Sr. Specialist, Social Media Communications

Job Description

Job Description

Salary : $60,923 - $63,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications

Position Summary

The Senior Social Media Communications Specialist leads the development and execution of strategic social media initiatives that elevate the visibility, reputation, and engagement of Rosalind Franklin University and its academic units.

This role sits within a 14-person marketing team that includes a university photographer, graphic designers, digital, and communications professionals. The position collaborates closely with team members to develop, manage, and optimize content strategies across the university’s social media platforms, creating original content and adapting stories to maximize reach, engagement, and impact.

The Senior Specialist oversees the university’s primary social media accounts to ensure brand consistency, accuracy, and alignment with university priorities. The role also provides strategic direction, consultation, and guidance for social media efforts across institutional and academic units.

This role develops and maintains social listening and audience engagement strategies to monitor brand health, identify emerging trends, inform content planning, and support recruitment and awareness goals.

Working collaboratively across the institution, the Senior Social Media Communications Specialist partners with academic units, Institutional Advancement, Strategic Enrollment Management, and other campus stakeholders to provide expert counsel, best practices, and strategic support for social media communications.

Our generous benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision plans; paid parental leave; short term and long term disability plans; life insurance; flexible spending accounts; and a 403(b) retirement plan which includes a 8% employer contribution after 2 years of service. RFUMS is committed to employee wellbeing and work-life balance. Full time staff are eligible for 3 weeks of vacation/ personal leave, 15 sick days, and 9 paid holidays, paid winter break, plus two floating holidays.

Who We Are

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU) is a graduate health sciences university committed to serving the population through the interprofessional education of health and biomedical professionals and the discovery of knowledge dedicated to improving wellness. The university embodies the spirit of inquiry and excellence modeled by its namesake Dr. Rosalind Franklin, whose Photo 51 was crucial to solving the structure of DNA.

Today, the university’s 6 colleges continue Dr Franklin’s legacy through rigorous academics, pioneering research, and innovative community service. Our unique interprofessional education model allows students to learn from and with each other in a variety of settings, including our simulation labs, the student-led Interprofessional Community Clinic, and through partnerships with area hospitals and clinics. RFU is a national leader in interprofessional research and practices, and is nationally recognized for its research in areas including neuroscience, brain-related diseases, inherited disorders, proteomics, cancer cell biology and immunology, cardiac resuscitation, and gait and balance.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Establish and execute a social media strategy plan, including a comprehensive content development and maintenance strategy that supports academic departments, distinctive programs or institutes, and key administrative offices.
• Manage and implement a social listening and relational engagement strategy on social media to improve brand health, increase awareness, bridge relationships, elevate conversations and engage prospective students, philanthropic and community partners.
• Analyze data and metrics to create weekly and monthly reports on user engagement and platform growth. Develop dashboards that represent departmental progress against defined goals.
• Develop original content for use on the platforms that speaks effectively to a prospective student audience and reflects the established university brand voice.
• Manage the university’s online reputation by closely monitoring and leveraging listening tools to monitor news, mentions, and trending topics on social media.
• Maintain, update, and oversee the ongoing upkeep of RFU’s social media crisis communications plan, social media guidelines, and playbook for all institutional social media channels.
• Work collaboratively with strategic enrollment management, marketing and communications, and academic units to suggest, source and create relevant and engaging content that amplifies the RFU experience, including photography, videography and graphics.
• Support the established quality assurance program and content governance process.
• Provide coaching and education resources to the institutional accounts across the university.
• Building and engaging with online communities, responding to comments and messages, and managing online reputation.
• Identify opportunities to advance university relations through compelling and appropriately resourced social media campaigns.
• Develop and lead quarterly social media workshops that onboard new campus content contributors and provide additional learning opportunities for existing contributors.
• Other duties as assigned.
  

Conditions of Employment

• Must achieve satisfactory results from a background check

Required Education & Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, communications, new media or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired.
• Five-seven years of prior experience in social media marketing with a solid foundation and proven track record.
• Strategy development with experience developing and implementing social media strategies to meet specific business goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads.
  

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Demonstrated exceptional oral and written communication skills with diverse campus audiences, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and administration. Foster positive working relationships and effectively organize and prioritize multiple projects, collaborate with cross-functional campus partners, and consistently exhibit creativity and innovation.
• Ability to engage and manage social media communities.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience interpreting digital analytics to inform content strategy and reporting outcomes. Ability to work well under pressure, meet deadlines, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Comfortable with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to train, mentor, and collaborate with faculty, staff, and students on social media best practices in both group and individual settings.
• Organized and self-motivated.
• Familiarity with Brandwatch and the BigTree Content Management System.
• Able to edit photos and videos, with the possibility of shooting photos and videos.

Typical Physical Demands & Working Conditions

• Selected candidate must have the mental and physical capabilities to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

EOE, Including Disability / Vets