Communications Specialist - SOHNS

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The University of Miami, University Communications, has an exciting opportunity for a full time Communications Specialist to work in Coral Gables, FL.

The Communications Specialist is the dedicated communications professional embedded in SONHS and the unit's storyteller and content producer. The Specialist is closest to the unit's faculty, students, and programs, and is the primary source of stories, expertise, and content for both unit channels and enterprise channels.

The position is part of enterprise Marketing & Communications and works within its shared-services model: the Coordinator owns unit-level content and storytelling, while marketing strategy, campaigns, paid media, design production, media relations, analytics, and technology are delivered by the enterprise verticals (Marketing Strategy, Communications, Creative Studio, Marketing Operations & Planning, and MarTech). The Specialist partners closely with the academy marketing strategy team who converts the unit's communications output into measurable marketing programs.

Although the position reports to Enterprise MarCom, it is embedded in and dedicated to its assigned unit. The Dean or Unit Lead holds a dotted-line relationship with direct day-to-day access to the role and input into priorities and performance.

Department Specific Functions:

Content & Storytelling

• Write, edit, and produce unit content: news and feature stories, faculty and student profiles, research and program highlights, and award and milestone coverage.
• Serve as the unit's editorial lead, ensuring all unit communications meet enterprise editorial, accuracy, and quality standards.
• Develop and maintain the unit's website content within the enterprise CMS, templates, and governance standards; monitor pages for accuracy, engagement, and usefulness; request new builds through the enterprise intake process.
• Produce the unit's owned publications — magazine, newsletters, annual report content — with Creative Studio design support and brand review.

Social Media

• Manage the unit's approved social media accounts day to day — planning, posting, monitoring, and responding — within Creative Studio platform strategy and governance standards.
• Escalate account issues, negative engagement trends, or sensitive matters promptly.

Institutional Writing Support

• Support faculty and unit leadership on award nominations, grant application narratives, and other high-stakes institutional writing.

Unit Communications & Events

• Support the Dean's or Unit Lead's internal communications: announcements, town halls, and messages to the unit community.
• Promote unit events, maintain campus calendar and publication entries, and support signature unit events.

Enterprise Collaboration

• Feed the enterprise story pipeline: proactively flag newsworthy research, expert sources, student successes, and stories to the Communications vertical (Enterprise Content and University Communications) for earned and owned media.
• Route all media inquiries to University Communications; do not pitch media directly.
• Escalate any emerging issue or potential crisis to Crisis Communications immediately; the unit does not manage crisis communications independently.
• Partner with Enterprise Marketing: provide program knowledge, local insight, and content that informs and feeds unit marketing plans and campaigns.
• Submit requests for design, video, photography, web builds, and campaign support through the enterprise intake process, planning ahead so unit work enters the queue with adequate lead time.
• Apply University brand guidelines correctly in all unit materials; advise unit staff on editorial standards and correct brand application; route new brand applications to Creative Studio for approval.
• Participate in the Enterprise MarCom community of practice: team meetings, training, office hours, and shared standards.

Supervision

• Coordinate the day-to-day work of unit student interns producing content, within Creative Studio creative standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

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Core responsibilities:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, English, marketing, or a relevant field.
• 2 years of relevant experience required; 3–5 years of relevant communications, journalism, or content experience preferred.
• Excellent writing, editing, and copy-editing skills across formats — news, feature, web, social, and executive voice.
• Strong interviewing and story development instincts; able to translate academic and technical subject matter for general audiences.
• Experience managing organizational social media accounts and producing web content in a CMS.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills; able to manage multiple projects and deadlines independently in an embedded setting.
• Strong interpersonal skills; able to build trusted relationships with a dean, faculty, staff, and students while working within a matrixed enterprise team.
• Sound judgment on sensitive matters and a clear understanding of when to escalate.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and presentation tools (PowerPoint, Canva, or similar).
• Experience in higher education, healthcare, research, or another complex, multi-stakeholder environment preferred.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere) and social media management tools preferred.
• Experience producing newsletters or magazines and supporting grant or award writing preferred.
• Basic photography and short-form video skills preferred.

Any appropriate combination of relevant education, certifications, and/or work experience will be considered.

The University of Miami is recognized as one of the nation’s premier research institutions and academic health systems and is among the largest employers in South Florida.

With more than 20,000 faculty and staff, the University is committed to excellence and guided by a mission to positively impact the lives of students, patients, and communities locally and globally.

We are dedicated to fostering a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully. United by shared values, the University community works together to build an environment defined by purpose, collaboration, and service.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.

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