Digital Content Specialist

SUNY Cortland; City of Cortland (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement options

Paid family leave

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible spending accounts

Long-term disability

Alternate work schedules

Job summary

SUNY Cortland is seeking a Digital Content Specialist to manage the university's social media channels and support digital storytelling across campus. Reporting to the Director of Communications, you will publish content that advances the university's brand, enrollment, engagement, and reputational goals while maintaining an authentic institutional voice.

You will coordinate with campus partners, maintain the social calendar, monitor performance, create captions, graphics, and short-form video,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, digital media, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing social media accounts for an organization, brand, institution, agency, or professional setting.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with ability to adapt tone for different platforms and audiences.
• Experience creating social media content, including short-form video, graphics, photography, and/or written posts.
• Familiarity with major social media platforms and their content formats (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube).
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Experience aligning content with organizational goals or messaging.

Responsibilities

• Manage university social media channels, including posting, engagement, monitoring, and day-to-day operations.
• Respond to comments, messages, and inquiries in a timely and professional manner, or route to appropriate offices.
• Ensure adherence to institutional brand standards, tone, and social media guidelines.
• Coordinate content approvals and posting priorities with internal stakeholders.
• Maintain account access, organization, and basic platform administration.
• Develop original content concepts that support storytelling and campaign goals.
• Create and edit platform-specific content, including captions, graphics, and short-form video.
• Capture content at campus events, programs, and key moments.
• Ensure content meets accessibility standards (captions, alt text) and aligns with best practices.
• Develop and manage a comprehensive social media calendar aligned with university priorities.
• Collaborate with campus partners to plan campaigns and key dates.
• Identify opportunities to amplify messaging and cross-promote content across channels.
• Contribute to content strategy discussions and recommendations based on trends.
• Monitor and analyze social media performance using analytics tools.
• Prepare reports summarizing metrics, trends, and campaign performance.
• Use data insights to adjust content strategy and posting practices.
• Track engagement, reach, audience growth, and conversion-related metrics.
• Monitor channels for mentions and reputation, escalate issues when needed.
• Coordinate student content contributors and interns as assigned.
• Support university social media committee and campus account managers.

Skills

Social media management

Content creation

Storytelling

Editing

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Starting salary rates are based on multiples factors which may include the position’s major responsibilities, the applicant’s background including education, work experience, and key competencies, the university’s strategic priorities, internal peer equity and external market analyses, applicable federal, state, and local laws and negotiated labor contracts.

Position Effort

Position Effort Full-Time

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Is this a temporary position?

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Position Summary

The Digital Content Specialist manages SUNY Cortland’s university-level social media presence and supports digital storytelling across institutional channels. Reporting to the Director of Communications, this position develops, publishes, and monitors content that advances the university’s brand, enrollment, engagement, and reputational goals. The position manages the university’s social media calendar, tracks platform performance, monitors trends and conversations, and helps ensure a consistent and authentic institutional voice. The Digital Content Specialist collaborates with campus social media partners and supports the university’s broader digital presence.

Salary Range: $55,000 + depending on experience ( DOE )

What makes SUNY Cortland a great place to work?

• Our positions provide predictable salary progressions, and many offer permanency.
• Generous benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, various retirement program options, paid family leave and/or parental leaves, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, long term disability and tuition reimbursement.
• SUNY Cortland prioritizes work-life balance and well-being in all forms. The university’s state-of-the-art Student Life Center is free for employees to use, with membership options for families. Alternate work schedules are available with a supervisor’s approval.
• Professional development opportunities exist through training, continuing education programs, tuition reimbursement and conference travel, based on funding.
• Cortland County and surrounding areas offer easy access to arts, entertainment, outdoor recreation and much more. Experience Cortland dives deep into the region’s offerings

Major Responsibilities

Social Media Management and Execution

• Manage university social media channels, including posting, engagement, monitoring, and day-to-day operations.
• Respond to comments, messages, and inquiries in a timely and professional manner, or route to appropriate offices.
• Ensure adherence to institutional brand standards, tone, and social media guidelines.
• Coordinate content approvals and posting priorities with internal stakeholders.
• Maintain account access, organization, and basic platform administration.

