Communications & Program Manager (7477U) - #77594

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.

We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

Departmental Overview

The Office of Environment, Health & Safety's (EH&S) mission is to provide guidance and services to the campus community that promote health, safety, and environmental stewardship. EH&S is a highly dynamic, fast paced, committed organization focused on promoting workplace safety and environmental protection for the campus community. We are comprised of many scientific, technical, and administrative professionals, working in an evolving, learning, and sometimes challenging environment with a unified goal of supporting the University's mission of teaching, research and public service. EH&S strives to be an inclusive, service oriented, and operationally excellent organization and is seeking highly motivated individuals who want to learn, be creative, seek continuous competency development, and contribute to our mission. For more information, visit http://ehs.berkeley.edu

Position Summary

Be part of a dynamic team that shapes how our community stays informed and engaged! As the Communications and Programs Manager (CPM) at EH&S, you will lead our efforts to promote essential health and safety information, manage impactful communications programs, and collaborate with subject matter experts to meet our departmental goals. The CPM provides technical expertise to implement senior management decisions, oversees a comprehensive communications program, and supervises the Communications and Programs team. You will also receive, analyze, and assign all incoming work requests.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 05/05/2025. This position is open until filled.

Responsibilities

Communications

• Works with all levels of the organization to create, develop, and implement long and short-term strategic communications plans. Utilizes state-of-the-art techniques to deliver messages to affected campus faculty, staff, and students, including strategic utilization of EH&S websites and broadcast emails.
• Create targeted communications for specific audiences using appropriate tools and techniques for delivery of message. Adapts existing communications processes and activities to meet department objectives.
• Advises and consults EH&S personnel regarding all aspects of communications including developing strong communications strategies that effectively deliver the desired message, policy interpretation, and outcome.
• Oversees comprehensive communication strategy for the department, including needs analysis and design of communications plans.
• Maintains and updates a master communications plan to monitor all EH&S communications activities throughout the year, ensuring execution and quality of products supporting individual strategies for projects, programs, and annual and recurring commitments. Ensures that all products adhere to campus and departmental communications standards, overall strategy of communication plans, and intended messaging. Coordinates resources, accessing campus, division and/or external resources, where appropriate.
• Identifies specific communications needs and develops the content and process for organizational improvements.
• Perform continual analysis and updates of website to align traffic, accessibility and client use and updates processes and procedures as required

Supervises the Communications and Programs Team.

• Manages overall work request queue for communications and program support.
• Receives, prioritizes and assigns incoming work requests.
• Works with team to align priorities to complete assignments by stated/planned deadlines.
• Partners with communication team and subject matter experts to draft and execute communication plans.
• Ensures production of high-quality communications collateral that effectively deliver desired message within budget and time constraints.
• Serves as quality control review to ensure communications are reflective of the EH&S vision, adhere to campus and departmental standards, and maintain departmental branding consistency.
• Assures dissemination of critical information via the web such as recent news, departmental program launches, and emergency issues.
• Develops and evaluates direct reports to ensure continuous improvement of communications expertise and skills.
• Responsible for the selection, training, development, performance management and evaluation, counseling, and discipline of assigned staff members.

Program Support

• Using established protocols, procedures and standards, manages and implements designated complex EH&S programs. Works with Executive Director and/or Senior Management to lead and coordinate with diverse groups of EH&S technical specialists and administrative staff to achieve program goals and promote safety and compliance.

Example includes but not limited to:

• New Principal Investigator (Pl) Orientation Program.
• Tracking and coordination to ensure the timely initiation of outreach and onboarding for new laboratory research faculty to appropriate EH&S safety, programs, permitting and use authorizations, access to systemwide and EH&S safety software, and in-person laboratory safety orientation with technical team SMEs.
• Accessibility standards.
• Ensuring compliance in communications, training, applications, et al.
• Conducts program evaluation after each cycle to ensure effectiveness and make updates and improvements as appropriate.
• In partnership with senior management, participates in new program development providing communications expertise and/or in response to changing needs of the department.

Manages or directs implementation of all web content services; coordinates or implements the update and maintenance of the design and visual structure of the EH&S website, and affiliated websites.

• Maintains consistency of website(s) appearance by developing and enforcing content and display standards.
• Manages distributed authorship (e.g. content management systems) workflow, user site sections, and permissions for content authors.
• Verifies the work of content editors to ensure that all web content is truthful, grammatically correct and correct, and allowed under copyright, and complies with the department and campus branding standards.
• Approves and publishes submissions from content authors.
• May optimize site layout and content for usability, readability, and accessibility to meet the safety guidance needs of diverse campus audiences.
• May prepare sites using HTML and CSS, authoring and formatting tools.
• May produce design and layout for a variety of web site applications establishing and maintaining web protocols, prototype templates, and other web page tools.

Staff development:

• Works on professional committees and assignments, participates in professional training and attends relevant conferences, and/or is mentored or coached on a formal or informal basis.

At the request of campus management (EH&S Director, VC Administration/Research, UCPD Chief, or designated alternate), serve in a designate role within the EH&S Emergency Support Function and be on call to the campus Emergency Operations Center in a campus designated disaster or campus hazardous material release/threatened release. Provide appropriate emergency response role based upon expertise and, where applicable, designated departmental role.

• Completes and maintains compliance on campus/systemwide training requirements, as well as any training necessary per role.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience to lead, supervise and mentor a team of administrative professionals.
• Knowledge of all aspects of communications, including strategic planning for various media channels, the technical aspects and requirements of those channels, and the most appropriate and effective communications plan given the various options available.
• Experience creating, developing, and implementing comprehensive long and short-term communications plans.
• Demonstrated ability to write, edit and manage publishing projects.
• Proven program management and/or project management skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills to meet deadlines and expectations.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal communications, active listening and political acumen skills.
• Knowledge and skills to advise and consult with management to ensure delivery of the desired message to target and/or broad general audiences.
• Thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of writing, grammar, syntax, editorial style, and punctuation, including skill to write in a clear and lively style.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders across all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated website content management system experience, including Drupal (Open Berkeley) or similar system.
• Experience using and leveraging Google Analytics.
• Experience and familiarity with Accessibility requirements, and tools to track compliance measures (i.e. SiteImprove).
• Demonstrated advanced computer skills and knowledge to apply other programs to key responsibilities including but not limited to: MS Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite, (Email, Calendar, Drive, Sheets, Docs), Video Conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet).
• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with environmental protection, workplace safety, and occupational health matters within a higher education and research enterprise.
• Knowledge of Visio, DocuSign, Smartsheet, database management, Google Apps scripts, Figma, Miro, Canva, and other computer tools relevant to communications and digital content.
• Experience with and/or can quickly learn UC Berkeley Brand Guidelines and standards
• Knowledge of and/or can quickly learn campus protocols and channels for communication internally and externally.
• Familiarity with and/or can quickly learn UC Berkeley and EH&S, its achievements, mission, vision, goals, policies, practices, infrastructure, and a strong knowledge of current affairs, and issues in higher education.
• Three years of professional communications experience.

Salary & Benefits

This is a 100% full-time (40 hrs a week) exempt career position, which is paid monthly at an annual rate and is eligible for UC Benefits.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $80,400.00 - $112,900.00 commensurate with experience.

How to Apply

• To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity.
• This position is eligible for up to 40% remote work. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

SB 791 and AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.