PR and Communications Manager

Communications Manager

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is : Grade : Professional 312 Pay Range : $106,700.00 - $165,400.00

Job Profile Summary

The Communications Manager drives strategic communications for WGU's School of Education operations, with a direct focus on elevating the voice and visibility of the Senior Vice President of School of Education. Reporting to the Director of Academics and Ed Tech Communications and serving as an integral member of the Communications team, this role is responsible for shaping and promoting a strong, positive public image of WGU. This includes developing and executing compelling narratives across traditional and digital media, managing public relations efforts, and supporting executive communications. The Manager conducts in-depth research, drafts and edits a variety of high-impact communications-including speeches, press releases, talking points, internal memos, digital content, and social media-and contributes to the planning and promotion of conferences, media outreach, and special events.

Responsibilities

• Develops and delivers high-impact messaging on behalf of the SVP of the School of Education and school leadership, including talking points, media statements, conference remarks, and executive communications.
• Crafts compelling thought leadership content (blogs, op-eds, panel pitches) that elevate the SVP's voice within the education and workforce landscape.
• Prepares briefing materials and media prep for school leaders in advance of interviews, speaking engagements, and external appearances.
• Provides onsite strategic support at high-visibility conferences and events to ensure message alignment and brand presence.
• Leads media relations strategy for the School of Education portfolio and, working with WGU's PR firm, proactively identifies pitch stories, secures coverage, and responds to media inquiries.
• Monitors industry news and media trends to surface timely opportunities for commentary, brand positioning, and thought leadership.
• Builds and maintains relationships with key industry and education journalists, influencers, and media platforms.
• Oversees creation of original written and visual content for newsletters, social media, and digital storytelling-including Instagram-style videos, slides, and...

Western Governors University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law.