The Tombras Touchpoints Program Manager provides operational and program leadership for the Tombras School’s engagement, outreach, and special programs. Working closely with the Charles Tombras Sr. Endowed Professor and the school director, this position develops and implements initiatives that advance the school’s strategic goals, strengthen relationships with internal and external stakeholders, support student success and professional development, enhance recruitment and brand visibility, and assist with academic operations.
Community Engagement & Outreach
In collaboration with the Tombras Endowed Professor, develop new outreach and engagement initiatives and implement existing programs that support the school’s strategic goals.
Lead execution of the Tombras Touchpoints Strategy, ensuring alignment with goals for prospective, undergraduate, and graduate student engagement.
Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to expand the Tombras School’s visibility, partnerships, and impact.
Prepare and submit nominations and applications for internal and external awards and recognitions. This includes identifying relevant award opportunities both in industry and academia, collecting relevant information, and compiling the application packets in compliance with award criteria.
Provide operational leadership for the Tombras School summer program, The Content Creator's Toolkit, including recruitment, space coordination, and supervision of student assistants.
Liaise with CCI’s Communication and Marketing team to ensure branding, messaging, and communication strategies are implemented consistently in the school. This includes preparing marketing materials, submitting marketing requests, meeting with the appropriate team members to discuss program needs, and serving as the point person for school faculty and staff for branding questions.
Plan and execute Tombras School visits, tours, and participation in school fairs; represent the school directly or arrange for appropriate faculty, staff, or student representation at external fairs and events.
Represent the school at university and community events, including open houses, fairs, and other outreach activities.
Prepare and deliver presentations about the Tombras School and Tombras Touchpoints initiatives to a variety of audiences.
Track, collect, prepare, and analyze assessment and evaluation data for outreach and engagement programs, making improvement recommendations to the Tombras Endowed Professor and Director of the Tombras School.
Drive broader college outreach and engagement initiatives by aligning school-level efforts with the CCI Director of Access and Engagement.
Manage large-scale school events such as the annual showcase and speaker series.
Drive execution of the purpose project by monitoring deliverables, tracking timeline milestones, and providing progress updates to key stakeholders.
Partners with faculty to research, design, develop, and evaluate training, workshops and other learning opportunities for students and community partners.
Create learning activities and content to support outreach and engagement initiatives.
Student Success
Manage the Tombras School Ambassadors program, including recruitment, training, scheduling, and supervision of student ambassadors.
Manage the Tombras Talks workshop series, including planning, coordination, and execution.
Coordinate with CCI’s Office for Academic Affairs and Student Success to ensure Tombras students are informed about and connected to available college- and university-level opportunities and resources.
Plan and deliver additional professional development opportunities for students.
Communicate with student support resources and professional development opportunities to faculty.
Academic Program Support
Supervise the Academic program coordinator in their assessment and event planning responsibilities.
Co-chair of the school’s access and engagement committee.
Serve on the college’s access and engagement committee and on university-related committees as needed.
Assist the director and the school’s assessment and curriculum in collecting assessment data and documentation for program reviews, evaluations, and catalog updates.
Support the director in providing learning and development opportunities for faculty, especially as relates to industry changes and institutional policies and standards.
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s Degree (Any Field. Preferred: Advertising, Public Relations, or Closely Related Field.)
Experience: 4 years of experience executing programs or projects.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
Strong oral and written communications skills, including editing and writing experience across long- and short-form print, web, video, or social media pieces and platforms.
Exceptional organization skills and demonstrated ability to manage a series of projects concurrently.
Strong knowledge of the academic and applied fields of advertising and public relations.
Ability to work with diverse audiences.
Excellent time management skills.
Advanced knowledge of industry-standard publishing tools including Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Dreamweaver, Microsoft Office suite, WordPress, etc.
Ability to direct vendors, including printers, writers, photographers, media buyers, and multi-media teams.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.
Preferred Qualifications
Education: Master’s Degree
Experience : 6 years of experience executing programs or projects in a higher education setting. Relevant experience in multiple specialty areas, such as event planning, design, copywriting, social media strategy, or media planning.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
Expertise in multiple specialty communications areas (design, writing, media relations, marketing, communications strategy, etc.).
Ability communicating and marketing initiatives at an institution of higher education, government agency, or company.
Evidence of strategic visioning to reach and engage diverse populations.
Work Location
Compensation and Benefits
UT market range: MR 11
Application Instructions
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.
UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.
UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.
The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.
Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!
