Undergraduate Social Media Assistant (Student)

American University; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

American University in Washington, DC seeks a Social Media Assistant to support AU Honors communications by managing the Honors Instagram and student-facing storytelling.

This student role suits an undergraduate who writes clearly, is visually creative, organized, and an enthusiastic AU Honors Program ambassador, helping showcase courses, events, and campus life.

Qualifications

• Strong written communication skills and the ability to write clear, concise, student-centered captions in a professional and welcoming voice.
• Experience creating content for Instagram or similar social media platforms, including familiarity with posts, Stories, Reels, tagging, captions, and basic analytics.
• Comfort using design, photo, or video editing tools such as Canva, Adobe Express, CapCut, or comparable platforms.

Responsibilities

• Instagram Management: maintain a consistent posting cadence; develop monthly content calendar; draft captions; edit and organize visuals; schedule posts; track basic analytics.
• Content Sourcing & Coordination: gather photos, announcements, and stories; ensure permissions and accessibility practices.
• Event & Brand Support: provide light social media coverage for Honors events with short clips or recap content.

Skills

Written communication

Instagram content creation

Content planning

Photo/video editing

Time management

Education

Current AU undergraduate student

Tools

Canva

Adobe Express

CapCut

Job description

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, and Contribute to Your University Community.

This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Most student positions at American University are eligible to use Federal Work Study (FWS) awards, with a few exceptions. FWS funds cannot be applied to janitorial, construction, partisan or sectarian positions. For information or questions regarding FWS funds, please contact American University's Office of Financial Aid.

Important guidance for current American University employees: American University current employees, including those employed in student positions, must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into your employee Workday account and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings. Applying outside of your employee Workday account may cause delays in a hire process.

Department: Honors & Scholars Programs

Time Type: Part time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Job Description

Summary

The Social Media Assistant will support AU Honors communications by helping manage and expand the program’s Instagram presence and other student-facing digital storytelling efforts. This student role is ideal for an undergraduate who is a strong writer, creative visual communicator, organized planner, and enthusiastic ambassador for the AU Honors Program. The assistant will help showcase Honors courses, experiential learning opportunities, student achievements, faculty engagement, events, community traditions, and the everyday life of Honors students at American University. This position is open only to students in the AU Honors Program.

Essential Functions

• 1.) Instagram Management Help maintain a consistent and engaging posting cadence for AU Honors Instagram, including feed posts, Stories, Reels, and event-related content as appropriate. Develop a monthly content calendar in consultation with the supervisor; draft captions; select, edit, and organize photos or short videos; and prepare posts for approval and scheduling. Track basic account analytics, including reach, engagement, follower growth, and high-performing content, and share brief monthly observations and recommendations.
• 2.) Content Sourcing & Coordination Coordinate with AU Honors staff, faculty, student leaders, peer mentors, and Honors students to gather photos, announcements, event recaps, student spotlights, classroom highlights, and community stories. Help ensure posts use appropriate image permissions, photo credits, tags, inclusive language, and accessibility practices such as alt text and readable design.
• 4.) Event & Brand Support Provide light social media coverage of AU Honors events, including occasional evening or weekend programs, by capturing a small set of photos, short clips, quotes, or recap content for later posting.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: Part-time.

10 hours per week.

Salary Range: $18.40 per hour.

Required Education and Experience

• Current American University undergraduate student in good academic standing; Must be enrolled in the AU Honors Program.
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to write clear, concise, student-centered captions in a professional and welcoming voice.
• Experience creating content for Instagram or similar social media platforms, including familiarity with posts, Stories, Reels, tagging, captions, and basic analytics.
• Comfort using design, photo, or video editing tools such as Canva, Adobe Express, CapCut, or comparable platforms.
• Excellent organization, reliability, and time management; able to meet recurring weekly and monthly deadlines while balancing academic responsibilities.
• Professionalism, good judgment, attention to detail, and comfort communicating with students, staff, faculty, and campus partners.

Other Details

This position is available only to enrolled American University students.

Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

American University is an E-Verify employer.

Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment and benefits.

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email [e-mail].

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.

American University is a student centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.