Job no: 525012

Work type: Staff Full Time

Location: UMass Amherst

Department: News and Media Relations

Union: PSU

Categories: Public Relations, Marketing, Communications, PSU A

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The Social Media Specialist develops and markets information to highlight the achievements of the campus and the members of its community, employing multi-media skills to communicate news and events. A primary focus is advancing the university's profile and public engagement through compelling storytelling on social media outlets.

The position requires research skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of audiences, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, public officials, alumni, donors and the press. The Social Media Specialist must perform independently and as a team member, exercising sound judgment under deadline conditions. The job requires being available outside of normal business hours as needed, and participating in an on-call rotation on nights, weekends and holidays to post timely social media and web content.

Essential Functions

• Implement a social media strategy to increase visibility and engagement. Explore new and alternative ways to leverage social media activities, contributing to the development of the social media strategy. This includes creating content that employs photos, video, audio and graphics for major social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.


• Analyze trends through social media listening, monitoring and engagement.


• Assist in the management of the Chancellor's social media presence.


• Establish campus partnerships to consistently identify and share social content on university channels. Collaborate closely with the University Marcom Group to identify projects, share resources and plan social postings.


• Educate others across campus on using relevant social media techniques.


• Implement social media standards and guidelines on behalf of the university and individual departments. Stay abreast of trends in online communications and social media.


• Serve on the Emergency Operations Team with a focus on social media, the university home page and related websites. Ensure the delivery of accurate and timely campus-wide emergency notifications during times of crisis, including severe weather.

Other Functions

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Public Relations, Communication or a related field.


• 3-5 years of experience in communications, journalism, public relations or a related field, including a background in social media content creation on variety of channels.


• Strong working knowledge of social media channels.


• Video, photography and other multimedia news-gathering skills.


• Experience working with content management systems.


• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to accurately translate technical or scholarly information into common language.


• Good judgment, discretion and the ability to think quickly and work under pressure. Strong time-management abilities.


• Strong desire to work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

Infographic skills.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment activity.

Work Schedule

• Monday - Friday; 37.5 hours/week.


• Will require being available outside of normal business hours as needed, and participating in an on-call rotation on nights, weekends and holidays to post timely social media and web content.


• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee's work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Salary Information

Level 27

PSU Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with your application, please submit a resume, cover letter, social media content sample, and contact information for three professional references. The position may remain open until filled.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Sep 16 2024 Eastern Daylight Time

Applications close: Dec 20 2024 Eastern Standard Time