Assistant Professor - Social Media

The University of North Florida Board of Trustees; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 62,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of North Florida Board of Trustees seeks a 9-month, tenure-earning Assistant Professor in Social Media for the School of Communication in Jacksonville, FL. The position focuses on teaching and developing courses in social media and strategic communication at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

The ideal candidate will balance a 2/2 teaching load with a strong research plan emphasizing innovation and rigorous methods, and contribute to UNF’s expanding MA in Digital, Social and

Qualifications

• Earned a Ph.D. in Communication, or a closely related field, by start of employment.
• Provide evidence of college teaching experience.

Responsibilities

• Teach and develop courses in social media and emerging, strategic communication at graduate and undergraduate levels.
• Balance a 2/2 teaching load with a program of research demonstrating innovation and methodological rigor.
• Contribute to courses for the forthcoming M.A. in Digital, Social and Emerging Media and the B.A. in Communication Studies.

Skills

Strategic social media

Online teaching

Education

PhD in Communication or closely related field

Evidence of college teaching experience

Job description

Department

School of Communication

Compensation

$68,800.00 to Negotiable Annual

General Description:

This is a 9- month, tenure earning, Assistant Professor in Social Media position in the School of Communication. Responsibilities include teaching and developing courses in social media and emerging, strategic communication at graduate and undergraduate levels. The ideal candidate for this position is a dedicated teacher-scholar with a specialization in strategic social media, social media marketing, integrated marketing communication campaigns, social media metrics and analytics, social media and artificial intelligence, and/or brand management.

The School of Communication seeks applicants who can design and deliver courses in our forthcoming M.A. in Digital, Social and Emerging Media program, which will welcome its inaugural cohort in Fall 2027, as well as our rapidly growing B.A. in Communication Studies program. The undergraduate course in Strategic Social Media is required for the B.A., is a popular elective in the School is Communication's AI and Social Media minor and is open to all UNF students; including those enrolled in the school's B.S. programs (Advertising, Digital Video Production, Multimedia Journalism, and Public Relations).

An applicant who is a strong fit for this position should expect to balance a 2/2 teaching load with a program of research that demonstrates an inclination toward innovation and methodological rigor. The candidate may explore social media from a wide variety of angles and through the strategic implementation of quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods approaches.

UNF faculty are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic excellence in all phases of instruction, research/scholarship/creative activity, and service.

Supervisor:

This position reports to the Director of the School of Communication.

Working Hours :

Varies

Supervision Exercised :

This is not a supervisory role.

Required Licensure:

N/A

Required Qualifications:

• Earned a Ph.D. in Communication, or a closely related field, by start of employment
• Provide evidence of college teaching experience

Preferred Qualifications / Skills:

• Should be equipped to teach the Communication Theory & Research Methods course, which is an upper-level elective in the B.A. program, and comparable courses for the School's two master's programs
• Experience teaching both face-to-face and in online/distance learning environments

Anticipated Start Date:

August 2, 2027

Additional Application Materials Required:

• Current curriculum vitae
• Cover letter
• Evidence of college teaching experience

The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials by the date of hire.

Additional Requirements:

Name, phone number, and email address of three professional references will be requested during the application review stage. Applicants may be required to upload additional documents based on their responses to the Foreign Influence Review questions. Passport (all pages including blank pages) and Form DS-160 (if ever submitted. If not, upload an explanation)

Job Posting Close Date:

Open until filled.

About the Department:

UNF's School of Communication is currently comprised of five undergraduate major programs, one graduate program, four minors, and a new graduate program commencing in Fall 2027.

The School has state-of-the-art facilities, including a high-definition television studio, the Digital Media & AI Innovation Lab (DMAIL), and developing Public Speaking Center. The School is the second largest in UNF's College of Arts & Sciences, serving roughly 650 majors.

Undergraduate students have the option to major in a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, Multimedia Journalism, Digital Video Production, and Public Relations, or a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. The four B.S. majors are accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), one of only five accredited communication programs in the state of Florida.

The School also has a professionally oriented Master of Science degree in Communication Management with its largest cohort of students to date; the forthcoming Master of Arts is in Digital, Social, & Emerging Media. Jacksonville is a rapidly growing city on Florida's First Coast, offering graduates access to a significant professional market, rich is media and industry.

The School enjoys excellent relations with communication professional