Senior Strategic Communications Specialist

The Graduate School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is seeking applicants for a full-time Senior Strategic Communications Specialist. This role is responsible for supporting the Graduate School’s internal and external communications related to two initiatives: (1) The Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center, and (2) the holdings of the Physician Assistant education, research, and advocacy program. The incumbent will be responsible for generating and maintaining high impact communication plans in alignment with the SAFE Center’s and the Physician Assistant Program’s overall vision and goals, developing and implementing content marketing strategies, and completing other special projects as they arise. The incumbent will report jointly between the Executive Director of the SAFE Center and the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs and will be responsible for devising communications strategies, social media, web pages, and more.  The incumbent will split his/her/their time equally between the two initiatives: SAFE Center in College Park and the Physician Assistant Program in Baltimore.  The hired individual will need to travel between both locations and may have the option to telework.

 

 

The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors is a direct service, research, and advocacy center on human trafficking. We provide comprehensive social, legal, mental health, crisis intervention, and economic empowerment services to survivors of sex and labor trafficking of any age, gender, or nationality.  The SAFE Center is an initiative of the Maryland Strategic Partnership, MPOWER. More information is available on the SAFE Center’s website at www.umdsafecenter.org.

 

The Graduate School’s Physician Assistant (PA) program is a multi-dimensional effort to ensure access to primary medical care, educate future physician assistants, create faculty pipelines into academia, develop faculty, support disciplinary research, and educate doctoral-level faculty in the health professions. The PA portfolio also includes the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy and the Ph.D. program in Health Professions Education. Together, the strategic partnering of these three initiatives represents the forefront of innovation in the PA profession and Health Professions Education fields.      

 

 

 

Benefits Information  

UMB offers a generous benefits package that includes 22 vacation days, 14 floating and holidays, 15 sick days; comprehensive health insurance and retirement options; and tuition remission for employees and their dependents at any of the University System of Maryland schools.  

 

UMB requires all faculty, staff, and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Exemptions for medical or religious reasons will be processed through Human Resources. 

 

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Advances SAFE Center Communications Objectives – 50%

  • Design and implement a comprehensive strategic communications strategy to amplify the organization’s reach to survivors, expand our partners, deepen engagement with supporters, raise financial support for our services, increase awareness of and community participation in the SAFE Center’s activities, and maintain a consistent brand tone across communications.

  • Develop the organizational communications calendar and strengthen communications systems including social media, email marketing, and website optimization.

  • Set quantitative and qualitative metrics and analyze results to evaluate the effectiveness of communications strategies and ensure quality standards.

  • As the main manager for SAFE Center social media accounts, generate content reflecting the organization’s overall strategic vision and goals, collaborate with SAFE Center community partners on social media, and create paid ad campaigns to increase the reach of SAFE Center content.

  • Draft and oversee the production of press releases, annual reports, blog posts, quarterly e-Newsletters, and presentation decks.

  • Create graphic design imagery for social media campaigns, annual reports, outreach materials, and web pages.  When needed, manage vendors to support overall marketing and communications strategy.

  • Oversee the overall content and quality of the website, including project planning and implementation for related initiatives, regular review of all content, processes for updating content, and identification of content update needs.

  • Position the SAFE Center for competitive bids for external philanthropy, foundation, and local, state, and national grant opportunities.

  • Assist the SAFE Center’s director on special projects

  • Liaison with UMB central resources for media relations and other services as needed.

Advances Physician Assistant Program Communications Objectives – 50%

  • Collaborate with the Vice Dean, Assistant Dean of Academic Programs, Assistant Dean of the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA), Program Directors of the PhD and MS program in Health Professions Education as well as the Program Director of the Physician Assistant Program and Student Recruitment team to develop and implement a brand and reputation enhancement strategy for the PA program.

  • Create communication strategies and brand the Physician Assistant portfolio of programs to achieve a Top 10 Physician Assistant program ranking according to U.S. News and World Report's reputational scoring system.

  • Develop a stakeholder/consumer-facing website which promotes the depth of expertise in physician assistant education, research, service, and faculty development to be inclusive of the PA education program, the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy, and the Ph.D. program in Health Professions Education. 

  • Develop a communications calendar for consistent communication to relevant stakeholders across multiple channels including direct mail, email, newsletters, webinar series, online information sessions, social media, and internal Elm postings.

  • Conceptualize and the lead the development of a Physician Assistant annual report for dissemination to relevant stakeholders.

  • