Senior Communications Specialist I

Texas A&M • College Station, TX

8h • $70,000 - $75,000

About The Position

The Senior Communications Specialist I is essential to strategic communications for the College of Arts and Sciences, focusing on executive communications, internal engagement and issues management. This position will work closely with College leadership and will report directly to the Director of Marketing & Communications. Responsibilities for this role will include facilitating the development of promotional materials for external stakeholders and audiences, crafting leadership talking points and presentations, and executing internal communication plans aligned with strategic goals. The position also fosters employee engagement, monitors feedback channels, and assists with crisis communication protocols and compliance with state and federal policies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, business, or related field.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, media or public relations, advertising, communications, or related field with recent experience in higher education or in a higher education supporting organization.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in journalism, communications, business, or related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear and concise messages for multiple audiences and channels.
• Possess an awareness of and understanding for the national and state political landscape, higher education and policy impacting the college and university.
• Excellent editing, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to remain calm and composed under pressure and make sound decisions in time-sensitive situations.
• Ability to generate imaginative solutions and create cost-effective alternatives.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Director of Marketing & Communications to develop messaging and promotional materials demonstrating the state and national impact of the College.
• Develop talking points, speeches and presentations for college leadership speaking engagements to external audiences.
• Work closely with Donor and Alumni Relations team to support fundraising, elevate the image of the College, and increase donor and alumni engagement.
• Create and execute comprehensive internal communication plans that align with the College's strategic plans.
• Develop, curate and distribute content for email messages to faculty and staff from the Dean’s office.
• Partner with HROE, IT and other units within the college and university to ensure communication efforts are unified and effective.
• Identify opportunities to promote employee engagement and help foster a positive culture.
• Monitor internal channels for employee feedback and comments to address concerns and inform communication strategies.
• Implement crisis communication and issues management protocols and processes, as determined by Texas A&M and the A&M System, to mitigate reputational risk of the college.
• Monitor internal communication controls to comply with state and federal policies.
• Conduct ongoing media monitoring and reputation tracking to identify emerging issues, assess public sentiment and inform proactive issues management strategies.
• Ensure crisis communication supports the College’s emergency preparedness and crisis plan.
• Collaborate closely with Texas A&M University and Texas A&M System issues management and crisis communications teams to ensure alignment, share timely information and coordinate unified responses during sensitive or high-risk situations.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees