Strategic Initiatives Communicator

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in a strategic communications role with the opportunity to shape how significant technology initiatives are understood, experienced, and adopted across campus. You'll partner with leaders and teams on high-impact efforts such as cybersecurity, digital accessibility, generative AI and other priorities that affect students, faculty, and staff throughout the university. We're seeking a collaborative, creative, and forward-thinking communicator who can translate complex topics into compelling, audience-centered communications and provide strategic guidance from early planning through implementation. The ideal candidate brings exceptional writing and planning skills, sound judgment, curiosity, adaptability, and a desire to make a meaningful impact at one of the nation's leading public research universities. Hybrid work options may be available for this position, with the ability to be on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus as needed per the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field.
Six years of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area.
Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one(1) year (12 months) of work experience.
Demonstrated experience of progressively responsible professional communications experience, including substantial responsibility for communications supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives or organizational change.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing project communications plans.
Demonstrated experience writing and editing finalized and accurate materials for senior, institution-wide, and varied audiences.
Demonstrated experience translating technical, policy, legal, compliance, or organizational complexity into plain language.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple visible projects, stakeholders, approvals, and deadlines with substantial independence and sound escalation judgment.
Writes and edits publication-ready content-including briefs, FAQs, web copy, presentations, and executive-support materials-that meets Office of the CIO accessibility, brand, style, and quality standards without additional substantive editing.
Translates technical, policy, legal, or compliance information into plain-language content for nontechnical audiences while preserving accuracy, context, and appropriate nuance.
Builds communications plans that define audiences, messages, channels, timelines, approval paths, risks, and success measures for a cross-functional initiative.
Manages multiple concurrent project timelines, approvals, dependencies, and contributors to meet deadlines without missed communications milestones.
Coordinates communications work with initiative leaders and stakeholders outside a direct reporting line and identifies when an issue requires escalation to Communications & Marketing leadership.
Distinguishes project-level communications decisions from portfolio-level, campuswide, high-risk, or executive-facing decisions requiring leadership review and approval.
Applies content governance, accessible and inclusive communications practices, web content strategy, and communications measurement methods to evaluate and report on project communications performance.
Handles confidential, sensitive, or not-yet-announced information about initiatives, personnel, or decisions with discretion appropriate to the information's risk level.
Models collaborative, solutions-focused behavior; navigates stakeholder disagreement without escalating conflict; and gives and receives direct feedback in ways that maintain productive working relationships.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education, government, a large research organization, or another complex and decentralized institution.
Demonstrated experience supporting technology, digital accessibility, cybersecurity and privacy, enterprise transformation, change management, or public-sector compliance initiatives.
Demonstrated experience convening distributed communications partners and influencing outcomes without direct authority.
Demonstrated experience using qualitative and quantitative evidence to improve communications.
Demonstrated experience leveraging generative AI tools to ideate, develop content, perform research and analysis, and gain workflow efficiencies with appropriate attention to accuracy, privacy transparency, and human review.
Relevant training or certification in change management project management, digital accessibility, content strategy, or communications measurement.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute communications for assigned strategic projects of the Office of the CIO under the direction of Communications and Marketing leadership.
As the day-to-day communications partner for assigned cross-functional initiatives, create communications plans, coordinate contributors and stakeholders, and produce clear, accessible content for campuswide, high-level, and targeted audiences.
Translate complex technical, policy, compliance, and organizational topics into plain language while maintaining accuracy and nuance.
Research, write, edit, and produce briefs, presentations, announcements, FAQs, web content, newsletters, articles, toolkits, talking-point drafts, and other project materials.
Adapt content for campuswide, senior, technical and targeted audiences while maintaining message consistency, appropriate tone, accessibility, and university standards.
Draft or package supporting materials for high-level audiences when assigned.
Develop and implement integrated communication plans for assigned strategic initiatives within Office of the CIO communications strategy, standards, and priorities.
Define project communications objectives, audiences, messages, channels, milestones, dependencies, approval paths, risks, and success measures.
Recommend project-level approaches to initiative leaders and Communications & Marketing leadership; identify issues requiring broader portfolio alignment, executive involvement, or escalation.
Participate as the communications representative on assigned initiative teams and maintain alignment with related Office of the CIO and university efforts.
Coordinate day-to-day communications work with project leaders, subject-matter experts, unit communicators, faculty and staff partners, vendors, and other contributors.
Support stakeholder mapping, listening activities, feedback collection, leader and communicator toolkits, events, and adoption communications for assigned initiatives.
Serve as a responsive communications contact for assigned projects, documenting decisions and maintaining feedback loops while escalating sensitive, high-risk, or cross-portfolio matters.
Support defined campus IT initiatives or broader institutional strategic priorities, including assigned milestones, content, events, or workstreams, under the direction of Communications & Marrketing leadership; do not independently set the overall narrative or engagement strategy for those initiatives.
Manage project editorial calendars, work plans, routine approvals, contributors, vendors, dependencies, and deadlines.
Manage assigned web and digital content on an ongoing basis, including content planning, information organization, publishing coordination, and accessible content practices.
Coordinate design, multimedia, print, web-development, or other external services as needed; recommend options that address project and stakeholder needs.
Prepare strategically significant, campuswide, high-risk, or executive-facing items for Communications & Marketing leadership review and approval.
Collaborate with Communications & Marketing team members to brainstorm, solve problems, and advance shared priorities.
Provide hands-on support for team projects, tasks, and high-demand periods.
Share knowledge, document useful practices, and cross-train with colleagues.
Pursue professional development through training, job shadowing, and stretch assignments.
Perform other duties as assigned to support team and Office of the CIO priorities.
Establish project communications measures aligned with stated objectives and available evidence.
Monitor quantitative and qualitative feedback, engagement, understanding, and adoption indicators; report findings and recommend project-level adjustments.
Document lessons learned and reusable practices that strengthen future strategic-project communications.