A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. In addition, please include contact information for three individuals who can serve as references.

The Inclusive History Project (IHP) is seeking an experienced Communications Lead to join our team and spearhead and expand project communications, with a desired start date in January 2026. 

The IHP is a multi-year presidential initiative studying and documenting a comprehensive history of the University of Michigan that stretches across its three campuses and Michigan Medicine. The IHP is working to engage the entire university and neighboring communities to better understand the institutions full history, including its record of inclusion and exclusion, and to consider what actions this history demands in the present. 

Reporting to the IHP Managing Director, the communications lead will develop and implement an internal and external communications and outreach strategy for the IHP and manage a variety of communications emerging from the project. The successful candidate will be a skilled storyteller with the ability to craft written and graphic content that engages audiences around the IHPs mission to research, engage, and repair and to better understand the full history of the University of Michigan. They will also be a detail-oriented professional with strong interpersonal skills and an ability to manage projects that involve people at all levels of the project.

The lead will implement the communication and outreach strategy to raise awareness of the IHP across the universitys campuses as well as with campus, local, and national audiences. Their work will play a key role in keeping a variety of stakeholders informed about and engaged in the IHPs activities and showcasing the impact of the IHPs research. Responsibilities will include working closely with project leadership, staff, and researchers to identify and write stories about IHP activities for IHP, U-M, and local, regional, and national publications; drafting, coordinating, and circulating promotional materials for IHP events; and overseeing the IHPs website content and social media platform communications.

The communications lead will also collaborate with campus communicators on each of U-Ms campuses and from other aligned U-M initiatives while working to develop and maintain connections with local, regional, and national outlets to raise awareness of the IHP and advance the impact of our work. 

The communications lead will also manage print and digital publications emerging from the IHP, which may include annual reports, edited volumes, exhibition catalogs, digital platforms, and other special publications. Overall, the communications lead will be responsible for ensuring the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of the IHPs communications. 

This is a term-limited position with the term ending June 30, 2027, and the possibility of an extension.

Work will be hybrid, with regular in-person work on the Ann Arbor campus and occasional travel to the Dearborn and Flints campuses required.
 

Strategic planning (30%)

• Work with the IHP team to create and implement a strategic communications plan 
• Serve as a key player in developing the IHPs voice and evaluating the nature and number of communications and publications generated by the IHP
• Work in collaboration with the IHP team to identify opportunities and develop content for storytelling and other forms of information sharing from IHP affiliates, including project site researchers, students, grantees, and more
• Research and identify local, regional, and national opportunities for sharing work from the IHP 
• Advise on the development of IHP research deliverables for public audiences, including a variety of publication formats
• Lead the tracking and measurement of the effectiveness of IHP communications 
• Develop and maintain an IHP style guide

Written communications (30%)

• Plan, research, write, and substantive communications materials about the IHP, including materials for a range of university publications
• Coordinate the content and design of IHP promotional materials, including printed guides, brochures, posters, etc.
• Spearhead IHP annual reports in collaboration with the IHP Managing Director
• Oversee various print publications that share the IHPs historical research, providing project management and guidance for new publications from the IHP including edited collections, project-site specific outputs, exhibition catalogs, etc. 
• Serve as the primary liaison with outside parties for publication projects, authoring and enforcing production schedules and drafting agreements with authors, contributors, and publishers
• Ensure editorial quality and adherence to style guides by editing and proofreading text for publications, articles, press releases, and other printed materials

Digital media (30%)

• Oversee the maintenance of and strategic updates to the IHP website and other communications platforms 
• Develop feature stories about a range of IHP activities for sharing through campus news outlets and the IHP website
• Contribute to the ongoing development of IHP e-newsletters and other IHP email communications
• Help to build and maintain a social media presence for the IHP 
• Work with videography, photography, and digital media experts to expand modes of communication from the IHP

Additional responsibilities (10%)

• Contribute to event planning and promotion
• Provide technical support for virtual convenings
   

• A Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or relevant field or equivalent work/educational experience 
• 3 or more years of relevant communications experience that includes demonstrated writing experience, public relations, marketing, and/or print and digital publishing
• Ability to analyze and translate humanities scholarship and/or historical research into accessible language for multiple audience
• Demonstrated success collaborating with teams and the ability to manage and prioritize numerous projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience developing and maintaining strategic plans, branding, websites, and online presence
• Knowledge and understanding of social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram etc.
   

• Experience in sharing and promoting historical or humanities research or knowledge of public history 
• An in-depth understanding of current digital marketing technologies, industry trends, and audience engagement tactics
• Demonstrated experience with website design
• Proficiency with MailChimp and WordPress
• Supervisory experience
   

The salary range for the senior-level position is $55,000 to $65,000
Please note a higher salary may be offered based on the selected candidates experience.

This is a term-limited position through June 30, 2027 with the possibility of an extension.
 

As one of the worlds great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSAs Mission, Vision and Values, please visit https://lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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