Communications Specialist

Madison College is hiring a Communications Specialist. This position is responsible for developing, writing, and disseminating communications and digital storytelling content across multiple platforms and formats. This position is a key part of the Communications team’s effort to increase awareness of the college and its mission. This role works to build and maintain positive relationships throughout the college to solicit story ideas and develop engaging and relevant content that drives internal and external engagement.

The Communications Specialist coordinates the editorial strategy that supports the larger communications plan for the college. This role conducts interviews with employees, students, alumni, and, as needed, industry partners; writes and edits story content to be featured internally and externally; crafts, distributes, and tracks news releases.

The position will play a key role in the evolution of our communications and editorial channels and will conceptualize, develop, and maintain new projects to further reach and engage with internal and external audiences, such as annual reports, newsletters, blog posts, articles, print pieces, and social media content.

This position will strategize and work closely with the internal communications and social media team members to create, write, and plan for content distribution across all channels. This role will collaborate with college stakeholder groups to develop integrated and relevant content to support campaign, enrollment, and recruitment efforts. In addition, they will assist in developing overall digital content strategies.

This position will report to the Director of Communications and will support efforts of the communications team in telling the stories of the college.

Responsibilities:

• Concepts, writes, and publishes timely, relevant, and compelling content to increase awareness and understanding of the college and its mission. Writes a broad spectrum of articles, stories and news releases and as needed, will contribute content for newsletters, blogs, social media, and other digital and print materials that resonate with the college’s target markets. Writes feature stories and news articles for college newsroom and special publications (i.e. Annual Report, President’s Report, etc.) as needed. Must think proactively and editorially and have a strong instinct for creative storytelling.
• Coordinates content strategy and editorial calendar that supports the greater communications plan and strategies set forth by the Communications team.
• Works with Community Engagement team, academic departments, and various Madison College stakeholders to identify and develop engaging stories and content that aligns with communications plan and strategy. Collaborates closely with Marketing team to ensure stories, public relations and digital media support marketing campaign priorities.
• Collaborates with Sr. Social Media Strategist to develop and produce engaging and relevant content for our diverse stakeholder audiences such as students, future employees, alumni, and community at large.
• Attends a wide variety of events and activities on campus and sources visual assets, such as photos and video, for storytelling purposes. Works with Marketing team to strategize, capture, and design visual assets, photos and video aimed at elevating and bringing stories to life across multiple channels (print, web, social.) Must be comfortable in event meetings and gatherings and public events to capture photos, video, interviews, etc.
• Supports Director of Communications with organizing, writing and distribution of media-related information to external outlets, including press releases and advisories. As needed will assist in coordinating media requests, interviews and events happening at Madison College. Attends media-related events as needed.
• Serves as resident thought leader in content and editorial strategy, providing expertise, best practices and learning tools for staff and faculty on how to effectively craft messages and create compelling content. Creates templates, guides, and training tools to help internal stakeholders shape, write and provide updates. Develops stories as well as informational updates and emails for our internal community of faculty, staff, and students.
• Maintains a commitment to the college mission, vision, and values.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrated skill in communications and human relations with populations of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and persons with disabilities. 
• A journalistic and curiosity-driven mindset with excellent writing and editing skills. 
• Demonstrated experience in content strategy, writing, proofreading, and editorial decision-making. 
• Demonstrated experience writing for and tailoring messages for multiple communication channels, purposes, and audiences, and knowledge of how to leverage content to maximize results. 
• Strong strategic and tactical understanding of digital media including social media. 
• Experience in storytelling, developing story ideas, incorporating multiple collaborators in creative projects (video, web, social), and openness to identify unique stories that can be told on multiple platforms and in new or different ways. 
• Demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects and meet prescribed deadlines with the ability to organize and prioritize work and give clear, concise feedback to other staff.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and work experience directly related to the skills required for successfully performing this position. Experience used as an equivalent of an educational requirement is in addition to any experience required by the position. 
2. Two (2) years relevant experience

Salary Information: $58,975-$73,713

This is a Full Time, 40 hours per week, exempt position. This position has the flexibility to work partially remote, subject to college policy. Core office hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm, M-F.

Madison College provides a generous benefits package of vacation, holidays, health/vision/dental/life insurance options, and you will be able to participate in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).

This position will be opened until filled, with a first review date of October 17, at 11:59 pm. After this date, the recruitment may close without further notice. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Posting may be used to fill similar positions within a 12-month period.