Inclusive History Project Communications Lead

Inclusive History Project Communications Lead Mission Statement

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.

The Inclusive History Project (IHP) is seeking a creative and experienced Communications Lead to join our team and spearhead and expand communications to share our work with the university and audiences beyond it, with a desired start date in November 2026.

The IHP is a multi-year presidential initiative documenting and sharing 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 institution's 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 print and digital communications. The successful candidate will be a skilled storyteller and strategist with the ability to craft written and graphic content that engages audiences in the IHP's mission to research, engage, and repair as we work to better understand the full history of the University of Michigan.

They will also be passionate about the IHP's mission, eager to collaborate, detail-oriented, able to manage multiple projects at once, and interested in continually growing as a storyteller, strategist, and communicator.

The lead will play a key role in raising awareness of and interest in the IHP and showcasing the project's impact to campus, local, and national audiences. To do so, they will collaborate with campus communicators on each of U-M's campuses while working to develop and maintain connections with external outlets.

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 Flint 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 IHP's voice and evaluating the nature and number of communications generated by the IHP
• Work in collaboration with the IHP team to identify meaningful content and new opportunities for storytelling from IHP affiliates, including researchers, students, grantees, and more
• Research and identify local, regional, and national opportunities for sharing news about the IHP
• Help to advise on the development of IHP research deliverables for public audiences across a variety of 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 press releases and materials for a range of university publications
• Help to create and 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
• Help to oversee various print publications that share the IHP's historical research, providing project management and guidance for edited collections, exhibition catalogs, etc.
• Ensure editorial quality and adherence to style guides by editing and proofreading text for publications, articles, press releases, and other printed materials

Digital media (40%)

• Oversee the maintenance of and regular 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
• Develop campaigns for IHP event promotion in collaboration with the IHP Manager of Engagement
• 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
• Ensure editorial quality and adherence to style guides by editing and proofreading text for…