The Communications Specialist will report to the Director, Communications & Marketing (and in some cases work under the guidance of the Content Manager) and will be responsible for developing and executing a variety of programs and projects that meet the communications needs of the Schools and that are well integrated into the Schools’ overall communications activities.
This individual will manage a portfolio of projects and work that will include social media, generating story ideas, writing, editing, photography, videography, print and collateral production, and other work as assigned in support of the director, communications and marketing, and the content manager.
-
Creating, editing, and publishing relevant and compelling written, visual, social media, and web content including, but not limited to the biannual LabLife magazine, the @Lab monthly newsletter, and the bi-weekly eNews calendar update.
-
Monitoring social media traffic and continually improving Lab’s social media practices (and other vehicles) to engage parents, prospective families and students, faculty, and staff in support of Lab’s mission and to improve the sharing of information across the Schools.
-
Supporting the development and execution of the editorial calendar in collaboration with the editorial board to ensure newsworthy and relevant elements are included.
-
Serving as a “beat reporter’ with specific responsibility for identifying stories and staying connected with assigned departments and divisions.
-
Building and maintaining superior working relationships with and garnering the trust and respect of teachers, principals, external constituents, and appropriate social media influencers within the Lab community.
-
Establishing and implementing editorial and social media policies (in synch with UChicago and IS policies) that protect the privacy of Lab community, the safety of our students, and follow best practices.
-
Managing billing and record-keeping for the communications and marketing group .
-
Developing reports using analytical tools, such as Hootsuite Enterprise, Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Zignal Labs, etc. to measure the effectiveness of Lab’s social media engagement.
-
Represent the strategically focused, cross-functional, service-oriented role of communications and marketing across Lab, with leadership and excellence.
-
Understand Lab’s strategic goals and mission and identify the stories and activities that will further those in a meaningful way.
-
Build and execute social media strategy through competitive research, platform determination, benchmarking, messaging, and audience identification.
-
Generate, edit, publish and share daily content (original text, images, video, etc) that builds meaningful connections and encourages Lab community members to engage with and support the schools.
-
Continuously improve social media presence by capturing and analyzing the appropriate social data/metrics, insights, and best practices, and then acting on the information. Optimize Lab’s social media pages to increase the visibility of Lab’s social content and drive traffic to the website.
-
Join relevant conversations on behalf of Lab.
-
Research and understand current trends in communications, social media, and marketing and demonstrate an ability to analyze and act upon research, data, and competitive benchmarking.
-
Moderate user-generated content.
-
Establish a superior process and protocol for managing Lab’s photo and video archives and other resources.
-
Identify events and activities that need to be photographed or videotaped and do so.
-
Monitor the online presence (websites and social media) of peer institutions.
-
Oversee community volunteers and support volunteers in capturing footage from Lab events.
-
Respond, in a timely fashion, to follower's posts, comments and questions, in line with University moderation policies, procedures, and guidelines; monitor engagement and identify new ways to increase participation and action.
-
Update and maintain Lab’s online directory.
-
Plans, develops and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or point of view, with moderate levels of guidance and direction.
-
Accomplishes assigned duties through two or more of the following: written communications; visual/graphic media, which may include Web site development and maintenance; speeches and personal contact. The incumbent is still acquiring higher-level knowledge and skills.
-
Performs other related work as needed.
-
Highly strategic and creative.
-
Excellent written and verbal skills and outstanding attention to detail.
-
Experience working in content management systems.
-
Experience with asset management and media archiving.
-
Technically savvy, can pick up new tools easily and quickly. Familiarity with HTML.
-
Mission-focused.
-
Excellent writing, editing (photo/video/text), presentation, and communication skills
-
Knowledge of web design, web development.
-
Solid understanding of how each social media channel works and how to optimize content so that it is engaging.
-
Experience in iMovie, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, or Final Cut Pro.
-
Ability to operate Canon DSLR and other prosumer cameras.
-
Experience with creative framing, interviewing techniques, lighting, and other out-of-the-box visual aspects.
-
Experience in lighting and sound equipment setup and operation.
-
Experience in Adobe Audition, Logic, or similar audio editing.
-
Ability to manage and track multiple projects.
-
Willingness to increase knowledge about video production.
-
Demonstrated ability to take and give direction.
-
Positive attitude, detail- and customer-oriented with good multitasking and organizational ability.
-
A flexible, collaborative, and responsive team player.
-
Analytical skills.
-
Problem-solving skills.
-
Decision-making skills.
-
Attention to detail.
-
Organizational skills.
-
Computational skills.
-
Agile and responsive thinker.
-
Verbal and written communication skills.
-
Superior Interpersonal skills required and an ability to work with ease in the face of stress.
-
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
-
Ability to gracefully manage stressful situations.
-
Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
-
Displaying outstanding business discretion and an ability to handle sensitive or proprietary company information in a confidential manner.