A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Information and Technology Services (ITS) organization is seeking a motivated and creative communicator to join its Marketing Communications team. The successful candidate will closely collaborate with ITS teams, university communication professionals, and subject matter experts to support marketing and communications projects and initiatives across ITS. The successful candidate must be self-motivated, flexible, and able to easily adapt to changing needs.

The Communications Specialist will support campus outreach, internal communications, and operational communications including support of targeted email and social media, as well as other ITS projects and services. This position will also contribute to creative marketing campaigns, script-writing/video story-boarding, and the planning and hosting of successful campus outreach events. Individuals in this role complete duties and responsibilities under the guidance and direction of senior personnel and management, including developing, writing, and editing original work products for online and print publications that adhere to U-M and organizational formats, style, language, and branding standards. This position will report to the Assistant Director of Communications.

WHO WE ARE

ITS supports U-M faculty, researchers, staff, and students in their use of technology to teach, learn, research, and work, and be leaders in their fields. We are dedicated to creating cohesive digital experiences and enabling university wide innovations by:

• Elevating the customer experience by providing proactive, laser focused customer service
• Providing appropriate IT security and privacy in an open university society, while enabling innovationSupporting data-informed decision making
• Delivering intuitive research computing solutions
• Building a world-class, transformational network and reliable administrative systems

In addition, we value those that proactively solve challenges, work with a sense of urgency, and seek a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

 ITS’s mission is to be trusted enablers of technology for the U-M community. ITS works together to provide cohesive digital experiences and seamless support to the U-M community. To learn more, visit: https://its.umich.edu.

Bachelor's degree in a related field (Marketing, Communications, or Public Relations) or an equivalent of education and experience.

• Minimum of three years of directly-related professional work experience, including creating and implementing communication plans.
• Demonstrated knowledge of fundamental concepts, practices, and procedures of public relations/communications and online communications.
• Demonstrated ability to write for a variety of vehicles both print and online (targeted email, Web, social media, slide presentations, feature articles, news releases) using clear and concise language.
• Strong attention to detail and editing skills. Experience with reviewing and providing feedback on communication work products of others.
• Demonstrated ability to and enthusiasm for learning new hardware and software applications to adapt to evolving trends in IT and public relations, marketing, and communication.
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to follow through on commitments and complete multiple tasks within established and changing deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Understanding of HTML and basic website development.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Proficient with a mass email application, Microsoft Office Suite and/or Google applications, particularly word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation tool.

Demonstrated proficiency in the use of at least two social media channels, and familiarity with trends in social media

• Experience working in a higher education culture and structure.
• Understanding of and experience with information technology.
• Demonstrated results developing communication campaigns.
• Experience with data collection and assessment via web metrics, surveys, or other applications.
• Experience with Drupal web functionality and content management.
• Experience with event planning and coordination.
• Experience with video production, including writing scripts for promotional videos and creating storyboards.
• Experience with a variety of social media channels and writing techniques within a marketing context.
• Experience working with graphic artists, photographers, and printers.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIES

Advancing the Mission

• Demonstrates knowledge of the primary mission of the University and Health Systems.
• Demonstrates awareness of the diversity of constituency groups and their roles and purposes and issues.

Building Relationship / Interpersonal Skills

• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain positive and cooperative relationships, inside and outside of work group, interacting in a friendly, open, honest, and accepting manner. Maintains agreed upon levels of confidentiality.
• Demonstrated ability to use formal/informal networks to accomplish tasks and objectives, developing and maintaining smooth, cooperative working relationships.

Creative Problem Solving / Strategic Thinking

• Demonstrated ability to provide necessary attention to solve different level problems, often multitasking to solve moderate level problems.  
• Defines problems, analyzes causes, identifies possible solutions, selects the best solution, and develops action plans.  Generates new ideas and goes beyond the status quo.  
• Demonstrated ability to use creative thinking to improve processes and solve complex problems.

Communication

• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, correctly, knowledgeably, and effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Uses appropriate methods of communication (face-to-face, etc.) to achieve desired results.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate about complex topics effectively to groups, using visual aids as needed, varying style to fit the audience

Development of Self and Others

• Demonstrated initiative in participating in growth opportunities for continuous development and improvement.  
• Demonstrated ability to apply new skills/knowledge to the job.  

Flexibility / Adaptability to Change

• Understanding and accepting the need for change, cooperating in implementation, and constructively voicing concerns and proposing alternatives.
• Ability to assist in the implementation of changes within established and changing deadlines.

Leadership / Achievement Orientation

• Demonstrated behavior aligned with the values and ethics of the organization and profession.
• Demonstrated initiative in setting and measuring performance against goals and evaluating results.
• Demonstrated ability to understand what is expected to do the job well, function effectively in a team, achieve deadlines or milestones, accept accountability for mistakes, and take corrective action.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and seek direction or assistance as needed.

Quality Service

• Develops strategic partnerships with customers based on in-depth understanding of the customer’s objectives/business and leads customers to new ways of working using products and services.
• Demonstrated focus on fulfilling expectations by seeking insight into customer needs and developing solutions that provide value for the customer.

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Punctual, regular, and consistent attendance is required.
• Normal amount of sitting.
• Average mobility to move around an office environment.
• Able to conduct a normal amount of work at a computer.
• Will require travel to various locations on and off campus (when it is safe to do so, post-pandemic).
• May require on-call availability and rotation outside of normal working hours.
• Responsible for protecting data and information from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion; and, following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of data, etc. as stated in a computer access agreement which the incumbent signs.
• Note: ITS, like much of the university, is currently working remotely due to the pandemic. This position will require the individual to work from home (with a provided computer) until the organization returns to campus.

The statements included in this description are intended to reflect the general nature and level of work assigned to this classification and should not be interpreted as all-inclusive.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.