Communications Manager

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement options

Paid holidays

Wellness benefits

Tuition exemption for qualified posi­t

Training and development opportunities

Employee discounts

Job summary

Louisiana State University is seeking a Communications Manager in Baton Rouge to advance the College of Science’s visibility through storytelling and content strategy. You will lead editorial workflow, supervise staff, and coordinate digital channels while aligning with University priorities.

The role emphasizes high-quality content, stakeholder engagement, and cross-disciplinary collaboration within the SciComm team and central Marketing and Communications resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 3 years of professional communications experience.
• Experience in writing, editing, storytelling across articles, newsletters, press releases.

Responsibilities

• Lead content development for College communications, including articles, press releases, and newsletters.
• Coordinate digital communications across websites, newsletters, email, and social media; oversee analytics.
• Plan and manage communications projects, track deliverables and timelines, coordinate budgets as needed.
• Collaborate with departments and leadership to align with College priorities and standards.
• Supervise staff and interns, provide coaching and performance feedback.

Skills

Content development

Writing

Editing

Storytelling

Project management

Leadership

Editorial oversight

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

CMS

Social media platforms

Job description

Communications Manager

Position Type: Professional / Unclassified

Department: LSUAM Science - Department of Communications (Stachia B. Marioneaux (00073660))

Work Location: 0392 Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building

Pay Grade: Professional

Job Description

The Communications Manager advances the visibility and reputation of the LSU College of Science through strategic communications, storytelling, and high-quality content development. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Communications, the Manager serves as part of the College’s Shared Services Communications team (SciComm), supporting College and departmental priorities. The position combines hands‑on writing, editing, and content production with content strategy, editorial oversight, digital communications, and project management. The Manager also supervises assigned staff and coordinates communications initiatives across SciComm to ensure accurate, timely, engaging, and consistent messaging aligned with College and University priorities.

Job Duties

• 30% - Content Development & Storytelling Lead and actively contribute to the writing, editing, and production of high-quality content for College communications, including news articles, press releases, feature stories, institutional announcements, and newsletter content. Conduct interviews, gather information, and develop compelling narratives highlighting research discoveries, teaching excellence, student success, faculty achievements, and institutional priorities. Maintain a strong emphasis on clear, accurate, engaging, and audience-appropriate writing. Establish and manage a story pipeline and editorial workflow to ensure consistent, timely content delivery. Provide editorial review and quality control to maintain professional writing standards and consistency in College messaging.
• 25% Digital & Stakeholder Communications Lead, coordinate, and contribute to digital communications across College and departmental websites, newsletters, social media, and broadcast email platforms, balancing direct content development and publishing responsibilities with oversight of work assigned to other SciComm team members. Lead newsletter planning, production, and distribution for internal and external audiences. Coordinate digital publishing and dissemination of College news, institutional messaging, and stakeholder communications that inform and engage faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors. Oversee website content development, updates, accuracy, accessibility, and consistency with University standards. Monitor website, email, and social media analytics to evaluate effectiveness and inform communications strategies.
• 15% Project & Campaign Management Plan and oversee communications projects, publications, and initiatives that support College priorities. Manage communications requests through established intake, project management, and approval processes. Track assignments, deliverables, timelines, and project status to support transparency, accountability, and timely completion of communications projects. Coordinate multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining consistency, accuracy, and quality of messaging. Collaborate with academic departments, College units, and SciComm colleagues to develop and execute communications deliverables. Manage budgets and expenses as needed to support project and communications goals.
• 15% Strategic Communications, Planning & Collaboration Collaborate with academic departments, College units, and leadership to identify communications needs, opportunities, and priorities. Serve as a strategic communications partner to assigned academic departments and College units within the SciComm shared services model. Works collaboratively with the LSU Office of Marketing & Communications as needed and adheres to the standards set therein. Collaborate with LSU central Marketing and Communications colleagues to expand the reach of College news, research, and achievements while ensuring compliance with University communications and brand standards. Assess communications requests, establish priorities, manage stakeholder expectations, and coordinate resources to ensure consistent, responsive, and equitable service across the College. Build productive relationships with faculty, staff, and College leadership to identify and elevate stories of institutional impact.
• 10% Leadership & Supervision Supervise a Communications Specialist, student workers, and/or interns. Establish clear performance expectations, monitor work quality and deadlines, provide timely feedback and coaching, and conduct performance evaluations in accordance with University policies. Address performance concerns appropriately and ensure staff accountability for assigned responsibilities. Monitor workloads and recommend or reassign duties as needed to balance responsibilities during periods of increased activity and overlapping deadlines. Approve leave and coordinate coverage during team member absences in accordance with University policies and delegated authority. Provide editorial guidance and quality control to ensure consistent writing, messaging, and communications standards. Represent SciComm in communications-related meetings and committees as determined by the Assistant Dean of Communications.
• 5% Other Perform other duties, special projects, and additional communications responsibilities to support College priorities and operational needs as directed by the Assistant Dean of Communications.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 3 years of professional experience in communications
• Experience in professional writing, editing, and storytelling, including producing news articles, newsletters, press releases, and institutional communications for different audiences LSU values skills, experience, and expertise. Candidates who have relevant experience in key job responsibilities are encouraged to apply--a degree is not required as long as the candidate meets the required years of experience specified in the job description.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in communications or a related field
• 5 years of professional experience in communications
• Experience in managing communications projects and 2 years of supervision
• Experience in higher education, research communications, or science communications

