Communications & Engagement Manager (Temporary)
Req #: | 168532 |
Department: | Human Centered Design and Engineering |
Appointing Department Web Address: | https://www.hcde.washington.edu/ |
Job Location: | Seattle Campus |
Job Location Detail: | Remote/Telework |
Posting Date: | 06/24/2019 |
Closing Info: | Open Until Filled |
Salary: | Salary is Competitive. Salary is Commensurate Upon Qualifications and Experience. |
Limited Recruitment: |
Other
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Shift: | First Shift |
Notes: |
This is a TEMPORARY/FULL-TIME, PROJECT position. It begins Upon Hire and is expected to run through June of 2020.
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As UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for five consecutive years.
Impact360 Alliance (https://impact360alliance.org.) is startup initiative with the goal of elevating the interconnected nature of research and practice to activate integrative approaches to reduce the impacts of natural hazards and disasters. We work to make traditional research-practice boundaries more permeable to foster increased communication, collaboration and co-creation between university, government, and private sector organizations and professionals. Impact360 connects researchers, practitioners, needs, and resources to create problem-focused professional alliances that can design scalable risk reduction solutions. We facilitate creative problem solving that emphasizes human-centered cycles of interdisciplinary knowledge and action focused on natural hazards and disasters.
Impact360 is housed within the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE). HCDE advances the research and design of innovative techniques to study human activity and develop meaningful information and sociotechnical systems. The department promotes diversity and inclusivity among our students, faculty, staff, partners, and public. Thus, we are strongly seeking candidates whose experiences have prepared them to fulfill our commitment to inclusion and have given them the confidence to fully engage audiences from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.
Impact360 Alliance has an outstanding opportunity for a Temporary Communications & Engagement Manager to manage our efforts to connect with natural hazards and disaster researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines and professions across the United States. The Communications & Engagement Manager will bring and ensure nimble, entrepreneurial communications programming that advances Impact360 staff, steering committee, and partners to build stronger points of connections, catalyze integrative approaches, and spark dynamic problem solving. They will sustain and scale our communications and outreach operations, while rapidly responding to new opportunities. The Communications & Engagement Manager role will implement, evaluate and iterate our existing communications strategy and implement (or coordinate) a range of related tactics, while building out our networking system and activities.
As a start-up initiative, it is critical that the Communications & Engagement Manager recognizes the importance of remaining flexible, open, and available to help whenever and however needed. The successful candidate will embrace the mission and pillars of Impact360 and understand how they can bring their expertise to bear in service of Impact360 staff and steering committee, as well as a large network of natural hazards and disaster researchers and practitioners. The Communications & Engagement Manager must embrace Impact360’s values of being curious, inclusive, empathetic, adaptive, and design-led.
This position requires an ability to think strategically, manage multiple priorities, quickly assess opportunities, and make bold decisions. The Communications & Engagement Lead must be an effective time manager, have excellent judgment, and be able to keep the big picture in mind, while also knowing the details of Impact360’s rapidly evolving priorities, programming and projects. Exceptional remote and in-person people and communication skills are central to this position since it is a highly collaborative role. This role must seek out diversity and meet our audiences where they are, both figuratively and literally.
The Communications & Engagement Manager will report to the Impact360 Alliance Director, who works remotely. They will work closely with the initiative's communications and engagement working group, as well as current and future partners. Being a remote/telework position, the successful candidate will welcome new ways to work, communicate deliberately and frequently, and be able to periodically travel for staff scrums and outreach events.
Responsibilities:
• Activate, evaluate, and revise communications strategy
• Develop and execute an annual communications plan
• Create and use monthly editorial calendars
• Activate brand messaging framework and deploy messaging across multiple channels
• Advise director and steering committee working group on priority communication opportunities
• Use professional judgment to identify, plan for, and advise on decisions related to controversial, sensitive and/or time-sensitive issues, given the focus of Impact360
• Create and edit website and social media content
• Create and send monthly newsletter
• Coordinate events as needed
• Conduct outreach to potential Impact360 Alliance partners and event participants
• Promote Impact360 programming--facilitation of partner problem solving, capacity building event, and online toolkit
• Review and edit the work of others to ensure brand consistency and strategic alignment
• Given the start-up nature of Impact360, all team members may be asked to pitch in on a variety of tasks to help advance our mission.
• As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.
Position Qualifications:
Required
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, business, design or related field
• Three or more years of experience in communications and outreach
• Demonstrated excellence in storytelling and communication, both oral and written
• Able to quickly analyze and prioritize multiple competing demands, work well under pressure and meet deadlines
• Proven accuracy and attention to detail
• Able to interpret technical and scientific information for a non-technical audience
• Self-motivated, able to work independently, and able to work remotely
• Able to work collaboratively with Impact360 director, staff and steering committee working group
• Excellent office computer skills, proficiency with G Suite apps, and willingness to learn other applications/programs as necessary (e.g., customer relationship management software)
• Experience working with website content management systems, social media, and other digital communication tools. (Impact360 uses Wordpress and is on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn)
• Flexible in the face of changing priorities; ability to embrace and work within a start-up environment; interest in being involved with something new and undefined
• Strong interpersonal skills and an orientation toward providing excellent customer service
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except where there are legal requirements such as license/certification/registration.
Desired
• Knowledge or experience related to natural hazards and/or disasters
• Working proficiency with graphic design tools, such as Adobe Creative Suite
• Videography and/or photography skills
• Demonstrated experience building communications capacity in a new organization
• Experience with mass email and social media tools (Impact360 uses HootSuite and Mailchimp.)
Conditions of Employment:
• Willingness and ability to work over 40 hours per week when necessary, especially during travel or high-intensity, cyclical, and deadline-driven events
• Impact360 is a collaborative initiative and the ability to work together as part of a team is essential.
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter, and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu.