Communications Specialist III

tamus; College Station (TX); On-site; USD 53,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas A&M Engineering in College Station is seeking a Communications Specialist III to lead paid media strategy and execution across digital channels, supporting enrollment, reputation, engagement and other marketing objectives.

The role partners with Marketing Strategy and Visibility teams to translate objectives into measurable paid media plans and manages campaigns on Google Ads, Meta and LinkedIn with data-driven insights for continuous improvement.

Tools

Google Ads

Meta

LinkedIn

Job description

Job Title: Communications Specialist III

Agency: Texas A&M Engineering

Department: Engineering Communications Group

Proposed Minimum Salary: $5,166.67 monthly

Job Location: College Station, Texas

Job Type: Staff

Job Description

Why work for Texas A&M Engineering?

Engineering has been part of Texas A&M University since its opening in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Today, the College of Engineering is the largest college on the College Station campus with more than 25,000 engineering students enrolled in 15 departments. Its mission is to serve Texas, the nation and the global community by providing engineering graduates who are well-founded in engineering fundamentals, instilled with the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and prepared to meet the complex technical challenges of society.

As the research arm of Engineering, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is a state agency within the Texas A&M University System with a mission to improve lives through basic and applied engineering research, workforce development and technology transition. Our collaborations with industry, academia and government provide cutting‑edge solutions to global technical challenges.

We are deeply committed to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce that embraces our core values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Service, by offering competitive salaries, an array of benefits, an extensive support network, and above all, an enriching and highly collaborative working community that is deeply passionate about our vision for higher education, research, and public service.

Purpose:

The Paid Media Strategist leads the college's paid media strategy and execution across digital advertising channels to support enrollment, reputation, engagement and other strategic marketing objectives. This position develops integrated paid media plans, manages advertising investments, oversees campaign execution and optimization, and uses performance data to continually improve audience reach, engagement and conversion. The position serves as the college's subject‑matter expert for paid media and partners closely with the Associate Director of Marketing Strategy and Visibility, Marketing Campaigns Manager, Marketing Analytics and central Engineering Communications teams to translate marketing objectives into effective, measurable paid media strategies.

Paid Media Strategy & Planning - 30%

• Develop and execute paid media strategies aligned with college marketing and campaign objectives.
• Translate campaign goals, audiences and messaging into channel and media strategies.
• Recommend appropriate platforms, audiences, placements, budgets, and flighting based on campaign objectives.
• Develop media plans and budget recommendations for recruitment, reputation, awareness, and other priority campaigns.
• Identify opportunities to expand or refine paid media capabilities as platforms and audience behaviors evolve.
• Serve as the Texas A&M Engineering's primary subject‑matter expert and strategic advisor on paid media.

Campaign Management & Optimization - 30%

• Manage paid campaigns across platforms such as Google Ads, Meta and LinkedIn, as appropriate.
• Build, launch, monitor and optimize campaigns throughout their lifecycle.
• Manage audience targeting, retargeting, bidding, budgets, placements, and creative rotation.
• Conduct ongoing testing of audiences, messaging, creative, placements, and campaign strategies.
• Identify performance issues and proactively recommend adjustments.
• Ensure campaigns are implemented accurately and consistently with institutional brand and marketing standards.
• Manage relationships with advertising platforms and external vendors when applicable.

Performance Measurement & Insights - 20%

• Partner with Marketing Analytics to establish campaign KPIs, conversion goals, and measurement strategies.
• Monitor campaign performance and identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
• Analyze performance across platforms and audiences to inform optimization and future campaign planning.
• Translate paid media data into actionable recommendations for marketing and campaign stakeholders.
• Contribute to campaign reporting and presentations for college leadership and other stakeholders.
• Develop benchmarks and continually improve the college's paid media measurement practices.

Integrated Marketing & Collaboration - 15%

• Partner with the Campaign Manager to develop integrated campaign strategies and media plans.
• Collaborate with creative, social media, web, analytics, and other Engineering Communications partners to ensure paid media supports broader campaign objectives.
• Provide paid media expertise during campaign planning, creative development, and post‑campaign evaluation.
• Advise on landing‑page experiences, audience journeys, and conversion opportunities when relevant to paid campaigns.
• Stay informed about emer