Communications Manager

Job Details

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General Notes

You’ll be working for a university that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will contribute to operational excellence and enhance the student experience. If you’re the type of person that wants to know your work has meaning and impact, you’ll like working in our department and for UT Austin. UT Austin provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)

• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options

• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays

• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds

• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)

• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses

• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities

• Tuition assistance

• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets

• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card

• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

For more details, please see: and .

This position is a 24-month assignment in the Clements Center for National Security with the option to extend to a permanent role based on performance. Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship.

Purpose

The Communications Manager is responsible for executing and maintaining the Clements Center for National Security’s day-to-day communications operations across digital, print, and social platforms. This role owns the production, accuracy, and consistency of all outward-facing communications, including email marketing, website content, social media, and promotional materials for public events and student programs.

This position requires a highly organized, detail-oriented professional who can manage multiple deadlines, work independently, and uphold a polished institutional brand in a high-visibility academic and policy environment. The Communications Manager reports to the Assistant Director for Events, Communications and Development and works closely with Events and Student Programs staff. The Communications Manager plays a critical role in protecting and advancing the Center’s reputation among students, faculty, policymakers, donors, and external partners.

Responsibilities

Email and Marketing Communications

• Owns the drafting, production, scheduling, and distribution of all email communications, including weekly announcements, event promotions, and newsletters.
• Manages Mailchimp audiences, segmentation, templates, testing, and analytics.
• Ensures all emails are proofed, accurate, and aligned with brand standards before distribution.

Website and Digital Platform Management

• Maintains and updates the Center’s website CMS, ensuring content accuracy, clarity, and usability.
• Regularly audits website content for outdated information and broken links.
• Implements approved updates to site structure, layout, and design in coordination with the Assistant Director.

Visual Communications and Design

• Designs promotional materials for events and programs, including digital graphics, flyers, one-pagers, and print collateral.
• Prepares print-ready files and coordinates with vendors as needed.
• Photographs Center events and manages a searchable, well-organized image archive.

Collaboration and Institutional Support

• Coordinates with Events and Student Programs staff to ensure timely promotion of Center activities.
• Provides communications support for partner and affiliate programs as assigned.
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience managing digital communications, website content, email marketing, and social media for an organization with multiple programs or stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience owning and maintaining a complex website, including creating and updating pages for events, people, news, and programs, working within a CMS, coordinating with external web developers or vendors, and applying basic HTML/CSS for functional or stylistic updates.
• Proven experience managing institutional social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn), including content planning, calendar management, copywriting, original content and visual asset creation, and performance tracking and reporting.
• Strong email marketing experience, including creating newsletters and recurring campaigns, managing templates, lists, segmentation, scheduling, and analytics using Mailchimp or a comparable platform.
• Demonstrated proficiency in graphic design for digital and print communications, including Adobe InDesign (required), with working knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator, and experience preparing print-ready files and coordinating with printers.
• Experience managing end-to-end event promotion workflows, including timelines, asset creation, cross-platform distribution, and coordination with internal teams and external partners.
• Experience with photography for events and institutional use, including operating a DSLR or comparable camera, editing photos using Adobe software, and organizing and maintaining a searchable photo archive.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in public-facing communications for a high-visibility academic or policy-focused organization.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously without close supervision.
• Strong written communication and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex programming into clear, professional messaging.
• Comfort working with senior staff, faculty, high-profile speakers, students, and external partners in a professional environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace tools.
• Availability to support evening events and occasional weekend programming as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a university, nonprofit, or mission-driven environment.
• Interest in or familiarity with national security, international relations, or public policy topics.
• Ability to quickly learn and accurately communicate complex policy or academic content.
• Experience with video editing, graphic animation, or multimedia storytelling.
• Familiarity with analytics tools such as Meltwater or native platform analytics (Instagram Insights, Twitter/X Analytics, etc.) and ability to interpret data for content strategy.
• Demonstrated success managing cross-functional projects or campaigns with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to represent the organization in a professional and welcoming manner to students, faculty, partners, and visitors.

Salary

$75,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• This position is based in Austin, TX on the UT Main Campus. This position is not eligible for remote work.
• Availability to support evening events and occasional weekend programming as required.
• Domestic and international travel may be required for up to 4 weeks per year.
• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest
• Finalists will be asked to submit writing samples to include examples of past marketing materials (flyers, one pagers) from past events they have supported, past email newsletters they have written, and social media posts they have created.

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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