CEAE Outreach and Communications Specialist

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced individual to join our team as CEAE Outreach and Communications Specialist. This multifaceted role will involve developing and implementing a comprehensive social media and communications strategy for the academic unit, creating and executing outreach strategies, and managing technical conferences organized by the department.

Job Description

40% Technical Conference Management

• Manage the planning and execution of technical conferences organized by the CEAE department, including the Structural Engineering Conference, Environmental Engineering Conference, Asphalt Paving Conference, and Geotechnical Engineering Conference.
• Coordinate with stakeholders, including faculty members, other CEAE staff, industry professionals, and vendors, to ensure successful and engaging event experiences.
• Work closely with the CEAE Accountant to develop and manage budgets, track expenses, and negotiate contracts with conference venues, exhibitors, and service providers.
• Coordinate event logistics, including registration, speaker arrangements, session scheduling, catering, and audiovisual setup.
• Oversee marketing and promotion efforts, utilizing social media and other channels to attract attendees and ensure a high level of engagement. Marketing materials include postcard advertisements, conference programs, and website content and updates.
• Develop and maintain a database of attendee mail/email lists. 
• Produce individual conference packages, coordinating parking passes, name tags and conference program. 
• Provide logistical support during the conference, ensuring smooth operations and addressing issues that may arise.
• Produce and distribute certificates for Professional Development hours. 
• Conduct post-event evaluations, collecting feedback from attendees, and making recommendations for future conference improvements.

• Develop materials to be used in student outreach activities, collaborating with other administrative staff in CEAE and in the School of Engineering and CEAE faculty on development and deployment.
• Implement communication campaigns; craft compelling messaging and content to engage stakeholders.
• Coordinate and implement undergraduate engineering outreach efforts for the CEAE department, including events such as engineering summer camps and high school visits, working closely with the CEAE Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, departmental committees, and School of Engineering staff.
• Engage current students and student groups in outreach activities.
• Organize and participate in events, both online and in-person, to engage with stakeholders and provide information about civil, environmental, and architectural engineering.
• Track and analyze the effectiveness of outreach strategies, making data-driven recommendations for improvements.

• Develop and execute a social media strategy aligned with the goals and objectives of CEAE, focusing on enhancing the unit’s digital presence.
• Create engaging and relevant content for social media and digital platforms, including but not limited to LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and the CEAE website, to promote the unit’s programs and achievements.
• Monitor and track analytics, utilizing data-driven insights to refine the social media and digital strategy and improve audience engagement.
• Stay up-to-date with emerging social media trends and best practices, and effectively implement them to maximize online visibility of CEAE.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to coordinate social media campaigns and initiatives that support the unit's overall marketing and communication goals, including regularly interfacing with CEAE faculty and students to collect success stories to be shared via social media and departmental website.
• Proactively manage the unit's social media accounts by monitoring comments, addressing inquiries, and maintaining a positive brand presence.
• Identify and leverage opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with other relevant organizations to enhance our unit's social media presence.
• Provide regular reports on social media performance, including key metrics and recommendations for improvement.
• Leverage social media content using the CEAE website; Coordinate and collaborate with other CEAE staff on alignment of the CEAE website with goals and objectives of CEAE and social media strategy.
• Develop strong graphics to showcase CEAE’s activities and successes, to be shared out in various platforms (social media posts, newsletters, CEAE website, etc.).
• Coordinate and collaborate with other departmental staff on development and deployment of the annual CEAE Update newsletter.

• Supervise student hourly assistants.

Position Requirements

This position is required to work on-site at the Lawrence, KS campus. 

Contact Information to Applicants

Caroline Bennett, Professor and Chair, [email protected]

Additional Candidate Instruction

A complete application consists of the online application, cover letter, and resume. Only complete applications will be considered.

Review of applications will begin on Feb. 26th and continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified. 

Application Review Begins

26-Feb-2024

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

Employee Class

U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Job Family

EducationalSuport&Delivery-KUL

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).