The Office of the Vice President for Communications (OVPC) is the central communications unit for the University of Michigan and works in collaboration with hundreds of communicators across our three campuses and academic medical center. Within that larger unit, you will play an important role on the Public Affairs team, which serves as the institutional voice for the University of Michigan. The team handles reputational issues, media inquiries for the central administration, and communications planning for major initiatives.
The work is often fast-paced, deadline-driven, and high-volume, requiring diplomacy, organizational skills, and resourcefulness. As a communications manager, you will focus on responding to requests from journalists, writing for the University Record, advising partners on strategy, developing communications plans, and otherwise helping to develop, manage, and execute communications from across the university.
In working with local and national journalists, you will evaluate media requests and develop responses. This requires the ability to quickly gather information from across a large, decentralized organization, validate facts, and synthesize multiple perspectives into succinct and accurate statements. A key to success will be your ability to write with power and precision, capturing the university's position in a way that conveys nuance and complexity but is also easy to understand for the general public.
You will report to the Director of Public Affairs and will work a hybrid schedule with defined in-person days. Responsibilities often fall outside of traditional working hours, given the time-sensitive nature of the work.