Social Media Specialist

Position Function: Develop and maintain a social media strategy for multiple accounts within the College of Forest Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Forest and Wildlife Research Center and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Produce content (including stories, photography, graphics and videos) for all platforms with an emphasis on social media. Manage metrics. Serve as a resource for departmental training. Optimize day-to-day social media. Salary Grade 12 Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department. Department Profile: See mafes.msstate.edu and fwrc.msstate.edu Anticipated Appointment Date: August 2026. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Develop and maintain a comprehensive social media strategy to expand our reach and to establish social media as a sustainable communications channel for building our MSU brand. Manage agriculture and natural resources marketing presence in social media networking sites, and work with the website development team to ensure social media tools are kept up to date. Write clear, compelling communications and stories for publication on websites, email campaigns, newsletters and social media outlets to engage various audiences (prospective students, members of academia and government organizations, stakeholders, etc.). Provide training as needed to departmental staff on best practices for creating, managing, monitoring and developing content for social media channels. Establish and monitor benchmarks for measuring the impact of social media efforts, and report analytics on the effectiveness of such efforts. Benchmark against competitors and make recommendations for improvements. Assist in integrating social media into overall marketing initiatives for Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing. Work with the Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing to gather and create branded content ensuring consistency across multiple marketing channels. Work with the Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing to create and maintain content calendars for all departmental communication efforts. Minimum Qualifications: Education: High School Diploma. Experience: Four (4) years' experience similar to duties described. An equivalent combination of related education and related experience may be considered for this position. Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in communications. Experience with online monitoring and measurement platforms is preferred, including but not limited to Facebook Insights, YouTube Insights, and Google Analytics. Strong computer skills, specifically in Adobe Creative Cloud. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Ability to foster a cooperative work environment. Ability to evaluate and edit the content, structure, and format of a range of written material. Proven knowledge of and experience using appropriate technologies. Advanced computer skills and technical ability are expected. Skills in the use of database management, word processing, spreadsheet, and/or presentation software. Knowledge of communication principles, media, and public relations techniques. Ability to plan, develop, and coordinate multiple projects and events. Working Conditions and Physical Effort No unusual physical requirements. Requires no heavy lifting, and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility. Frequent - Externally imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; irregular hours may be anticipated; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position. Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands. Job requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 10 pounds. Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically. Hearing requirements: Heavy telephone contact requires ability to hear and respond to telephone conversations. Screening Date: July 27, 2026, until filled. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, View phone number on click.appcast.io. What do I do if I need an accommodation? In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io. 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