The mission of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is the development of professional health care practitioners through innovation, individualized, and quality classroom, clinical, and distance education.
GENERAL SUMMARY
Working under the direction of the Sr. Director, Brand and Content, the Communications Specialist assists with the development and execution of comprehensive internal communications tactics that support institutional priorities and objectives. This individual will work with cross-functional partners to implement strategies and tactics to reach and inform various internal audiences (including students, faculty, staff and alumni). The Communications Specialist will support the mission of the University by writing and managing content for the USAHS websites, e-newsletters and other communication channels; assist with promoting the image of the institution to internal constituencies through internal communications; and other responsibilities as assigned.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assist with the development and implementation of high-impact internal communication strategies and vehicles to promote engagement and the overall integrity of USAHS’s culture of commitment to excellence in health sciences education. Develop and/or create content in a variety of formats, including written communication, visual graphics and video.
- Coordinate, write and edit Campus Connection, the University’s weekly e-newsletter dedicated to sharing stories and informing faculty and staff. It provides information about the University, its people and the professions we serve.
- Create content for the University’s internal websites and intranet (MyUSA and Campus Connection) and post necessary cross-departmental updates as needed.
- Help coordinate and create alumni communications, including the biannual publication, Accolades, and the biannual e-newsletter, Accolades Insider, alumni emails and Class Notes. Assist in development of content for these publications and oversee production with vendors, including printers, graphic designers and freelance writers.
- Oversee core faculty and leadership biography process to ensure new hires and changes are communicated on the usa.edu website and Campus Connection.
- Support internal communication to USAHS students, faculty and staff by creating and posting slides and videos to campus TVs.
- Coordinate and/or create communications needed for annual and term-specific celebrations and events, including Commencement programs and Board Excellence Awards.
- Establish individual strategies for measuring communication effectiveness and outcomes; responsible for monthly analysis and reporting of results, tracking email performance and documenting past communications for future use.
Core Responsibilities
- Writes in the voice of the University, executing per brand guidelines
- Promotes the University mission, vision, goals and objectives to internal and external constituencies
- Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills
- Promotes University’s core values
- Supports and demonstrates a student-centered philosophy
- Works productively in a collaborative, team environment
- Upholds University’s professional, ethics and integrity standards
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
May perform other duties and responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time.
POSITION IN ORGANIZATION
Reports to:Sr. Director, Brand and Content, Marketing
Positions Supervised: None
TECHNICAL, MANAGERIAL & PEOPLE SKILLS REQUIRED
To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Incumbents will be evaluated, in part, based on performance of each essential function. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
- 2-5 years of relevant experience (which could include internships). Previous experience in higher education a plus.
- Undergraduate degree in journalism, communications or related field required
- Strong writing and editing skills and attention to detail
- Strong organizational, prioritization and time-management skills with ability to meet deadlines, multi-task and follow through on project timelines
- Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills; should be comfortable working with key internal leaders and all University departments
- Highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills, with ability to adapt and work under pressure
- Demonstrated ability to increase productivity and continuously improve methods, approaches and departmental contribution. Commitment to continuous learning.
- Familiarity with the tools of the trade, such as Microsoft Office and MS Teams, SharePoint, WordPress, Adobe Illustrator and Premiere, Contact Monkey, Vimeo, Canva and Google Forms/Sheets
- Basic graphic design, HTML and video editing skills are a plus
TRAVEL
Position may be required to travel (no more than once a quarter)
BUSINESS COMPETENCIES
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:
- Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
- Being Resilient - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
- Instills Trust - Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
- Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
- Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
- Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
