Communications Specialist - College of Communication and Information - UTK

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications for a Communications Specialist in the College of Communication and Information (CCI).

The Communications Specialist reports to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Success and receives daily operational directions from the College of Communication and Information’s Director of Communication and Marketing. This role will specialize in communications and marketing efforts for the entire unit, which includes Undergraduate Programs & Advising, Professional Development, Graduate Programs, Online Programs, Global Programs, and the Wilson Communication & Leadership Academy. The primary purpose of this position is to document and promote the activities of CCI student success through the production of stories and other communications about events, initiatives and achievements.

• Lead various communication projects from conception to completion, which includes tracking and ensuring deliverables are met on time and to a high standard.
• Conduct research and audience analysis to determine creative approaches for reaching the CCI student population.
• Establish a clear brand voice and image for academic affairs and student success and its respective departments.
• Serve as communication and marketing liaison for college-wide content meetings, comms deadlines and new initiatives.
• Produce engaging storytelling experiences and other communication efforts for the offices in our unit: Undergraduate Programs & Advising, Professional Development, Graduate Programs, Online Programs, Global Programs, and the Wilson Communication & Leadership Academy.
• Maintain and grow the unit’s social media presence across multiple social accounts while monitoring and responding to all interactions.
• Launch and support the comm and marketing elements of the UConnect platform.
• Responsible for ensuring consistency across all internal and external communications for CCI Academic Affairs and Student Success, upholding UT brand guidelines and messaging. Coordinate scheduling of student appointments with advising personnel (concentrated during Summer Orientation).
• Monitor and correspond with students and prospective students via CCI email account.
• Collaborate with CCI OCM to keep the unit's webpages updated and engaging.
• Create event and program promotion/branding kits/templates and work with college staff to execute special events to grow student attendance and participation.
• Design print and digital collateral such as brochures, handouts, event invitations, signage, certificates and e-newsletters.
• Develop a branded look and feel for all slide decks and resources, making sure everything aligns with our visual identity.
• Create high-quality videos and other communications ready for use across various platforms, reaching our audience effectively.
• Cultivate and sustain strategic relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to advance organizational objectives and enhance collaborative initiatives.
• Oversee the strategic management of targeted outreach campaigns through the effective curation and utilization of employer and alumni mailing lists.
• Champion opportunities for alumni and donor engagement by proactively promoting career pathways, including job and internship placements.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree

Experience:

•At least 1-2 years of work experience and demonstrated success in a communications role
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, including the ability to write for a variety of audiences and communication mediums
• Proven print and electronic collateral design experience

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Exceptional writing, copywriting, and editing skills, including the ability to write for a variety of audiences and communication mediums.
• Knowledge of contemporary communication practices and standards, and of how to integrate these into a larger communication framework.
• Knowledge of, and experience with, publishing software such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.
• Knowledge of office productivity software, especially Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge with WordPress, Adobe Creative Cloud, social media tools.
• Excellent organizational, project management, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail required. Must enjoy interacting with, and helping others.
• Adaptable, flexible, reliable, creative.
• Excellent team player and problem solver.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to multi-task and prioritize

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience:

•Experience working with website content management systems (Word Press a plus).

•Experience using social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

•Experience using Adobe Creative Suite.

•Experience with media relations including writing press releases and other statements for the public.

•Experience working at a university or other non-profit a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Experience working with website content management systems, Word Press a plus
• Experience using social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube
• Experience using Adobe Creative Suite

Work Location: On site in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Compensation and Benefits: The anticipated starting salary for this position is $50,000.00

Application Process: The anticipated start date for this position is August 2025. For full consideration, applicants must provide a resume and cover letter. Finalists will be required to provide 3 professional references. All applicants must apply online to be considered for this position.

The College:
CCI is part of a Land Grant Institution embedded in communities to make those communities a better place. Our alumni, students, faculty, and staff strive to positively impact the lives of people in our state through our teaching, scholarship, creative work, and through our engagement and service. CCI as a college is well poised to deliver upon all of those areas to become the most nationally distinctive but locally relevant College of Communication and Information in the country.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!