Departmental Overview

The Center for Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry (CICI) supports and develops interdisciplinary research and programming at UC Berkeley and beyond.

Established in 2013 by UC Berkeley's Division of Arts and Humanities, CICI is home to the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR), the Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative (APARRI), the Program in Critical Theory, the International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs, the Digital Humanities Summer Minor and Certificate Programs, and the Environmental Arts and Humanities Initiative. These programs bring together a diverse community of faculty and students from nearly 30 campus departments and schools.

Position Summary

The Programs and Communications Manager sustains and advances the diverse programmatic, communications, and operational activities of the Center for Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry (CICI). This position leads the planning and execution of public programming and internal and external communications processes and strategy across multiple platforms and audiences. As a central member of a small and growing team, the Programs and Communications Manager works in close collaboration with faculty directors, the center manager, and campus and community partners to manage, develop, and implement a diverse portfolio of programs and initiatives.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is July 24, 2026. Applications will continue to be considered through August 10, 2026.

Responsibilities

Events Planning and Management

• Leads the planning and execution of public programming for the unit, including conferences, lectures, workshops, symposia, and receptions.
• Develops programming from concept to implementation in close collaboration with faculty directors and campus and community partners, serving as the primary implementer of faculty-directed programming vision and exercising judgment and discretion in translating concepts into operational plans.
• Manages the unit's event planning workflow and the ongoing development of planning tools and timelines.
• Manages the central event calendar for the unit, ensuring that scheduling is well-paced across programs.
• Facilitates team and committee meetings for event planning and serves as team lead for events requiring additional staffing.
• Coordinates all logistical elements of events, including venue reservations, vendor services, run-of-show documentation, and travel arrangements.
• Serves as a key liaison to guest speakers, community participants, faculty, students, donors, and VIPs.
• Independently develops and manages event budgets, including allocating total funding across cost categories, conducting cost justification research, and scaling activities to available resources.
• Coordinates cosponsorship requests and funding commitments with campus partners.
• Maintains knowledge of campus policies and procedures relating to events, including accessibility, accommodations, and university services.
• Analyzes programming outcomes and audience engagement and makes recommendations on audience development and outreach.

Communications

• Leads internal and external communications processes and strategy, public relations and media outreach, digital and web platforms, and brand management for the unit's programs and initiatives.
• Develops and implements a cohesive communications strategy that advances the unit's public and campus profile and supports audience development across multiple channels.
• Ensures the timely delivery of announcements and other information to news media, campus community, project websites, and the public.
• Manages the communications calendar, including the independent production of weekly newsletters distributed across multiple discrete program mailing lists via email marketing platform.
• Applies professional communications judgment to adapt content to format and platform requirements, and designs and produces accompanying visual materials.
• Manages mailing list development and engagement strategy.
• Designs posters, flyers, and other print and digital publicity materials.
• Develops style guides to ensure consistency across programs and initiatives.
• Drafts and edits press releases, news stories, website content, newsletters, correspondence to organizational constituents, and other collateral.
• Serves as site manager for program websites and oversees ongoing maintenance.
• Coordinates the design and development of digital and web platforms in collaboration with contractors.
• Maintains knowledge of campus accessibility policies and procedures for publicity, websites, and digital media.
• Identifies performance targets, analyzes and reports on web and email marketing analytics, and makes recommendations to improve reach and engagement.
• Oversees social media engagement strategy and content.
• Oversees the Communications and Media Intern (work-study), delegating and providing guidance on communications and design.
• Serves as the first point of contact for public inquiries.

Program Management

• Exercises broad programmatic responsibility for the development and implementation of programs and initiatives across the unit, managing a diverse portfolio of activities.
• Partners with faculty directors on short and long-term planning, contributing to project scoping, feasibility assessment, and the identification of opportunities for program expansion or new initiatives.
• Plans and manages the implementation of non-events based programmatic activities, applying project management skills to coordinate timelines, resources, and deliverables.
• Assesses program needs, develops and implements evaluation processes, analyzes results, and makes recommendations for program improvement.
• Manages special and ad hoc projects for the unit.
• Facilitates and stewards collaborations with campus, community, and domestic and international university partners, coordinating activities and maintaining relationships in support of faculty-directed partnership goals.
• Assists with resource planning and performs financial management of donor and endowment funds and discrete program budgets.
• Coordinates fundraising drives including the UC Berkeley Big Give and cultivates ongoing donor engagement.
• Supports faculty directors in seeking cosponsorships from campus partners and manages cosponsorship funding and commitments.

Administrative Operations

• Manages and administers a range of administrative operations to sustain and support the diverse and growing programmatic activities of the unit.
• Takes ownership of the ongoing development and refinement of administrative infrastructure to support program expansion.
• Conducts analysis of university policies, procedures, and systems and recommends and develops solutions to a wide range of operational issues.
• Maintains in-depth knowledge of campus administrative systems and platforms to support efficient operations.
• Coordinates the recruitment and hiring of work-study, graduate student, and temporary staff positions, as well as visiting scholar appointments and visas for foreign visitors, working independently to manage processing and liaise with relevant campus offices.
• Performs financial and business services functions including setting up independent contractors.
• Maintains working knowledge of FERPA regulations and campus Student Information Systems, providing backup support for essential student affairs functions as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Strong oral and written communications skills, including the ability to write and edit clearly and persuasively across a range of formats and for diverse audiences.
• Thorough knowledge of event planning for public programs including workshops, conferences, lectures, and symposia.
• Experience developing and implementing communications strategy across multiple platforms and audiences, including digital, print, and web, with knowledge of communications best practices and audience development.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to research and analyze complex policies and procedures and develop effective solutions to operational issues.
• Demonstrated program management skills, including the ability to manage a diverse portfolio of projects and initiatives simultaneously, coordinate timelines and deliverables, and contribute to short and long-term planning.
• Proficiency in financial management, including budgeting, expenditure tracking, and reconciliation.
• Proficiency in web publishing platforms and digital and print design tools.
• Proficiency in email marketing platforms and mailing list management.
• Familiarity with and/or ability to quickly learn UC and campus policies, procedures, and systems.
• Interest or background in interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences scholarship, or in academic and research organizations.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $97,572.24 (Step 1) - $103,543.92 (Step 4).

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Othe r Information

• This position is eligible for up to 2.5 days/week remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• This position is governed by the terms and conditions in the agreement for the Clerical & Allied Services Unit (CX) between the University of California and Teamsters Local 2010. The current bargaining agreement manual can be found at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/cx/index.html

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

Misconduct means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace