Communication and Marketing Specialist-Wisconsin Reading Center

University of Wisconsin Madison • Madison, WI

1d • $48,107 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Communication and Marketing Specialist at the Wisconsin Reading Center (WRC) leads the development and execution of integrated marketing and communications across various platforms including website, email/news, conference presence, social media, and success stories. This role is specifically tailored to clinical research audiences such as industry sponsors, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Principal Investigators (PIs), and academic collaborators. The Specialist collaborates closely with scientific, operations, and finance leads to translate complex research outputs into clear, compliant, and audience-appropriate messages that effectively differentiate WRC and highlight its quality and outcomes. The WRC is a core retinal image reading lab within the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS), founded in 1970. It operates on principles of intellectual honesty, quality, relevance, innovation, and staff satisfaction, supporting trials for various retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy, AMD, DME, retinal vein occlusion, posterior uveitis, inherited retinal disease, AIDS-related ocular disease, and cataract.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of work experience in communications, marketing, or related field.
• Minimum of 1 year professional writing experience.
• Experience managing web content, preferably using WordPress or similar platform, with a focus on digital accessibility.
• Demonstrated skill with photography and/or videography, including basic photo and video editing.
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in healthcare, academic research or working with clinical trials.
• Experience supporting business development or sponsor communications in clinical research, biotech, med‑device, CRO, or academic medical settings.
• Experience with Canva, adobe, PowerPoint, teams, and/or Smartsheet’s.
• Familiarity with InDesign or other graphic design programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead content strategy, communication plan, and ongoing updates for the WRC website; ensure services, capabilities, metrics, and contact pathways are current and sponsor‑friendly.
• Create content for LinkedIn, social media platforms and websites.
• Create and manage sponsor‑facing materials: capability decks, one‑pagers, proposal language, and FAQ.
• Draft success stories and publication spotlights.
• Help with design, web and printing materials for sponsors.
• Build a compliant email/news update cadence for sponsors and collaborators (product updates, milestones, publications, conference highlights).
• Help coordinate in-services for staff quarterly.
• Create templates and how‑to guides (e.g., sponsor onboarding communications, service request intake, turnaround time expectations).
• Writes, edits, and publishes content for various communication projects and marketing platforms to align with strategic initiatives and established communication campaigns.
• Communicates with stakeholders to verify requests and identify editorial resources.
• Plans editorial content according to established goals and objects.
• Provides project management and execution of communications programs, initiatives, and tactical plans.
• Monitors reach and effectiveness of communication campaigns, projects, and initiatives.

Benefits

• flexible work schedules
• comprehensive benefits
• professional development
• generous vacation
• holidays
• sick leave
• competitive insurances
• savings accounts
• retirement benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees