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Job category:
Academic Staff
Employment type:
Regular
Job profile:
Student Affairs Asst Dir (B)
Job summary:
The Associate Director of Outreach for the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate reports to the Director and serves as a key member of the Center’s administrative leadership team. This role advances the Center’s outreach, communications, educational programs, conferences, and industry engagement efforts. Responsibilities include developing and implementing strategic communications and outreach initiatives, managing the Center’s conferences and events, and fostering strong relationships with students, alumni, donors, and industry partners. The position plays a key role in enhancing the Center’s visibility, reputation and impact. This position can be full or part-time, between 80-100%.
30% – Program Development and Management
Lead the development and management of the Center’s outreach programs, conferences, and signature events from inception to completion. Work with the Academic Director to shape the strategic vision for conferences and outreach initiatives. Manage conference sponsorships and cultivate new sponsors to help offset program costs.
Ensure quality and impact of outreach programs while identifying emerging industry trends to inform innovative programming, including symposiums, conferences and board meetings. Lead initiatives aligned with the Wisconsin Real Estate Program’s distinction as the #1 Undergraduate Real Estate Program and #3 Real Estate Graduate Program (U.S. News & World Report, 2026) and its reputation for innovation, student success and industry impact.
Key outreach events include:
25% – Marketing and Public Relations
Lead the Center’s marketing and public relations strategy in collaboration with administrative staff. Oversee media relations, branding and development of online and print promotional materials. Implement strategies to increase visibility across the real estate industry, academia and MS and MBA recruiting channels. Promote events and conferences to maximize participation and engagement.
Maintain a strong and engaging digital presence across social media platforms, with emphasis on LinkedIn. Oversee content highlighting student achievements, faculty research, alumni engagement and major conferences and events to maintain a visible and respected industry presence.
Partner with the Wisconsin School of Business Marketing, Communications and Strategy team to manage media buys, evaluate campaign analytics and optimize return on investment.
15% – Student Programs and Oversight
Oversee the Real Estate Student Tutoring Program, including tutor hiring, training coordination, scheduling, and participation tracking. Supervise student employees, including hiring, training, performance management, and payroll approvals.
Support MS and MBA recruiting and facilitate connections between students, advisory board members, and alumni. Assist with initiatives that strengthen graduate student career pathways and industry engagement.
10% – Administrative Leadership
Provide administrative leadership to support effective Center operations across outreach, academic, and operational functions. Develop procedures to manage costs, strengthen revenue streams, and support data analysis and HR processes. Supervise the Business Manager position.
10% – Board, Alumni, Donor, and Student Engagement
Maintain strong relationships with real estate firms, industry organizations, media contacts, and university partners. Support engagement with the Center’s Advisory Board and partner organizations such as the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA). Strengthen alumni and donor relationships to advance the Center’s mission.
Oversee key communications including:
5% – Budget and Financial Management
Partner with the Business Manager to support budget management, including revenue and expense tracking and monthly financial review. Oversee vendor contracts, approve invoices, and ensure compliance with University financial policies.
Oversee development of fundraising materials and support fundraising strategy. Partner with the Business Manager to track annual board member contributions (approximately 110 members) and support donor engagement efforts.
Key job responsibilities:
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Answers questions and provides information regarding student affairs resources to individual students and groups
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Contributes to the design of student-focused programs and associated resources and materials to promote new and ongoing educational initiatives
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Evaluates and promotes short and long term existing strategies and makes recommendations for program enhancement
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Develops, plans, and directs staff implementation and operational work plans of one or multiple student affairs programs, activities, experiences, and/or services
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May monitor the program budget and approve expenditures
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Identifies, develops, and facilitates unit staff training opportunities
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Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
Department:
Wisconsin School of Business, James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate
Compensation:
The minimum salary for the position is $75,000. Actual starting salary will be based on experience and qualifications.
The employee in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at (https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/).
Required qualifications:
Minimum 5 years of experience in higher education, communications, marketing, outreach, or related professional experience.
Preferred qualifications:
10+ years of experience in higher education, communications, marketing, outreach, or related professional experience.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree Required
Master’s Degree Preferred
How to apply:
Click the "Apply" button to start the application process.
You will be prompted to upload the following documents:
Resume
Letter of Qualification
Applicants should attach a letter of qualifications and resume detailing their training and experience relating to the required and preferred qualifications referenced above. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine which qualified applicants will advance in the recruitment process. The search committee will review all application materials after the posted deadline. We will notify selected applicants to participate further in the selection process directly. References will be requested of final candidates. All applicants will be notified after the search is complete and a candidate has been selected.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
Contact information:
Katie Wenzel
[email protected]
608-262-8471
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Institutional statement on diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.
To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.
Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
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