Marketing and Communications Strategist, Education

University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

As Dell Medical School embarks on the next chapter of its evolution — building an integrated academic health system — this position plays a key role in strategic planning and execution of high-impact marketing and communications across the education pillar, including undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education. Reporting to the chief marketing and communications officer, the Marketing and Communications Strategist – Education contributes to enterprise-level marketing and communications planning and acts as a trusted strategic consultant to education leaders, faculty, program directors and other partners across the academic health system. As the lead marcomm partner for the pillar, this role advises and executes across the full range of communications disciplines while effectively engaging specialized colleagues when broader capacity or deeper expertise is required. Importantly, the position serves as a key partner for graduate medical education, working closely with GME leaders, residency and fellowship programs, and Ascension Seton colleagues to support coordinated, accurate and strategically aligned communications across shared clinical and educational environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism or a related field.
• Eight years of relevant experience in marketing, communications, public relations, content strategy or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex, cross-functional marketing or communications initiatives.
• Advanced knowledge of integrated marketing and communications strategy, with demonstrated ability to connect institutional goals to audience-centered plans, messaging and execution.
• Broad proficiency across marketing and communications disciplines, including content development, media relations, internal communications, executive communications, brand, social media and digital engagement.
• Ability to independently execute a wide range of communications work while recognizing when specialized expertise, institutional coordination or additional capacity is required.
• Strong judgment in assessing the visibility, complexity, risk and strategic importance of communications needs and determining the appropriate level of response.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with specialized communications professionals, develop strong creative and strategic briefs and integrate multiple disciplines into cohesive campaigns and initiatives.
• Exceptional writing, editing and message-development skills across platforms, formats and audiences.
• Ability to understand and communicate the distinct needs of undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education and continuing medical education.
• Strong understanding of graduate medical education audiences, structures, recruitment cycles and program-level communications needs.
• Experience supporting recruitment, reputation, engagement and awareness goals through coordinated marketing and communications.
• Strong consultation and relationship-management skills, including the ability to advise senior leaders, faculty, program directors and subject-matter experts.
• Ability to navigate communications across multiple institutions, operating environments and brands while maintaining clarity around roles, approvals and messaging.
• Ability to influence without formal authority, resolve competing stakeholder needs and build alignment across complex organizational structures.
• Experience managing large projects or processes with limited oversight, including establishing scope, timelines, responsibilities and measures of success.
• Knowledge of digital content strategy, social media, web governance, accessibility, SEO fundamentals, analytics and audience experience.
• Ability to develop scalable communications processes, templates, standards and resources for distributed contributors.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor colleagues and provide leadership within an area of expertise.
• Familiarity with communications considerations in academic medicine, health care, higher education or similarly complex and regulated environments.
• Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment when managing sensitive, high-profile or reputationally significant matters.
• A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
• If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in academic medicine, health care, higher education or medical education.
• Experience supporting undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, continuing medical education and/or professional education programs.
• Experience working with graduate medical education leaders, residency or fellowship programs, or clinical training environments.
• Experience working across academic and health system organizations or with hospital and clinical partners.
• Experience serving as a marketing and communications adviser within an organization that also includes specialized communications functions.
• Experience developing recruitment, engagement and reputation strategies for complex educational programs.
• Experience coordinating communications across multiple organizational entities, programs, brands or approval structures.
• Experience advising senior leaders and managing sensitive or high-profile communications.
• Experience with web content management systems, email marketing platforms, social media management tools, analytics platforms and project-management systems.
• Familiarity with The University of Texas at Austin and the Central Texas health care market.
• Working knowledge of ACGME standards and their implications for graduate medical education communications.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of integrated marketing and communications strategies supporting the entirety of Dell Medical School’s education pillar, including undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education.
• Serve as the principal marketing and communications adviser to education leaders, helping translate institutional and program priorities into clear objectives, audience strategies, messaging frameworks and implementation plans.
• Recommend effective communications approaches to support learner and faculty recruitment, reputation, engagement, community awareness and other strategic goals.
• Develop a cohesive communications approach across the education portfolio while accounting for the distinct audiences, objectives and operating environments of undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education.
• Incorporate institutional partnerships, shared responsibilities and applicable partner requirements into communications planning, particularly for graduate medical education activities involving Ascension Seton.
• Maintain a comprehensive view of communications activity across the education pillar, identifying opportunities to coordinate efforts, reduce duplication and strengthen narrative cohesion.
