College of Nursing: Strategic Engagement Specialist (Communication Specialist). Must be a current employee of UW-Eau Claire or UW-Eau Claire Barron County.

POSITION: A full-time, professional academic staff position is available in College of Nursing beginning May 18, 2026. The working title for this assignment is Strategic Engagement Specialist with an official title of Communication Specialist. This is a renewable position, contingent on performance. The salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Must be a current employee of UW-Eau Claire or UW-Eau Claire Barron County.

The Strategic Engagement Specialist works in an environment requiring flexibility, initiative, the ability to lead, and solve problems, utilizing best practices in outreach, marketing, and engagement. This individual must be creative and enjoy working with various College of Nursing (CON) and external collaborators, each with a diverse mission but with a shared commitment to fostering public engagement and building strong, strategic partnerships locally, regionally, statewide, and globally. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to exercise sound judgment in various situations, respect diverse perspectives, exhibit perseverance and composure under pressure, and demonstrate enthusiasm for working with faculty, students, and a diverse group of non-university community constituents. The Strategic Engagement Specialist will lead the facilitation of special events, including the annual Mary C. & Fred Bliss Contemporary Nursing Seminar, the nursing pinning ceremony, and other key events. They will have experience collaborating with other communication leaders and overseeing the creation of interactive and general web content. They will work with colleagues in University Marketing to create attractive and informative marketing materials. Strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as administrative and organizational abilities, are required, along with the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The Strategic Engagement Specialist will work in conjunction with and adhere to the standards and policies established by University Marketing. This position is integral to the CON goal of increasing the number of students in all nursing programs. It is crucial, specifically for our traditional undergraduate nursing program, which is planned to double in size between now and 2029.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be a current employee of UW-Eau Claire or UW-Eau Claire Barron County.
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or related field.
• Strong experience preparing, directing, and implementing strategic marketing & communications campaigns, with clearly defined objectives, key performance indicators, audiences, and timetables.
• Experience performing quantitative analysis to define objectives, seek appropriate information sources, formulate logical conclusions, and recognize alternatives.
• Writing and editorial experience to produce precise, well-organized information; experience editing copy for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills, including networking and relationship building internally and externally.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Library Science, or related field.
• Thorough understanding of marketing & communications strategies and practices in an academic setting.
• Skilled with Adobe Creative Cloud, with an emphasis on Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere.
• High social media insight for creating campaigns, creative narratives, content marketing, and visual storytelling.
• Strong analytical/problem-solving skills that incorporate creative and innovative thinking and trend awareness.
• Knowledge of project management systems, Google Analytics, and social media management and applying results to improve communications.

DUTIES:

45% Outreach, Engagement, and Events

• Serve as liaison to University Marketing to develop and provide creative, appropriate, timely, and unique solutions for overall communication, marketing, and branding activities for the College of Nursing.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to implement changes that enhance project goals and objectives.
• Facilitate planning and promotion of college events and programs to students, faculty, campus community, and alumni.
• Working with Admissions, develop and execute annual strategic communication plans of new and current programs within the college to effectively target the correct audience(s) and support the college's mission and strategic priorities.
• Demonstrate a willingness to be flexible in scheduling time to enable support for college events held during non-standard hours and off-campus sites, and provide backup support for event-related tasks and logistical support related to venue, food, entertainment, technology, security, etc.
• Conduct periodic surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of outreach initiatives, communication methods, and routines, and participate in post-event debriefs to adjust future marketing and communication plans as needed.
• Prepare and present a monthly analysis and evaluation of overall strategies employed, reflecting on impact and providing recommendations for improvement.
• Collaborate with researchers to develop strategic communication plans within the pre-award and post-award grant processes, including co-creating researcher web profiles.
• Assist researchers as requested with poster development for dissemination purposes.

