Program Manager, Internal Communications

Job Summary

Salt Lake Community College seeks a strategic and hands-on Internal Communications Manager to lead the coordination, execution, and continuous improvement of internal communications across a large, diverse, multi-campus workforce.

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Communications and Public Relations within Institutional Marketing & Communications (IMC), this position builds, refines, implements, and sustains the College's internal communications framework while personally developing and delivering high-impact communications.

This role coordinates, but does not centralize, internal communications. Divisions and departments retain responsibility for communicating within their areas. The Internal Communications Manager provides structure, sequencing, and strategic guidance to promote clarity, reduce duplication, and reinforce shared institutional direction.

While student-facing communications are generally led by appropriate divisions (e.g., Student Affairs), this role may support or coordinate communications that require institution-wide alignment or impact both employees and students.

This is a full-time, manager-level role responsible for managing systems, strategy, and projects - not direct personnel supervision.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Institutional Coordination & Strategic Alignment

• Lead refinement and implementation of SLCC's Internal Communications Framework.
• Maintain and facilitate the shared Internal Communications Calendar to increase visibility and reduce message overload.
• Coordinate cross-divisional communications to ensure appropriate timing and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Advise Cabinet and senior leadership on messenger selection, timing, audience considerations, and tone.
• Help ensure consistent institutional messaging during periods of change or complexity.

Strategic Consultation

• Manage the Internal Communications Request process to provide structure and shared visibility.
• Provide strategic consultation to departments regarding audience targeting, messaging clarity, and timing.
• Establish guidelines to promote consistency while preserving divisional ownership of content.
• Ensure communications support institutional priorities while respecting divisional autonomy.

Content Development & Execution

• Draft, edit, and distribute high-visibility and complex internal communications materials, including leadership messaging, policy updates, compliance notices, and change-related communications.
• Develop supporting materials such as FAQs, talking points, and communication plans.
• Customize messaging for diverse audiences across multiple campuses and employee groups.
• In select situations, support communications that include both employee and student audiences when institution-wide coordination is required.

Intranet & Channel Coordination

• Oversee strategic use of the employee intranet.
• Ensure employee-facing information remains current, accessible, and organized.
• Recommend improvements to internal communication channels to improve clarity and reduce redundancy.

Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Establish metrics to evaluate communication effectiveness and engagement.
• Conduct periodic reviews of internal communication practices.
• Provide recommendations to strengthen clarity, coordination, and alignment.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to operate independently in a high-responsibility role with limited staffing support.
• Comfort advising senior leadership.
• Ability to balance coordination with respect for divisional autonomy.
• Advanced project management skills and ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
• Ability to translate complex or technical information into clear, audience-centered messaging.
• Advanced writing and message development skills.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to manage sensitive information.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to move fluidly between long-term planning and immediate production needs.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of people with a variety of abilities and backgrounds, to maintain good working relationships across the College.
• Ability to work with all groups from a variety of academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, and with community college students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or related field.
• Four (4) or more years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, public relations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic communications plans in complex organizations.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and message-framing skills.
• Experience advising senior leaders or executives on communications strategy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Mailchimp and SharePoint.
• Experience in higher education or the public sector.
• Experience supporting communications during organizational change, crisis situations, or high impact institutional initiatives.
• Experience managing intranet platforms and internal communication systems.
• Familiarity with communication analytics and engagement measurement tools.