Communications Specialist

University of Michigan; Michigan; On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The University Of Michigan is looking for a Communications Specialist to be a key member of the Undergraduate Education Strategic Communications team. This role involves developing and executing the communications plan across various channels, focusing on project management, editorial content, and social media strategy.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in communications or a related field and at least 2 years of experience. Responsibilities include managing projects, leading social media strategies, and overseeing content development.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience in communications, marketing, or social media.
• Demonstrated experience managing social media channels for an organization.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills for multiple channels.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple communications projects simultaneously.
• Lead the day-to-day strategy and execution of social media presence.
• Collaborate to develop communications plans aligned with audience needs.
• Provide support for high-impact, short-term projects and campaigns.

Skills

Project management

Social media management

Writing and editing

Content development

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

ClickUp

Sprout Social

Meta Business Suite

Job description

The Communications Specialist is an integral member of the Undergraduate Education (UGED) Strategic Communications team, partnering closely with the Communications Lead and the Creative Designer to develop and drive the team's annual communications plan. The role requires developing, managing, and executing content across multiple channels, with a focus on project management, social media strategy, editorial communications, and campaign execution. The specialist will independently plan and produce content that increases awareness of the college's life‑changing resources, strengthens audience engagement, and supports strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

• Always‑On Project Management and Communications Operations (25%)
  • Manage multiple communications projects simultaneously from intake through completion, including scope, timelines, dependencies, and approvals.
  • Use ClickUp to organize workflows, assign tasks, monitor progress, and maintain team visibility.
  • Supervise a Communications Intern, setting weekly task expectations, providing feedback, and completing all Intern Program supervisory requirements.
  • Coordinate among internal team members, program leads, designers, vendors, and campus partners to keep projects on track.
  • Maintain organized records of project materials, campaign assets, analytics reports, and final deliverables.
  • Support continuous improvement of communications processes by identifying opportunities to streamline workflows and strengthen team efficiency.
• Social Media Strategy and Community Engagement (25%)
  • Lead the day‑to‑day strategy, planning, execution, and evaluation of the Hub's social media presence across Instagram, LinkedIn, and other relevant platforms.
  • Develop and maintain a year‑round content calendar aligned with strategic communication priorities, monthly themes, programs, deadlines, campaigns, and events.
  • Create platform‑specific content that reflects audience behavior, channel best practices, accessibility standards, and the Hub's brand voice.
  • Write social copy including captions, calls to action, story text, reels scripts, and campaign messaging.
  • Partner with the Creative Designer and Communications intern to brief assets, source imagery, and ensure content is visually compelling and brand‑aligned.
  • Collaborate with Hub interns, alums, employers, and campus partners to develop authentic, community‑centered content.
  • Monitor social media trends, platform updates, and best practices to inform recommendations.
  • Steward the Hub's online community by monitoring comments, messages, tags, and mentions; respond promptly using sound judgment and brand guidelines.
  • Navigate sensitive or negative engagement with discretion, escalating issues and recommending response strategies in collaboration with the Communications Lead.
  • Use analytics tools such as Sprout Social and Meta Business Suite to evaluate performance, engagement, and growth trends.
  • Prepare regular performance summaries with insights and recommendations.
• Editorial Content and Weekly Communications Management (25%)
  • Collaborate with the Communications Lead to develop communications plans aligned with organizational priorities and audience needs.
  • Write, edit, and coordinate communications for unit initiatives, programs, events, and launches.
  • Manage the editorial calendar for recurring and priority communications, including web articles, social posts, the Hub Happenings newsletter, and program‑specific messaging.
  • Lead production of the weekly Hub Happenings student newsletter from content gathering through distribution.
  • Lead the editorial process for web articles, including identifying story opportunities, interviewing stakeholders, drafting, coordinating review, and publishing.
  • Ensure all content reflects LSA and unit voice, tone, accessibility standards, and brand guidelines.
• High‑Impact, Short‑Term Projects and Campaigns (25%)
  • Provide hands‑on or consultative support for high‑impact, short‑term projects and campaigns that advance college priorities.
  • Develop creative multi‑channel campaigns driven by unit programming or short‑term initiatives that increase awareness and engagement among student, alum, employer, and campus audiences.
  • Write campaign briefs defining audience, goals, key messages, calls to action, timeline, deliverables, and measures of success.
  • Coordinate campaign execution across social media, email, newsletters, websites, and campus promotional channels.
  • Track campaign performance and prepare post‑campaign reports with outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business, journalism, public relations, English, digital media, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of professional experience in communications, marketing, social media, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing social media channels for an organization, brand, or institution, including strategy, analytics, and content development.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills across short‑ and long‑form formats for multiple channels and audiences.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple deadlines, stakeholders, and deliverables.
• Strong user of a project management software such as ClickUp, Asana, Basecamp, or other platforms.

Desired Qualifications

• Collaborative working style with comfort receiving and incorporating feedback from multiple stakeholders.
• Self‑directed, detail‑oriented, and comfortable working through ambiguity in a fast‑paced environment.
• Interest in liberal arts education, student development, career exploration, or higher education communications.
• Familiarity with Sprout Social, Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn analytics, or similar tools.
• Ability to analyze digital metrics and use data to make content recommendations.
• Experience with Adobe Experience Manager, email marketing platforms, or 12Twenty.
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, student‑facing, or mission‑driven communications.
• Experience developing multi‑channel campaigns from planning through post‑campaign analysis.
• Familiarity with digital accessibility best practices.

U‑M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.