• Anticipate emerging communications needs, reputational considerations and stakeholder concerns, recommending proactive strategies and appropriate institutional responses.
• Determine which needs can be addressed directly and which require collaboration with specialized marketing and communications teams.
• Ensure education-related marketing and communications align with enterprise strategy, brand standards and the broader positioning of Dell Medical School and the academic health system.
• Apply advanced judgment and subject-matter expertise to address complex communications challenges with limited oversight and substantial latitude for independent decision-making.
• Independently plan, develop and execute a broad range of marketing and communications initiatives across web, email, social media, presentations, print collateral, video and editorial content.
• Provide responsive, high-quality generalist support for education leaders and programs, including message development, communications planning, writing, editing, content production and channel recommendations.
• Lead communications planning for priority education initiatives, milestones, program launches, recruitment cycles, events and institutional announcements.
• Develop and execute communications strategies supporting recruitment, program visibility, learner engagement, faculty recognition and awareness of the value and impact of Dell Medical School’s education programs.
• Identify and advance storytelling opportunities that demonstrate the quality, impact and distinctiveness of Dell Medical School’s learners, educators, programs and educational model.
• Elevate the excellence, achievements and contributions of medical students, residents, fellows, faculty and training programs through compelling, audience-centered content.
• Develop and refine messaging for diverse audiences, including prospective and current learners, faculty, alumni, health care professionals, community partners and institutional stakeholders.
• Define project objectives, audiences, scope, timelines, roles and deliverables in collaboration with requestors and cross-functional partners.
• Manage large or complex projects and processes with limited oversight, coordinating contributors and ensuring timely, high-quality delivery.
• Balance planned strategic work with emerging requests, setting realistic expectations and recommending approaches proportionate to the opportunity, audience and institutional risk.
• Serve as the lead marketing and communications partner to leaders, faculty, program directors, administrators and other stakeholders across undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education.
• Maintain especially close working relationships with graduate medical education leaders, residency and fellowship program directors, program coordinators and other GME stakeholders.
• Build trusted relationships with education programs and relevant community and institutional partners, developing a strong understanding of their goals, audiences and communications needs.
• Coordinate closely with Ascension Seton communications colleagues to ensure that GME-related communications align with applicable policies, standards, roles, approval processes and institutional messaging.
• Advise GME and program leaders on communications involving shared clinical training environments, patient care settings, partner visibility, media interest or reputational considerations.
• Clarify communications ownership, decision-making responsibilities and approval requirements for initiatives involving Dell Medical School, Ascension Seton and individual residency or fellowship programs.
• Facilitate early coordination between Dell Medical School and Ascension Seton on high-profile, sensitive or complex communications.
• Help ensure that communications accurately reflect the relationships among Dell Medical School, Ascension Seton, clinical training sites and individual programs.
• Maintain trusted working relationships with Ascension Seton partners and help resolve communications questions, differing institutional needs or competing considerations.
• Support consistent, appropriate and effective program-level communications while preserving opportunities for individual programs to communicate their distinct strengths.
• Serve as the primary connection between the education pillar and the core marketing and communications team.
• Engage and collaborate with specialists in media relations, strategic content, internal communications, executive communications, brand and digital engagement when initiatives require deeper functional expertise, broader institutional coordination or additional production capacity.
• Remain actively involved in cross-functional projects to represent education priorities, provide subject-matter context, coordinate stakeholders and support efficient decision-making.
• Identify high-visibility, high-risk or enterprise-level matters that require escalation, specialized review or a coordinated institutional response.
• Advise education stakeholders on the appropriate role of each marketing and communications function and help establish realistic scope, timing and expectations.
• Coordinate education content and campaigns with broader institutional editorial calendars, brand initiatives, media opportunities and digital priorities.
• Guide education-related web and digital content strategy, ensuring that content remains timely, accurate, audience-centered, accessible and aligned with institutional voice and brand.
• Partner with digital engagement colleagues to improve user experience, search visibility, audience journeys and desired conversions.
• Establish and maintain scalable templates, toolkits, guidance and self-service resources that help education programs communicate effectively while reducing duplication and streamlining workflows.
• Develop and maintain communications standards, guidance and governance practices for distributed education programs, including residency- and fellowship-level social media activity.
• Advise program contacts on social media and digital communications best practices, including University and Ascension Seton requirements where applicable.
• Monitor program-level social media activity to identify opportunities for institutional amplification, coordination, support or corrective guidance.
• Coordinate with Ascension Seton colleagues when social media or digital content involves shared programs, clinical environments, branding, policies or reputational considerations.
• Establish meaningful performance measures and use analytics, audience insights and stakeholder feedback to evaluate results and improve communications strategies.
• Stay informed of emerging marketing and communications technologies, platforms and practices, including generative AI and automation, and recommend applications that advance strategic goals and operational effectiveness.
• Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
• Performs related duties as required.

Benefits

• The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior