Communications Manager, Texas McCombs

Communications Manager, Texas McCombs

Red McCombs School of Business

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Position Duration: Expected to Continue

The McCombs School of Business's Marketing and Communications team is seeking a versatile Communications Manager to serve as a strong storyteller for one of the nation's top business schools. This role is designed for a multifaceted journalistic professional - someone who can pivot seamlessly from deep-dive reporting and faculty research profiles to high-impact social video and user-centered digital experiences.

The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between traditional editorial content and modern digital strategy, ensuring that every piece of content - whether a speech, a short-form video, or a long-form article - is accurate, engaging, and optimized for audience growth.

Responsibility
Leadership Communication Support and Execution

Research, report, produce, and draft high-quality written and visual content that translates complex business content into accessible narratives. This may include news stories, academic research articles, web content, social media content, speeches, talking points, school-wide emails, presentations, video scripts, and op-eds for school leadership and research faculty.

Provide in-person messaging and support to school leadership at signature events, initiatives, and speaking engagements, occasionally during evenings and weekends. Capture visual assets and video content for timely social media postings during or directly after events. Partner with the School's Development and External Relations team, Career Management and Corporate Relations team, academic departments and program offices as needed on external-facing events and programs.

Collaborate with Marketing and Communications team members on producing special video, digital, and print projects. Organize and maintain the McCombs photo and video library/collateral, ensuring assets are properly archived, tagged, and accessible for cross‑channel campaigns.

Partner with the Dean's Office and the Marketing and Communications teams to ensure seamless amplification of leadership messages across social media, web, and media relations channels. Actively incorporate the "Brand Voice" of the school by maintaining rigorous editorial standards and practices across all media.

Tailor storytelling for specific social media platforms to maximize engagement and reach. Apply UX/UI principles to digital content to ensure high accessibility, clarity, and a seamless reader experience. Track and analyze the impact of leadership communications by reviewing audience metrics. Provide regular reports, insights, and recommendations to leadership to increase the effectiveness of communications.

Issues and Crisis Management Support

Support the leadership team with crisis communications, respond to media requests, and facilitate campus interviews.

Assist with leadership communications, including specialized speechwriting for school executives.

Manage monitoring platforms to track brand sentiment and provide regularly scheduled reports on sensitive issues.

Special Projects and Media Relations

Collaborate on multifaceted communications projects and campaigns that support school-wide priorities, such as major gift announcements, new program launches, and strategic initiatives.

Partner with faculty members and liaise with media to ensure the school's research contributions and faculty expertise receive impactful recognition in local, state, national, and international media publications.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and 5 years of professional experience in corporate communications, media relations, journalism, multimedia or a related field with demonstrating strong reporting and visual skills.

Strong journalistic writing, copyediting, and narrative structure skills.

Professional-level skills in video direction, production, and editing; and photography composition, post-processing, and digital photo file organization.

Ability to balance creative output with strict deadlines, editorial standards, and organizational goals.

Working knowledge of UX/UI principles and how they influence digital audience engagement.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in a newsroom, digital media agency, or higher education environment.

Proficiency in ASANA, Canva, WordPress, and familiarity with web publishing (CMS) and media monitoring tools (e.g., Meltwater, Cision).

Experience with motion graphics, data visualization, or interactive storytelling.

Direct experience in speechwriting for executives or managing sensitive crisis communications.

Salary Range
$65,000 - $70,000 + depending on qualifications.

Working Conditions

Works in standard office conditions with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Some evening and weekend hours may be required during peak periods and special events.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work for the United States. This position is not eligible for sponsorship of work visas.

This is an Austin, TX-based position.

Required Materials

Resume/CV

3 Content Samples

3 Work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Letter of interest

Background Checks
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Employment Eligibility Verification
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.

E-Verify
The University of Texas at Austin uses E‑Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E‑Verify is 854197.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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