Communications Specialist (Student Affairs Communications)

Working under the direction of the Associate Director for Communications, the specialist will contribute to the development and implementation of divisional communications strategies through a variety of digital and print channels. This position will particularly focus on engaging undergraduate and graduate students and informing them of the many programs, resources, and support services that are available.

The successful candidate will be highly creative and collaborative, with a solid foundation in messaging and content development, a sense for design, strong digital fluency with knowledge of website, email and social media platforms, and demonstrated experience producing high quality, engaging, and effective communications efforts.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Support the development and implementation of student outreach strategies on behalf of Student Affairs, establishing relationships with students and student organizations across campus to identify opportunities for collaboration, collect feedback, and guide future communications efforts.
• Manage website content, with a focus on quality assurance, accessibility compliance, and search engine optimization; provide occasional website support and training to other Student Affairs staff.
• Contribute to the planning, development, and distribution of targeted email communications and newsletters; manage audience distribution lists.
• Support the creation and sourcing of content for divisional social media channels, campuswide digital signage network, and other communications channels, with a focus on identifying opportunities for collaboration with students, student organizations, and other university departments/schools.
• In collaboration with the Director and Associate Director, plan and execute larger communications initiatives from conceptualization to completion, ensuring the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of all components.
• Advise student organizations on brand compliance; provide guidance on student organization naming conventions and logo usage as outlined in university brand guidelines, and support the development of brand-compliant promotional and marketing materials.
• Continually measure and review the performance of communications efforts; report on key metrics and trends and make adjustments where necessary.
• Serve as an in-house resource to Student Affairs colleagues, advising on communications best practices, university guidelines, and brand standards.
• Continually stay abreast of emerging platforms, technologies and trends; identify new opportunities to engage with audiences"particularly students.
• Coordinate with designers, photographers, printers, and other vendors as needed.

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write clear, concise copy for digital and print materials, strong editing and proofreading skills.
• Experience using content management systems (e.g., WordPress), email marketing platforms (e.g., Emma, Constant Contact, etc.), and social media platforms (e.g., Instagram).
• Basic understanding of principles of design; experience working within established brand standards.
• Basic understanding of measurement tools (e.g., Google Analytics) and how to translate data insights into action.
• Excellent attention to detail; ability to think creatively, strategically, and analytically.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, cultural responsiveness, and the ability to work collaboratively with multiple groups, including students, staff, and administrators.
• Self-motivated with excellent problem-solving and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively under deadlines and simultaneously juggle several assignments.
• Skilled in graphic design, photography, or videography.
• Familiarity with collaborative design tools such as Canva; working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Cloud"especially Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Basic understanding of web accessibility standards as well as best practices for usability, content styling and presentation, and search engine optimization.

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Two years of related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/ graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Classified Title: Communications Specialist
Role/Level/Range: ATP/03/PB
Starting Salary Range: $46,200 - $80,800 Annually ($58,976 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm
FLSA Status:Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: Student Affairs
Personnel area: University Student Services