Communications Specialist III

Job Title

Communications Specialist III

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Marketing & Communications

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & identities.  Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Who we are

The Division of Marketing & Communications tells the story of Texas A&M University and promotes and protects the Texas A&M brand. We achieve our goals through:

• Messaging - We work with peers across campus to develop, distribute and assess messaging about Texas A&M's global impact in preparing future generations of leaders and improving lives through discovery and outreach.

• Branding - We maintain the University Brand Guidelines and provide tools and resources for our campus partners.

• Brand Oversight - We oversee licensing, trademark management and corporate business development relationships to maximize their commercial benefit to the University.

For more information, please visit us at https://marcomm.tamu.edu

What we want

The Communications Specialist III, under the supervision of the Communications Manager, is a member of the Texas A&M News Team who writes, edits and assists in the production of articles, press releases and other pieces of written content to inform on and promote Texas A&M University. Works closely with internal teams to execute stories from start to finish, including brainstorming story ideas, finding sources, interviewing those sources, suggesting visual content to accompany the story and assisting with distributing the story to target audiences. Assists with media relations duties, including connecting media with experts, credentialing at university events and more. If this job description sounds interesting to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity.

What you need to know

Salary: Compensation will be commensurate to selected hire’s experience.

Cover Letter/Resume : A cover letter and resume will assist us in our review of your application materials. These can be uploaded on the application under CV/Resume.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Four years of Communications related experience.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong written and oral communications skills.

• Ability to meet deadlines, prioritize and manage complex tasks and work independently.

• Strong editing and interviewing skills.

• Demonstrated news judgement and understanding of local and state media environments. 

• Ability to work professionally and harmoniously in a service-oriented position.

• Self-motivation and ability to manage time efficiently.

• Critical thinking skills and ability to present information clearly and concisely.

• Ability to collaborate successfully with internal and external teams.

• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in journalism or mass communications.

• More than five years of demonstrated experience in writing and editing news stories, magazines or other publications, as well as experience in marketing and managing communications for an entity.

• Experience working with members of the media.

• Knowledge of AP Style.

• Familiarity with content management systems such as WordPress. Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and Emma.

Essential Duties/Tasks

• CREATE AND EDIT WRITTEN CONTENT - Collaborates as a member of the Texas A&M News Team, primarily writing for the university’s news site, Texas A&M Today. Works closely with internal teams, including the social media and visual media teams, to produce high-quality digital content. Assists with managing customer service inquiries to facilitate quick, effective responses to audiences regarding a multitude of categories related to Texas A&M University. Writes, edits and assists in the production of articles, press releases and other pieces of written content to inform on and promote Texas A&M University. Works closely with internal teams to execute stories from start to finish, including brainstorming story ideas, finding sources, interviewing those sources, suggesting visual content to accompany the story and assisting with distributing the story to target audiences.

• ASSISTS WITH NEWS SITE MAINTENANCE - Posts written content to the university’s news site, Texas A&M Today. Performs maintenance tasks for site as needed.

• MEDIA RELATIONS - Attends Texas A&M University events to perform credentialing duties and assist media on-site. Assists reporters with requests for interviews with faculty and staff experts. Pitches sources to target audiences as needed. Assists with media relations duties, including connecting media with experts, credentialing at university events and more.

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Participates in training and professional development sessions (both training and teaching). Performs other duties as assigned.

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer committed to diversity.