Public Relations Manager

Are you passionate about finding and telling the stories that matter most? Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Office of Strategic Communication as a storyteller and media relations professional focused on students and the opportunities available to them at UW-Madison, from their experiences in the classroom, to the social and career-readiness opportunities they find at the university. You'll create compelling, human-centered narratives that capture the spirit, values, and voices of UW-Madison.

In this role, you'll seek out and write stories that highlight the impact of a UW-Madison education-amplifying student experiences, celebrating their success as alumni, and demonstrating the university's connection to Wisconsin and the world. You'll work closely with communicators, faculty and staff across campus to uncover narratives that resonate with students, families, alumni, donors, media and the broader public. You will also play an important role working with colleagues and campus partners on media relations opportunities and navigating issues related to student experience.

You'll craft high-quality content for a variety of platforms-from web features to print publications and multimedia projects-helping shape how people see and understand the UW-Madison experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Identifying and developing stories that showcase student life, academic discovery and personal journeys.
• Writing with clarity, creativity and purpose across multiple formats and channels.
• Collaborating with communications colleagues, campus partners and creative teams to align storytelling with strategic goals.
• Translating complex ideas and institutional priorities into accessible, emotionally resonant content.
  

This position is ideal for a writer who cares deeply about higher education and believes in the power of storytelling to building community, deepen understanding, and inspire action.

Work Type:

This is a full-time, ongoing/renewable position.

This is a hybrid position. Some on-site work will be required, with flexibility to perform some work remotely.

Storytelling, Writing, Editing, and Content Development

• Research, interview, and write compelling stories that reflect UW-Madison's mission, academic excellence, research impact.

• Collaborate with Strategic Communication colleagues and campus communicators, designers, photographers, videographers and digital teams to engage in integrated multimedia storytelling.

• Contribute to editorial planning by supporting storytelling campaigns aligned with university and Strategic Communication priorities, especially those related to student life and experience, education and career development.

Relationship Building

• Build and maintain strong relationships with communicators, faculty, staff, and students across campus to surface meaningful stories that reflect the lived experiences and strategic vision of the university.

• Serve as a thoughtful and trusted collaborator with campus partners to gather content, ensure accuracy and align storytelling with institutional goals and values.

• Actively represent Strategic Communication in editorial conversations, demonstrate a deep understanding of the Wisconsin Idea and how storytelling supports the university's public mission.

Media Relations

• Contribute to the operations and strategic initiatives of the Strategic Communication Media Relations team.

• Pitch media and develop relationships with local reporters.

• Support major university initiatives and communications efforts as needed.

Office of Strategic Communication

The expected annual salary range for this position is $75,000-85,000. Actual salary will depend on a candidate's qualifications.

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Learn more at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/

• Minimum 5 years of experience in communications, public relations, publishing or journalism.

• Demonstrated creativity in generating compelling ideas and solutions to address complex media relations and communications needs
• Proven ability to cultivate strong relationships with internal stakeholders to identify and surface impactful stories.
• Strategic thinker with experience balancing long-term goals and short-term priorities in a dynamic communications environment.
• Exceptional writing skills and the ability to communicate clearly and diplomatically with diverse audiences, from students to senior leadership.
• Highly organized and deadline-driven, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities.

Bachelor's degree required

Additional Information:

The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.

Click on the 'Apply Now' button above to begin. the application process. Please upload a cover letter, resume, and a work sample.

Work Sample:

Please provide 2-3 feature writing samples. Work samples should be uploaded as a single Microsoft Word document or PDF.

Kory Breuer, HR Manager, kory.breuer@wisc.edu

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.