Unit X Communications Director (Part-time / Temporary)

Unit X is a new presidential initiative at the University of Michigan that brings together health sciences, engineering, and advanced supercomputing to accelerate biomedical innovation and venture creation. The Communications Director will lead execution of the unit's integrated marketing and communications roadmap following its initial launch, reporting to the Operations and Strategic Initiatives Manager and collaborating closely with university leadership and institutional partners.

This is an initial one-year, part-time engagement of approximately 20 hours per week, with potential to extend based on unit needs. The successful candidate will bring senior-level communications experience, strong storytelling ability, and fluency across digital and social platforms, with proven capacity to translate complex scientific and technical concepts into clear, audience-centred narratives.

• Lead execution of Unit X's master narrative and multi-channel communications strategy across digital, web, email, print, and video.
• Translate complex biomedical and supercomputing developments into compelling stories for academic, industry, donor, and public audiences.
• Serve as primary editorial and content lead for the Unit X digital platform using Sanity Studio CMS, collaborating with developers and designers.
• Build and direct social media strategies across LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and X/Twitter, using analytics to refine performance.
• Partner with senior leadership to support executive communications, thought leadership, and high-stakes stakeholder messaging.
• Manage digital marketing budgets, vendor relationships, and data-informed KPIs covering web traffic, audience growth, and engagement.

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressive leadership experience in strategic communications, integrated marketing, or agency consulting.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific or technical concepts into multi-channel content across diverse audiences.
• Experience managing CMS platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, or Sanity, and email marketing platforms including Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
• Proven expertise across digital and social platforms, with experience using data analytics to optimise reach and engagement.
• Strong project management skills suited to navigating complex, high-profile institutional environments.

The University of Michigan is a major public research university based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Unit X is a presidential initiative backed by a significant institutional investment, designed to unite researchers, clinicians, computational scientists, and entrepreneurs to position U-M as a leading global hub for bioinnovation and start-up creation.