Undergraduate Program Assistant

University of New Mexico•Albuquerque, NM

2d•$15•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and the Sustainability Studies Program seek an Undergraduate Communications Assistant (Storyteller) to tell the story of our work in sustainability, resilience, and regeneration. Students and faculty in GES and SUST work on food systems, water, energy transition, environmental justice, and community-engaged research, in New Mexico and internationally. Much of it happens in the field, alongside community partners, and much of it goes unseen. This position exists to change that. We are looking for a storyteller: someone who can find the compelling thread in a research project, a field course, a community partnership, or a student's own path through the program, and carry it across platforms and mediums — image, short video, written profile, social post, print. The work is relational before it is technical. Good stories here come from showing up: sitting in on a field course, spending an afternoon with a community partner, asking a graduate student what they are actually trying to figure out and why it matters to them. Our research is done with people rather than about them, and the communications work should reflect that same commitment. The student in this role will build genuine relationships with classmates, faculty, and the organizations and communities we work alongside, and will represent that work with accuracy, care, and respect for how partners want their own stories told. This is a creative role. The student will help shape how these two units present themselves, not simply execute a content calendar, and will have real latitude to propose formats, series, and ideas of their own. The position also includes a portion of general administrative support for the Department and Program.

Requirements

Work-study Qualified
Ability to work independently and in teams.
Ability to meet in person and via Zoom for regular scheduled meetings.
Excellent writing and communication skills.
Excellent attention to detail.
Access to a computer.
Curiosity about sustainability and environmental work
A good eye
Comfort writing for a general audience
The excitement to strike up a conversation with someone you have not met.

Nice To Haves

Experience with photography, video, design, or writing
Sustainability Studies Minor

Responsibilities

Develop original content that communicates GES and SUST teaching, research, and community-engaged work to students, campus partners, and the wider community.
Build and maintain working relationships with students, faculty, and community partners, attending courses, field sites, and partner events to gather stories firsthand.
Draft and schedule posts across GES and SUST social media accounts (Instagram and other platforms as adopted), highlighting events, student and faculty research, field programs, and community partnerships.
Photograph and record short video at courses, field sites, and events, and edit that material into finished pieces.
Design flyers, newsletters, and outreach materials using Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or comparable tools.
Maintain and update GES and SUST website content, including event listings, news items, and personnel and affiliate pages.
Interview students, faculty, and community partners, and write short profiles and features.
Contribute to a broader communications strategy for both units, including tracking engagement and proposing improvements.
Maintain a content calendar, monitor a shared communications inbox, and meet regularly with the team in person or via Zoom.
Attend and table departmentwide events.
Provide general administrative support to the Department and Program as needed.