Communications Specialist

Teacher Retirement System of Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 67,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

Teacher Retirement System of Texas seeks a Communications Specialist to manage editorial work, proofing, and design for agency brochures, manuals, and web content. The role involves producing multimedia content, researching media coverage, and supporting communications projects with strong AP style and policy knowledge.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, or related field and 4 years of related editing/publication design experience, with master’s/doctoral

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, or a closely related field.
• Four (4) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in editing and publication design in the field of journalism, public relations, public information, communications, or media relations or related experience.
• A master's degree or doctoral degree in a closely related field may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Knowledge of AP style.
• Techniques for planning and organizing projects and for writing/editing/proofreading various materials.
• Multimedia communications knowledge including video production, web content development, and UX design.

Responsibilities

• Editorial duties: writing, proofreading, and editing brochures, manuals, web content, videos, forms, newsletters and reports to comply with agency requirements.
• Develops layout and design of communications materials.
• Contributes to multimedia content including videos, infographics, podcasts, and social media for agency channels.
• Media research and monitoring of news clips for distribution to TRS Board and executives.
• Maintain agency publications archive and historical records.

Skills

AP style

Proofing/editing

Multimedia communications

Video production

UX research

AI tools in communications

Lay language translation

Project management

Verbal communications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, or related field

Master’s or Doctoral degree substitution allowed

Job description

Communications Specialist

Requisition ID: req1434
Employment Type: Unclassified Regular Full-Time (URF)
Division: Communications
Compensation:$67,081.00 - 83,852.00, Annual Salary
Job Closing: 9/7/2026, 11:59pm CT
Location: TRS Headquarters Building 1
4655 Mueller Boulevard
Austin, Texas, 78723
United States

WHO WE ARE:

Service, Respect, and Connection are core to the individual and collective TRS experience. We know that great service rests on a foundation of relationships that connect us all to an empowering and rewarding career. At TRS, we’re inspired by our community who bring authenticity and commitment to our mission to improve the retirement security of public education employees and retirees throughout Texas. As a group of achievers, we tap collaboration and innovation to raise the bar in performance, administering and counseling pensions and healthcare benefits to ensure certainty for the future of our members. We invite you to join us, where both personal and career growth are respected and where you can make a difference in our members’ lives every day.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Editorial

• Performs writing, proofreading and editing of agency brochures, manuals, web content, videos, forms, newsletters, reports and other materials in accordance with agency and other legal requirements to help communicate agency-related information to members, employees and the general public.
• Develops the layout and design of brochures, manuals, forms, newsletters, emails, reports, and other materials in accordance with agency and other legal requirements to help communicate agency-related information to members, employees, and the general public.
• Contributes to the production of multimedia content to include videos, infographics, interactive web pages and podcasts.
• Contributes to social media for agency channels.

Media Research

• Performs media research to identify TRS-related news articles and other communications from local, state and national media sources.
• Helps monitor and collect daily news clippings for distribution to TRS Board and executives.
• Maintains and monitors an electronic archive of clippings.
• Maintains an agency publications library/archive which reflects official printed agency information for historical purposes and for referral by agency staff in legal, benefit and other agency matters.

Departmental Support

• Monitors records retention activities and ensures departmental compliance with records management policies, procedures, rules and statutes; takes corrective action(s) as necessary.
• Assists with video production, photography, graphic design, writing and editing for Communications materials.
• Helps coordinate board and town hall meetings and webcasts.
• Performs related work as assigned.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, or a closely related field.
• High school diploma or equivalent and additional full-time experience in editing and publication design in the field of journalism, public relations, public information, communications, or media relations or related experience may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Required Experience

• Four (4) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in editing and publication design in the field of journalism, public relations, public information, communications, or media relations or related experience.
• A master's degree or doctoral degree in a closely related field may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, or a closely related field.
• Experience with multimedia communications to include video production, web content development, and user-experience (UX) research and design.
• Application of artificial intelligence tools to support communications.

Knowledge of

• Concepts and practices of proofing, editing and preparation of informational materials.
• Associated Press (AP) style.
• Techniques and methods of planning and organizing projects as well as for writing/editing/proofreading various types of material.
• Multimedia communications.

Skill in

• Effectively translating complex laws, regulations, policies, and other program technical information into lay language understandable by persons of varying education level and technical knowledge.
• Planning and project management, including planning, organizing and coordinating work assignments to effectively meet frequent and/or multiple deadlines, in handling multiple tasks simultaneously, and in managing conflicting priorities and demands.
• Effective written and verbal communications.
• Using a personal computer with word processing, spreadsheet, database, desktop publishing, graphics design, video editing, and presentation software and applications.

Ability to

• Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, agency staff, vendors, contractors, and external contacts.
• Work effectively in a professional team environment.

Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Codes:

Veterans, Reservists or Guardsmen with experience in the Military Occupational Specialty https://www.trs.texas.gov/files/trs-military-crosswalk.xlsx along with the minimum qualifications listed above may meet the minimum requirements and are highly encouraged to apply.