Communications and Operations Specialist

Columbia University In the City of New York • New York, NY

29d • $60,000 - $62,820

About The Position

The Communications and Operations Specialist serves as the primary communications and operational support for the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (APAM). This part-time (25 hours per week) position manages a broad range of digital, editorial, and administrative functions designed to strengthen the department's visibility and operational excellence. Through integrated digital communications, effective stakeholder coordination, and strategic support, the Specialist ensures that APAM's programs, people, and achievements are represented with professionalism and impact. The role directly contributes to enhancing the department's reputation within Columbia University and the broader academic and research community.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required, along with 2-4 years of related experience.
• Strong computer skills required, including proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Must demonstrate a high degree of personal integrity, ethics, and discretion when handling confidential information.
• Ability to work independently, manage shifting priorities, and exercise sound judgment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport, foster trust, and collaborate effectively with diverse constituents.
• Customer service orientation and strong problem-solving skills are essential.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, organize workflow, and manage timelines with autonomy.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Positive, proactive, mission-driven attitude with a sense of humor

Nice To Haves

• Experience with PowerPoint, Visio, Access, and Adobe Acrobat preferred.
• Experience with HR Information Systems preferred; prior experience with Columbia University systems such as PeopleSoft ("PAC") and Academic Search and Recruiting ("ASR") is highly desirable.
• Prior experience processing Personnel Action Forms (PAFs) and Nomination Forms strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Website and Digital Content Management (30%) : Oversees and maintains the APAM website, which includes over 1,000 individual pages. This includes regular updates to seminar listings, department news, faculty and staff profiles, and faculty committee assignments, as well as biannual updates reflecting SEAS Bulletin changes. The Specialist identifies and corrects broken links, maintains archival content in SLATE, and ensures that all website materials comply with Columbia University's brand and accessibility standards. Every four to five years, the Specialist leads a comprehensive website redesign in collaboration with the Department Chair, reviewing site architecture and migrating content into new templates.
• Email and Newsletter Communications (30%) : Develops and distributes the weekly APAM events and seminar email during the academic year, coordinating with administrative staff across Student Affairs, Medical Physics, Career Services, and student organizations such as AMPS to gather content. They design and send a weekly departmental e-newsletter highlighting seminars, events, and student activities, post all events to the Columbia University Events Calendar and APAM website, and send targeted seminar invitations and reminders. The Specialist also reconciles monthly P-Card charges related to the department's Mailchimp email campaign subscriptions.
• Department and External Newsletters (20%): Twice a year, in January and June, the Specialist designs, writes, and publishes the APAM Department Newsletter in print, web, and e-newsletter formats in partnership with the Department Chair. This includes tracking faculty achievements and publications, drafting and editing feature stories on research and student activities, and obtaining permissions for reprinted materials and images. Additionally, the Specialist produces a quarterly External Chairs Newsletter, distributed to department chairs and peer institutions nationwide in Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, and Materials Science to promote visibility and enhance APAM's academic reputation.
• Social Media and Public Engagement (10%) : Manages and grows APAM's social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and YouTube. They develop and share engaging content that highlights departmental news, faculty research, and community events while supporting Columbia Engineering's broader communications and fundraising initiatives, such as the annual Pi Day campaign. The Specialist monitors engagement metrics and ensures all content aligns with university social media guidelines and accessibility standards.
• Collaboration and Brand Liaison (5%) : Serving as the department's primary communications liaison, the Specialist works closely with the Columbia Engineering Dean's Office communications team to ensure consistency with institutional branding, messaging, and accessibility practices. They manage APAM's departmental listservs and obtain permissions for republishing Columbia Engineering content across departmental newsletters and social media channels.
• Faculty Support (10%): Provides direct support to the Department Chair, including attending weekly one-on-one meetings to review ongoing projects, priorities, and deadlines. They handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and managing faculty meetings by polling attendees, scheduling sessions, preparing agendas, sending calendar invites, recording minutes, and circulating follow-up notes. The Specialist will manage faculty recruitment and candidate visits, managing travel and logistics, preparing seminar announcements, arranging meals and lodging, and reimbursements. In support of faculty tenure and promotion cases, the Specialist drafts bibliographies, organizes case materials, and compiles paginated digital files with tables of contents
• Additional Duties (5%): Manages departmental special projects and communications initiatives as assigned, maintains organized digital archives of communications materials and publications, and contributes to a culture of inclusivity and academic excellence through thoughtful, accessible, and professional communication practices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees