Communication Specialist
Rackham Communications
Rackham Graduate School
TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION: Please go to http://careers.umich.edu/ and search for the job by the posting number listed below.
Posting Number: 161436
Posting Title: Communications Specialist
Job Code and Title: 103287 – Communications Specialist
Appointing Department: Rackham Communications (491150)
Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time
Hours: 8am – 5pm, M-F
Salary Range: $49,200 – $61,500
Job Summary
The Horace H. Rackham Graduate School is the home of graduate education at the University of Michigan and offers a remarkably broad and rigorous array of graduate degree programs that are among the very best in the country in each field of study. The U-M attracts outstanding students to graduate study and prepares them to make lasting contributions to society through successful careers in professions and academic disciplines. The Rackham community of scholars, researchers, students, and staff is engaged in the creation of new knowledge, new discoveries, and the formation of our future leaders. The School is an international leader in the development of best practices for graduate education. Further, Rackham is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion as a means of achieving and sustaining excellence.
The Rackham Graduate School’s Communications Team seeks a versatile and highly creative Communications Specialist to manage the school’s social-media channels and create compelling and engaging content for web, email, and print. The specialist will be counted on to write and edit materials, and will work closely with the Communications Director to determine content strategy. The ideal candidate will be an effective project manager, an excellent writer, and someone who thrives in a collaborative team.
Responsibilities
Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Source, research, write, and edit stories featuring Rackham students and alumni for the Rackham website, with a particular eye for stories that intrigue broad audiences and help emphasize the value of Rackham across campus and beyond. Write and edit content for various internal and external email newsletters. Create and revise content for sections of the Rackham website as needed. Collaborate with the Communications Director and other members of the Communications team to brainstorm ways to promote Rackham across a variety of media. Collaborate with the Communications Director on editorial decisions, content decisions, and all aspects of the school’s communication strategy.
Maintain the social-media presence of the graduate school with consistent editorial and communications standards, branding, and scheduling. Write and edit content to engage our audiences over Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Monitor relevant online conversations for institutional feedback. Analyze the performance of content on social media using meaningful metrics. Research emerging trends in best-of-field social-media practices and emerging social platforms. Liaise with other social leaders on campus and represent Rackham in this area.
Support social media, development, and communications with meaningful administrative work, primarily transcription of interviews.
Regularly attend university and school meetings, trainings, workshops, etc. Actively participate by assuming leadership or contributing roles on committees, work groups, focus groups, and/or task forces.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with 2-4 years of professional experience. Excellent oral and written communication skills with prior experience writing content for web-based outlets. Experience writing and editing content for social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) in a professional setting, matching content with the appropriate platform and audience. Excellent copy editing skills and ability to ensure consistency across publications. Demonstrated ability to work well in a collaborative, team-based, positive work environment. Proven ability and willingness to work with diverse populations. Proven ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining a high level of attention to detail. Understands and values diversity and the importance of inclusion as demonstrated through a commitment to apply and incorporate the differences, complexities, and opportunities that diversity brings to an organization. Ability to travel to locations across campus or off-campus to interview subjects or cover events via social media.
Desired Qualifications
Experience developing and writing communications material for higher education. Experience handling paid promotions on various social-media platforms. Familiarity with the University of Michigan’s organizational policies, rules, and regulations. Broad knowledge of graduate education and the diverse cultures of the University schools, colleges and units with which the Graduate School interacts.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and must be attached as the first page of your resume. The letter should address your specific interest in and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.