30% Web and Social Media

• Collaborate with University partners, provide leadership and support in developing the strategic direction of the college website and the execution of college website projects.
• Proactively identify and facilitate college website projects in relation to college enrollment management initiatives and college strategic goals.
• Develop and implement web solutions to meet marketing needs, including landing pages, forms, applications, registrations, and social media integration.
• Provide ongoing website maintenance and conduct website testing and debugging to ensure high-quality performance and technical health.
• Identify opportunities to expand awareness of the college among key social media audiences (e.g., prospective students, parents, alumni, community).
• Lead and manage social media advertising projects to completion, including identifying resources and developing timelines and deliverables.
• Write and edit accurate, grammatically correct social media content that adheres to university style and social policy.
• Accurately and professionally monitor and respond to/engage with organic social media comments and inquiries and seek assistance and support when needed.

25% Digital and Print Development

• Assist faculty and students with research projects and publications, including formatting, poster preparation, and multimedia presentations.
• Manage the building's digital signage system.
• Serve as the managing editor of the annual college newsletter sent to alumni, faculty, staff, and students, as well as monthly newsletters for current staff and students.
• In collaboration with Integrated Marketing & Communications (IMC), identify interesting pieces for social media and news outlets, including interviewing, researching, and writing articles.
• Coordinate with IMC photographers and videographers to secure media relations.
• Coordinate, curate, and edit photos and footage submitted by college members for social media.
• Develop and manage a college digital media repository.
• Maintain consistency in content and ensure alignment with brand guidelines.

THE UNIT:

College

Join an institution built on a foundation of excellence, liberal education, and inclusivity. The College of Nursing fosters the transformation of individuals at the undergraduate and graduate levels into leaders in professional nursing practice, education, and scholarship. As part of the college, you will engage with multiple regional healthcare agencies in a variety of different sites, including both urban and rural settings.

Department

The Department of Nursing offers four degree programs: the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion (BSNC), the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). UW-Eau Claire is the only public university in northwestern Wisconsin that offers a baccalaureate nursing degree. All programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

As a department, we believe high-impact educational experiences, scholarship, and service to our communities enhance students' and faculty's personal and professional growth and inclusivity in our professional and personal lives. Faculty can develop student intercultural immersion experiences, such as working with migrant farm workers in western Wisconsin and clinical work with the Lakota Sioux nation in South Dakota. Scholarship and research are supported at the college and university levels. Undergraduate students can collaborate with faculty on faculty-mentored scholarly projects through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

For more information about CONHS, please visit College of Nursing | UW-Eau Claire.

UNIVERSITY and EAU CLAIRE COMMUNITY: UW-Eau Claire, an institution of approximately 11,000 students and 1,200 faculty and staff, is consistently recognized as a top comprehensive university in the Midwest and is widely known as a leader in faculty-undergraduate research and study abroad. We strive for excellence in liberal education and select graduate and professional programs through commitment to teaching and learning and dedication to our core values of diversity, sustainability, leadership, and innovation. To learn more about UWEC, visit https://www.uwec.edu/human-resources/employment-opportunities/why-uwec/ .

The City of Eau Claire, situated at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, is at the center of a metropolitan area of approximately 100,000 people located 90 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul. The area features beautiful parks and trails, strong public schools, a vibrant arts scene and local food culture, and abundant recreational opportunities.
 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applications are submitted electronically. Please follow instructions found on the following Web site: https://wisconsin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UW_Comprehensives. Please be sure you have included the following in PDF format:

• Letter of application
• Resume
• Unofficial college transcript [if applicable]
• Names and contact information for three references.

Please direct requests for additional information to:

Samantha Pearson, pearsosauwec.edu

To ensure consideration, completed applications must be received by October 17, 2025. However, screening may continue until position is filled. The university reserves the right to contact additional references with notice given to the candidates at an appropriate time in the process. Employment will require a background check. Employment will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding past conduct related to sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).

The UW-Eau Claire Police Department is dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure environment for learning and working. Although crime at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is limited, the University Police want students, faculty and staff to be aware of crime on campus and the area surrounding the campus. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose annual information about campus crime.

UW-Eau Claire is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disability employer