Director of Marketing and Health Communications

About the role

The Director of Marketing & Health Communications leads the Health and Wellbeing communications team within Student Affairs, bringing together the marketing and communication operations of University Health Services (UHS) and Recreation & Wellbeing (Rec Well). Reporting directly to the Chief of Staff, Student Affairs, Health & Wellbeing, this role provides strategic oversight and day-to-day leadership for a combined team of 10 professional staff and approximately 20 student employees, directly supervising 2 staff members. This role balances team leadership with direct execution of high-priority communications initiatives. Primary focus areas include communication strategy, staff development, workload prioritization, and brand management across two distinct campus brands. The Director oversees executive messaging, internal communications, media relations, advancement support, crisis communications and public health communications—including emergency messaging for communicable disease response. Additionally, the position guides marketing strategies that drive revenue for Rec Well programs, memberships, and services.

Department: University Health Services, Chief of Staff | Job Profile: Communications Director (C) | Employment Type: Regular

Responsibilities

• Develops executive communications, talking points, and leadership updates for Health & Wellbeing and Student Affairs leaders
• Serves as the primary communications contact for media inquiries and class project requests related to campus health, wellness, and recreation, partnering with University Communications as needed
• Leverages health communications team expertise to build guidelines for crisis messaging, emergency communications, and rapid-response public health announcements
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Identifies, establishes, and directs media relationships and partnerships with internal and external sources
• Assesses and streamlines merged operational workflows, approval processes, and communication channels between UHS and Rec Well
• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revived operational policies and procedures
• Audits and directs day-to-day operational plans to align with strategic initiatives and to meet established objectives
• Develops, implements, and monitors strategic communication initiatives for designated audiences and internal stakeholders to maximize engagement and strengthen collaboration efforts
• Develops and executes marketing campaigns that support revenue-generating programs, services, facilities, and memberships within Rec Well
• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with campus partners, student organizations, and external community groups
• Leads annual communication planning with UHS and Rec Well leadership, identifying communication priorities and developing a shared editorial calendar
• Supports advancement and fundraising efforts by developing stories, impact reports, and donor materials in collaboration with Student Affairs and the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association

Qualifications

Required

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, public relations, health communications, or a related field
• Experience directly supervising and managing staff, including performance management, coaching, and staff development
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects, prioritizing competing workloads, and planning and executing multi-channel marketing or communications campaigns
• Exceptional ability to develop, write, edit, and deliver clear and effective communications across a range of audiences and communication channels
• Experience leading communications initiatives in complex environments with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
• Bachelor's Degree

Preferred

• Professional experience in higher education, student affairs, public health, or healthcare
• Experience supporting marketing strategies for revenue-generating programs or facilities
• Knowledge of public