Campus Engagement and Initiatives Manager

Overview

Duke University: Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.

With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries. Be You. Be Bold. Choose Duke. Be You. At Duke, we celebrate individuality and the unique perspectives that each member of our community brings.

As the Campus Engagement and Initiatives Manager
, you’ll be a vital part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team that strengthens Duke’s creative ecosystem by connecting faculty, students, visiting artists, and the broader Durham arts community. Your work will help ensure that diverse artistic voices, creative research, and experiential learning opportunities thrive across campus. Be Bold. The Campus Engagement and Initiatives Manager oversees the development of Duke Arts’ artist residency programs, designing educational models that guide Duke Arts’ engagement strategy across campus with a focus on faculty collaboration, creative research, and arts curriculum innovation.

You will serve as the primary liaison with Duke faculty and work closely with Duke Arts programming, marketing, and development teams to create assets, documentation, and content that showcase the impact of arts engagement at Duke.

• Partner with the Director of Engagement and the Experiential Education Manager to develop and support residency programs connecting Duke with Durham’s arts community, K–12 schools, and higher‑education partners.
• Collaborate with the Duke Arts Programming team to contribute to a robust, creative, multi‑faceted engagement strategy across campus.
• Represent Duke Arts in planning artist residencies with faculty, inspiring instructors to think creatively and incorporate visiting artists into course planning.
• Solicit faculty and staff feedback to identify artists who best support their pedagogical goals and develop residency activities that foster interdisciplinary dialogue.
• Support the Artist Services Coordinator with residency events that involve Duke departments, Durham schools, and community arts‑education partners.
• Serve as point of contact for arts practice faculty proposals related to creative research and new work development.
• Write and support the Marketing team in developing copy for residency events and communications.
• Represent Duke Arts at residency and public‑facing events, including artist introductions, talks, and performances.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and contractors to produce print and digital materials that contextualize major residencies and commissioned project premieres.

As a strong candidate for the Campus Engagement and Initiatives Manager role, you bring a blend of creative skill, professional writing experience, and the ability to collaborate across academic and artistic communities.

Education & Skills

• A bachelor’s degree in an arts practice field or relevant humanities/interpretive social science discipline (e.g., English, History, Communication Studies), or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• Strong ability in creative writing
  , interviewing, research, and copy‑editing
  , supporting high‑quality communication across Duke Arts’ programs.

• At least two years of directly related writing experience
  , such as narrative creation, content development, or contextual writing for arts or academic settings.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with artists, faculty, students, and community partners.

• 4-6 years related experience at a large arts organization in administrative work or a higher-level degree (M.F.A. or Ph.D.) in an arts or humanities field.
• Fluency of research or production knowledge across a…