Communication and Engagement Coordinator

Columbia University; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University seeks a Communications and Engagement Coordinator for the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. This role drives strategic communications, multimedia content, event planning, and grant-related administrative activities to promote Institute programs and engage diverse audiences.

The position requires exceptional writing, editing, and project management skills, with experience in CMS, newsletters, and digital content.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus three years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Track all communication activities and maintain records.
• Maintain production schedules for marketing projects.
• Develop and improve administrative processes for marketing and communication functions.
• Build partnerships with CTSA network and CUIMC/Offices of Communication.
• Draft announcements from leadership within Institutional guidelines.

Skills

Communications

Project management

Content creation

Editing

CMS Drupal

Mailchimp

Adobe Creative Suite

Event coordination

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Drupal CMS

Mailchimp

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

InDesign

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35.00
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $68,000.00 $75,000.00

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The Communications and Engagement Coordinator plays a key role within the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, supporting the Institute's strategic communications, engagement, and outreach efforts. As a member of the Strategic Management Team, this position is responsible for coordinating communication initiatives, developing multimedia content, planning and supporting events and engagement, and assisting with grant-related administrative activities. Working independently and proactively, the Coordinator will promote Institute programs and services, share research achievements and updates, and support engagement activities that serve the Columbia University community and a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.

Reporting and Cooperation

Reporting to the Assistant Director for Program Strategy and Communications, the Coordinator provides operational and administrative support for a complex biomedical research enterprise that spans multiple programs, initiatives, and collaborators. As a member of the Engagement and Communications Unit, the Coordinator contributes to advancing the Institute's strategic goals by increasing awareness of its programs, resources, and impact across Columbia University and the broader national research community. The position also partners closely with the Engagement and Events Manager to support organization-wide events, meetings, and engagement initiatives.

About the Irving Institute

The Irving Institute serves as the home of Columbia University's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, part of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) consortium of more than 50 leading academic medical centers dedicated to accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into improved health outcomes.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an exceptional communicator and highly organized professional with demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines. Success in this role requires outstanding writing, editing, proofreading, and visual communication skills, along with strong attention to detail, meticulous recordkeeping and the ability to effectively manage projects and timelines with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

Communication

• Tracking all communication activities to ensure proper record keeping.
• Maintain production schedules and calendars for marketing and communication projects.
• Develop, oversee, and continuously improve administrative processes for marketing and communication functions including the advertising request and website update processes.
• Build strong partnerships and working relationships with the CTSA Program network of communicators, and the CUIMC and CU Offices of Communication.
• Draft communication announcements from leadership within Institutional guidelines and standards.

Content Creation

• Design engaging marketing campaigns to promote programs, services, and events.
• Create and edit timely and appropriate multimedia content for newsletters, press releases, presentations, informational brochures, announcements, digital signage, websites and social media.
• Promote research updates resulting from Irving Institute support to various internal and external audiences.
• Serve as webmaster for updating website content. Work closely with content contributors to plan and edit content and maintain consistency.

Events and Engagement

• Help coordinate organization-wide events by assisting in planning and execution of logistics, creating detailed event timelines, ensuring events are adhering to internal processes and procedures, and staffing events as needed.
• Work with internal faculty and staff, and external stakeholders to ensure all logistics and scheduling needs are met and event timelines are adhered to.
• Serve as integral part of the Strategic Management Team responsible for scheduling and planning routine Irving Institute meetings.

Additional Projects

• Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus three years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, healthcare, or other large, complex organizations is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in communications, marketing, and event coordination, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail, with a proven ability to produce accurate, high-quality work.
• Professional, dependable, and adaptable team player with a strong customer service orientation.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, leadership, and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with Adobe Creative Suite applications such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop is preferred.
• Experience creating and managing newsletters using platforms such as Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
• Familiarity with social media platforms, project management tools, and AI-powered productivity applications is a plus.
• Experience with web content management systems (CMS), particularly Drupal, is strongly preferred.

Other Requirements

A cover letter, two writing samples, and two graphic design samples are required.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.