Digital Storytelling and Content Development

• Develop original content concepts that support institutional storytelling and campaign goals.
• Create and edit platform-specific content, including captions, graphics, and short-form video.
• Capture content at campus events, programs, and key university moments.
• Ensure content meets accessibility standards (e.g., captions, alt text) and aligns with best practices.

Strategy, Calendar, and Campaign Alignment

• Develop and manage a comprehensive social media calendar aligned with university priorities.
• Collaborate with campus partners to plan and support campaigns, initiatives, and key dates.
• Identify opportunities to amplify university messaging and cross-promote content across channels.
• Contribute to content strategy discussions and recommend approaches based on audience and platform trends.

Analytics, Reporting, and Optimization

• Monitor and analyze social media performance using platform analytics and third‑party tools.
• Prepare regular reports summarizing key metrics, trends, and campaign performance.
• Use data insights to recommend adjustments to content strategy and posting practices.
• Track engagement, reach, audience growth, and conversion‑related metrics, as applicable.

Social Listening and Reputation Monitoring

• Monitor social media channels and external platforms for mentions of the university.
• Identify trends, emerging issues, and opportunities for engagement.
• Escalate sensitive or reputational concerns in accordance with communications protocols.
• Support timely and appropriate responses to public‑facing comments or issues as needed.

Student Coordination and Campus Collaboration

• Recruit, coordinate, and guide student content contributors or ambassadors.
• Provide direction on content themes, expectations, and brand standards.
• Collaborate with campus departments to support their social media efforts and align messaging.
• Offer guidance or best practices to campus social media account managers.

Functional and Supervisory Relationships

• Reports to: Director of Communications.
• Works closely with: Marketing and Communications staff, Creative Services, Admissions, Athletics, Advancement, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and other campus partners.
• Coordinates: Student social media street team, student content contributors, and/or interns, as assigned.
• Supports: University social media committee and campus social media account managers.
• Supervises: No direct full‑time staff supervision unless otherwise assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, digital media, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing social media accounts for an organization, brand, institution, agency, or professional setting.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to adapt tone and content for different platforms and audiences.
• Experience creating social media content, including short‑form video, graphics, photography, and/or written posts.
• Familiarity with major social media platforms and their content formats (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and emerging platforms).
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Experience aligning content with organizational goals or messaging.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, nonprofit, public sector, or mission‑driven communications.
• Experience developing and managing social media calendars.
• Experience coordinating student workers, interns, ambassadors, or content contributors.
• Familiarity with social media management, scheduling, listening, and analytics tools.
• Experience with short‑form video production and editing for social platforms.
• Basic photography, graphic design, and/or mobile content creation skills.
• Experience supporting enrollment marketing, brand awareness, or campaign‑based communications.
• Familiarity with accessibility best practices for social media and digital content.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of social media strategy, platform trends, and audience engagement.
• Effective writing, editing, and judgment.
• Ability to interpret social media analytics and use data to inform content decisions.
• Ability to maintain a consistent and authentic institutional voice.
• Strong visual and digital storytelling skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to translate institutional priorities into engaging, audience‑focused content.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work with students, faculty, staff, leadership, and campus partners.
• Ability to use analytics and social listening to guide decisions and improve performance.
• Sound judgment in managing public‑facing channels, including sensitive, urgent, or reputational issues.
• Understanding of brand consistency, accessibility, copyright, permissions, and appropriate use of user‑generated content.

About the University

EEO Statement

SUNY Cortland is an AA/ EEO / ADA employer and encourages applications from women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of underrepresented groups.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Are you currently authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis as visa sponsorship is not available for this position?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you or will you need visa sponsorship?
  • Yes
  • No
• Are you currently employed by SUNY Cortland? If so, please indicate what type of employee.
  • UUP Professional
  • UUP Faculty
  • Management Confidential
  • Research Foundation
  • Represented by CSEA, PBANYS or PEF
  • Full Time Lecturer