Communications Specialist II

Agency

Department

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

• Texas A&M AgriLife Research

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University

• Texas A&M Forest Service

• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension, and service.

Click here to learn more about how you can be a part of AgriLife and make a difference in the world!

Position Information

The Communication Specialist II is a member of the Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications team and serves as the primary point of coordination between the Marketing & Communications team and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. This role supports the development and execution of communications initiatives that promote Extension programs, services, and impact to support the Extension brand narrative. Working closely with Extension agents and staff, this position ensures communications are clear, timely and aligned with brand standards and guidelines.

Responsibilities:

Liaison & Relationship Coordination

• Serve as the primary day-to-day contact between the Marketing and Communications unit and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

• Build and maintain relationships between Extension agents, specialists, and administrative staff to help identify real stories and examples of the Extension brand in action.

• Participate in selective Extension meetings to identify communication needs, priorities, and opportunities.

• Train Extension employees on the proper use of the Extension brand guide, communication tools and resources developed by the AgriLife Marketing and Communications unit.

Communications Development & Execution

• Coordinate and support the development of communication plans tied to Extension programs and initiatives.

• Assist in executing campaigns that promote program impact, public awareness, and stakeholder engagement.

• Ensure messaging is consistent with organizational brand standards and communication guidelines.

• Assist with the development of content.

• Serves as project manager for Extension communications projects to ensure timely delivery of projects and proactively communicate status updates.

• Understand the needs of Extension employees and make suggestions for new tools and resources to be created by the Marketing and Communications unit.

• Supports the event outreach communication strategy by communicating progress, sharing updates, and coordinating respective training

Training Support

• Provide guidance to Extension personnel on communication best practices, templates, and brand standards.

• Support consistency across communications while allowing for local adaptation.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, agriculture communications, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).

• Two years of related experience.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to stay focused on the mission of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the land-grant mission.

• Understanding of Extension structure, programming, and community-based outreach.

• Ability to travel consistently across the state to work with Extension employees.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to simplify complex information.

• Strong organizational and coordination skills with attention to detail.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a collaborative environment.

• Proficiency in standard communications tools.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work across various teams and stakeholders.

• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3 years of professional experience in communications, marketing, or a related field.

• Experience coordinating projects or working with multiple stakeholders.

• Previous experience as a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent or similar Extension role.

• Familiarity with Extension audiences and community engagement practices.

• Experience in a land-grant university system, public sector, or mission-driven organization.

• Experience developing content that highlights program outcomes and impact.

• Experience in inspiring others to take action.

What You Need to Know

Salary: Pay Grade: 9. Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexible work schedule and remote work may be available for this position, pending employee eligibility requirements are met in accordance with AgriLife Alternate Work Location Procedures.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife 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  

• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

Applicant Instructions

A cover letter, resumé, and references are requested. You may upload these documents on the application under CV/Resume.  

Applications received by Texas A&M AgriLife must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.