Additional Requirements

• Operation Essential Personnel - This position may be asked to work during an official closure, but who is otherwise not required to report to the physical campus during a closure and whose absence does not present a risk to the safety, resources, and well‑being of the campus per FASOP HR-01.
• Position may require occasional work outside of the normal workday, including some weekends and evenings related to seasonal activities and annual projects and/or deadlines.
• Works collaboratively with the LSU Office of Marketing & Communications as needed and adheres to the standards set therein.

Job Competencies

Proficiency in oral and written communication, delivering results, problem solving, time management, interpersonal skills, collaboration, service to customer and LSU, integrity, and as a self-starter with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and the ability to manage multiple deadlines and collaborate effectively in a high-volume, team-oriented environment. Editorial judgment and the ability to translate complex academic or scientific information into clear, accessible, and compelling content are essential. Familiarity with photo/video editing, design tools, and analytics

Background Check

An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.

Benefits

LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Retirement options
• Various leave options
• Paid holidays
• Wellness benefits
• Tuition exemption for qualified positions
• Training and development opportunities
• Employee discounts
• and more!

Additional Position Information

Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.

Essential Position (Y/N)

LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

USA Work Authorization

All candidates must have valid U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and maintain that valid work authorization throughout employment. Changes in laws, regulations, or government policies may impact the university’s ability to employ individuals in certain positions.

Posting Date

November 5, 2026

Closing Date

November 11, 2026

Skills Needed

• Artistic Vision
• Audience Engagement
• Brand Stewardship
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Content Development
• Detail-Oriented
• Project Management

About LSU

LSU includes institutions, facilities and programs in each of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, and its campuses stretch the length of the state from New Orleans to Shreveport. Each institution plays a vital role in preparing students to incorporate new knowledge and technologies into their daily lives. LSU researchers across Louisiana are working on developing a wide-range of innovations to improve quality of life by studying issues such as disease management, advance medical treatments, obesity, coastal protection, hurricane preparedness, energy, natural resource management and agriculture, among others. Louisiana’s Flagship University is a land-, sea- and space-grant institution with academic programs in all areas of science, engineering, humanities, arts and social sciences. The University comprises of nine institutions: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (“LSU”), the premier flagship university for the state, which include the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and the School of Veterinary Medicine Louisiana State University at Alexandria Louisiana State University at Eunice Louisiana State University at Shreveport LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans LSU Health Science Center – Shreveport The Health Care Services Division Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Pennington Biomedical Research Center Any other college, university, school, institution, or program now or hereafter under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In implementing its mission, LSU is committed to: Offering a broad array of undergraduate degree programs and extensive graduate research opportunities designed to attract and educate highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students; Employing faculty who are excellent teacher‑scholars, nationally competitive in research and creative activities, and who contribute to a world‑class knowledge base that is transferable to educational, professional, cultural, and economic enterprises; and Using its extensive resources to solve economic, environmental, and social challenges.