Associate Director of Outreach

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic communications and outreach initiatives
• Manage the Center’s conferences and events
• Foster strong relationships with students, alumni, donors, and industry partners
• Lead the development and management of outreach programs, conferences, and signature events
• Shape the strategic vision for conferences and outreach initiatives
• Cultivate new sponsors to help offset program costs
• Ensure quality and impact of outreach programs while identifying emerging industry trends
• Oversee the Center’s marketing and public relations strategy
• Implement strategies to increase visibility across the real estate industry, academia, and MS and MBA recruiting channels
• Promote events and conferences to maximize participation and engagement
• Maintain a strong and engaging digital presence across social media platforms
• Partner with the Wisconsin School of Business Marketing, Communications and Strategy team to manage media buys, evaluate campaign analytics, and optimize return on investment
• Oversee the Real Estate Student Tutoring Program
• Supervise student employees, including hiring, training, performance management, and payroll approvals
• Support MS and MBA recruiting and facilitate connections between students, advisory board members, and alumni
• Assist with initiatives that strengthen graduate student career pathways and industry engagement
• Provide administrative leadership to support effective Center operations
• Develop procedures to manage costs, strengthen revenue streams, and support data analysis and HR processes
• Supervise the Business Manager position
• Maintain strong relationships with real estate firms, industry organizations, media contacts, and university partners
• Support engagement with the Center’s Advisory Board and partner organizations such as the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA)
• Oversee key communications including: Weekly Real Estate student email featuring jobs, events, and announcements Graaskamp Center Board Update (four times annually) Real Estate Connection newsletter (three to four times annually) Special announcements and donor communications
• Partner with the Business Manager to support budget management, including revenue and expense tracking and monthly financial review
• Oversee vendor contracts, approve invoices, and ensure compliance with University financial policies
• Support fundraising strategy
• Oversee development of fundraising materials

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in higher education, communications, marketing, outreach, or related professional experience
• Preferred: 10+ years of experience in higher education, communications, marketing, outreach, or related professional experience
• Bachelor’s degree Required
• Master’s Degree Preferred