Communications and Social Media Specialist – NREC

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Communications and Social Media Specialist supports the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) with internal communications, social media, website content, branding, and outreach. The position is part of the business development team and reports to the Associate Director. It advances NREC’s brand and recognition as a leader in robotics while supporting the organization’s operations, events, recruiting, and outreach activities. The specialist creates and posts social media content; develops news stories and press releases from internal and external sources; supports management communications; and updates website content. The role also supports recruiting and branding, gathers communication metrics, and uses AI tools to improve efficiency. It includes collecting photos and video during field tests and events, creating multimedia and graphic materials, and maintaining outreach displays and materials. The specialist leads NREC’s trade show participation and event communications, supports group visits, and may host visitors and give facility tours. The position may require evening or weekend work and travel to photograph or record special events or field tests. It supports a variety of projects, including projects involving military or defense applications or sponsors. Applicants must be legally authorized to work for Carnegie Mellon University in the United States; the university will not sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity. The position requires a successful pre-employment background check.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, or an associate degree with equivalent experience.
1–3 years of marketing or outreach experience.
1–3 years of social media experience.
Excellent writing, communication, and teamwork skills.
Experience using AI tools to generate content and graphics.
Experience with prevalent graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator.
Demonstrated ability to help promote an organization’s brand.
Experience with photographic equipment and the skills to take high-quality photos and videos.
Ability to lead, coordinate, and execute outreach projects and newsletter campaigns from start to finish.
Successful pre-employment background check.
Must be currently legally authorized to work for Carnegie Mellon University in the United States; visa sponsorship or sponsorship takeover is not available.
The position requires supporting projects that may involve military or defense applications and/or military or defense sponsors.

Nice To Haves

A track record of significant increases in social media followers and/or traffic.
Experience in robotics, high technology, and/or an R&D environment.

Responsibilities

Generate and regularly post content on NREC’s social media pages.
Develop content from internal and external sources for news stories and press releases, including text and photos.
Support NREC management with internal communications, including quarterly newsletters and official announcements.
Update website content, including news stories, videos, graphics, project pages, and job postings.
Support the recruiting team with branding, marketing materials, social media, and job postings.
Use AI tools to make work more efficient.
Accompany technical teams to field tests, collect photos and videos, and create multimedia materials for test reports and presentations.
Interact with communications and marketing personnel at the university and the School of Computer Science.
Lead and organize NREC’s participation in trade shows, usually once or twice a year.
Host visitors and give tours of NREC facilities on occasion.
Lead event communications and support event planning.
Support large group visits with the business development team.
Use communication tools to gather metrics and data on the effectiveness of operations.
Develop ideas to improve NREC’s image, presence, and branding.
Create graphics for posters, flyers, banners, proposals, and other printed materials.
Update and maintain visitor-facing outreach materials, including posters, banners, monitors, displays, and videos.
Design materials for NREC staff, such as T-shirts and coffee mugs, and manage these projects from start to finish.
Perform other duties as assigned.