Senior Communications Specialist

Apply fast, check the full description by scrolling below to find out the full requirements for this role.

Application Process :

To be considered, please submit the following :

• Current Resume / CV
• Cover Letter
• Portfolio with three applicable business writing samples (tip : these can be added at the same point as you are adding your resume / CV during the application process)

About Student Life :

Student Life at the University of Southern California works to provide its 47,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the opportunity to reach their educational, personal, and professional aspirations.

The mission of USC Student Life is to strengthen a culture driven by student well-being. To do this, Student Life :

• Supports the individual student and student communities through the development of environments, services, and policies that reinforce shared strengths.
• Educates students to discover a deeper understanding of themselves and become change agents in the world.
• Engages students in transformative experiences to challenge their perspectives and become global citizens.

Opportunity :

The Senior Communications Specialist for Student Life works closely with the Vice President, Chief of Staff, and broader Student Life Communications Team to plan, manage, and evaluate Student Life’s engagement with students and families.

The Senior Communications Specialist is responsible for enhancing USC Student Life’s presence and campaigns and increasing engagement with all students, as well as connecting parents and families with their student’s university experience by sharing news, resources, and insights into the university community.

They manage departmental public relations efforts, maintaining continuity and consistency for the Student Life organization.

Responsibilities :

Develop communication plans to identify objectives, strategies, target audiences, tactics, and key messages for student and family outreach.

Contribute to a robust content calendar. Craft strategic messaging to advance university-wide goals, with clear, concise, and impactful communications for diverse audiences.

• Oversee a team of student workers spanning graphic design, writing, filming, digital media production, and photography.
• Convene the Student Life Communications Council to support and align communications, marketing, and branding efforts throughout the organization.
• Conceptualize and execute engaging content for USC social media accounts (@USCStudentLife on Instagram, @USCStudentLife on TikTok) and platforms (e.

g. YouTube, Facebook, Discord, and other emerging social media platforms) in alignment with the public relations and marketing strategic plans, and the university's brand and mission.

Develop successful relationships with faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni to execute social media, multimedia, and additional communications content.

Coordinate with campus contacts, conduct interviews, develop scripts / content, attend campus events / activities to collect photo / video content & post-process video / photo content.

Use native and third-party social media monitoring tools to evaluate content performance against the divisional / campus social media content and public relations and marketing strategies, as well as industry best practices.

Create key metric reports. Adjust tactics and provide recommendations to students based on these evaluations.

Stay abreast of emerging social media, Gen-Z and pop culture trends, along with photo / video techniques, technologies, and editing styles.

Evaluate potential for application to divisional communications and make recommendations when appropriate.

• Assist with critical communications by monitoring social media channels and / or sharing / reposting prepared posts, as needed, while maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Act as the Student Life brand ambassador to manage Student Life public relations efforts, including image, brand, and voice.

Maintain continuity and consistency of the brand experience. Create a consistent voice, style, and identity.

Define communication and distribution policies and procedures by developing and refining distribution channels and style guides for Student Life staff communicators.

Provide consultation support to leaders, departments, and project teams.

Contribute to an inclusive environment that values differences by building and maintaining collaborative relationships with team members, peers, and leaders.

Actively embody university values. Contribute to a culture of trust and transparency by sharing information broadly, openly, and deliberately.

• In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words, and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, well-being, open communication, and accountability.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Experience and Education :

• Minimum Experience : 5 years of experience in corporate / executive communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, performing social media, and other multimedia content creation or related fields, including experience developing and implementing strategic communications plans.
• Minimum Education : Bachelor's degree, preferably in Journalism, Communications, English, or a related discipline.

Qualifications :

Extensive knowledge of industry best practices and a deep understanding of all aspects of communications (internal and external), branding, positioning, and messaging;

ability to develop communications strategies across a wide range of platforms and audiences and evaluate their effectiveness.

• Excellent writing, proofreading, and editing skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing public relations and developing social media presence for an organization, and solid grasp of professionally utilizing social media platforms.
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to serving in an environment that prizes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a broad and diverse communications organization and beyond.

Ability to build, develop, and manage positive working relationships and rapport with diverse, high-performing teams.

• Proven expertise as both a strategic thinker and a project manager with a keen ability to get things done.
• Demonstrated ability to direct outside business partners and agency providers.
• Demonstrated ability to strategically improve and maintain internal communications structures within a complex organization.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple ongoing tasks and responsibilities of varying degrees of complexity simultaneously.

Demonstrated experience in writing on deadline.

• A strong strategic orientation, commitment to excellence, and attention to detail. Ability to handle all information with sensitivity, discretion, and solid judgment.
• Experience with multimedia content creation for social media and digital platforms.
• Ability to capture content, film / photograph events & activities, attend meetings and perform other duties as needed.
• Demonstrated knowledge of various social media (i.e. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Discord, Snapchat, etc.) and experience creating engaging content for a student / Gen-Z audience.

Experience contributing or managing social media accounts on behalf of an organization or business.

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with Adobe Creative Suite including Premier Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other design / content production platforms such as Canva and CapCut.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge of and experience with photography and videography principles, editing techniques, and equipment (e.

g. DSLRs, lenses, lighting, sound / mics, etc.).

Knowledge of the fundamentals of writing, grammar, and syntax, with a focus on best practices of writing for social media platforms.

Ability to adapt writing style / tone for a diverse student / Gen-Z audience.

• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal communication skills. Ability to engage, work and collaborate with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and affiliates from diverse backgrounds and communities - particularly those in underrepresented communities.
• Strong organizational, analytical, critical thinking, and time management skills; ability to multi-task, work independently under supervision, and adapt to office needs. Strong attention to detail.
• Skill to maintain confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Knowledge of other animation tools such as After Effects, Animate, or Procreate.
• Experience leading an intern or student social media / creative team.
• Experience working professionally in higher education and / or the fields of student affairs, development, and / or experience.

The annual base salary range for this position is $91,156.72 - $101,657.70. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education / training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

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