, prioritize work, and manage deadlines effectively.
- Experience working through ambiguity and managing multiple perspectives to successful outcomes.
- Effectively and clearly communicate thoughts, ideas, and facts through writing and oral presentations.
- Demonstrated ability to synthesize technical information accurately in simple and creative terms.
- Share knowledge. Display curiosity and information-seeking ability.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.