Communications Specialist I

Pay Grade/Pay Range: Minimum: $44,600 - Midpoint: $55,800 (Salaried E6)

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Department/Organization: 214103 - Engineering Development

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Normal Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm

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Job Summary: The Communications Specialist I writes and edits communications for a department, college, and/or division under general supervision. Develops and implements plans, activities, and tactics to support the goals of assigned areas. Coordinates the production of materials and resources through a variety of platforms, including digital and physical mediums.

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Additional Department Summary: Supports the Office of External Affairs within the Styslinger College of Engineering by developing and distributing strategic communications that promote the College, its students, faculty, alumni and initiatives. Produces content for internal and external audiences across a variety of platforms, including news stories, feature articles, website content, email communications, media releases and social media channels. Conducts interviews and gathers information from faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry partners to create accurate, engaging content aligned with College and university messaging standards. Assists with planning and executing digital communications efforts, including social media management and email marketing initiatives. Provides basic photography and videography support for storytelling, marketing and special projects as needed. Collaborates with the Communications Program Manager and other team members to implement communication strategies, support special projects and events, and maintain a consistent brand voice across all communications platforms.

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Required Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and some journalism, public relations, marketing, or communications experience.

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Skills and Knowledge: Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills with the ability to produce both long-form and short-form content for a variety of audiences and platforms. Strong knowledge of AP style, feature writing, news writing and storytelling principles. Understanding of social media strategy, content planning, scheduling platforms and audience engagement practices. Familiarity with email marketing platforms and analytics. Strong organizational, interpersonal and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with faculty, staff, students, alumni and external stakeholders.

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Preferred Qualifications: One (1) year of experience in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing or a related field. Demonstrated experience writing and editing content for print and digital communications. Experience managing social media accounts and creating platform-specific content. Familiarity with email marketing platforms, content management systems and basic analytics reporting. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, photography, videography and multimedia content creation preferred. Experience conducting interviews, synthesizing information and translating complex topics into engaging content.

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Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

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Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s [Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal](https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eeoc.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2023-06%2F22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Cbemoses%40ua.edu%7C63ee0eea9c1f47dde7aa08dd844ca664%7C2a00728ef0d040b4a4e8ce433f3fbca7%7C0%7C0%7C638812186928171752%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LshEqMy%2FBktAtaXEuwGS%2Bwp4rtHL6HgQLkx1QeU0v0I%3D&reserved=0) poster.

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