Program Manager, Advancement Communications University of Washington

For over 160 years, the University of Washington has been a hub for learning, innovation, problem solving and community building. Supporting this legacy and important public mission—with the goal of making the UW the world’s greatest public university, as measured by positive impact—guides everything we do in University Advancement. Bringing together development; alumni and stakeholder engagement; marketing and communications; and advancement operations, we advance the UW’s impact by developing meaningful connections that foster pride, advocacy and philanthropic support.

The mission of University Marketing & Communications (UMAC) is to lead branding, marketing and communications efforts that advance the reputation, resources and relationships of the University. This starts with creating a culture of belonging within our organization that values the diverse experiences and expertise of our team members, allowing everyone to thrive and to contribute their unique talents as we strive to achieve our shared goals.

University Marketing & Communications has an exciting opening for a Program Manager for Advancement Communications. This is a full-time permanent position.

The Program Manager for Advancement Communications manages the day-to-day execution of marketing and communications projects that support the University of Washington’s philanthropic goals. As a core member of the Development Marketing & Communications team, this role oversees project workflows and cross-departmental collaboration to ensure the successful delivery of initiatives that advance development’s annual integrated marketing and communications plan, donor engagement efforts and the comprehensive campaign.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Brand Marketing Strategy, the Program Manager helps ensure communications are strategically aligned with institutional priorities and executed with clarity, consistency and quality.

Program Management & Execution (70%)

• Lead the planning, prioritization and execution of development communications initiatives, independently managing project portfolios, timelines, budgets, resources and stakeholder expectations to ensure successful delivery of strategic objectives.
• Coordinate and track cross functional work streams for campaign communications, donor engagement initiatives and annual plan priorities.
• Proactively identify risks and recommend solutions/mitigating factors to maintain momentum.
• Keep stakeholders informed through regular check-ins and updates.
• Provide strategic project counsel to communications, creative and advancement partners, ensuring alignment between project execution, donor engagement goals and broader objectives.
• Establish and maintain project management frameworks, processes and tools that facilitate communication and efficiency across teams.
• Ensure high-quality, brand-aligned execution by providing oversight for the development and delivery of donor centered content, maintaining organized project documentation and facilitating smooth communication channels across all teams involved.
• Monitor project performance and report on progress, highlighting successes, identifying opportunities for improvement and supporting continuous refinement of development communications workflows.

Collaboration & Relationship Management (25%)

• Partner collaboratively across Advancement, University Marketing & Communications, and campus units to clarify business needs, align expectations, translate strategic objectives into donor-centered communications and ensure coordinated, high-quality execution across projects and stakeholder groups.
• Manage external vendors and freelancers as needed to support project delivery, ensuring clear scopes, timelines and…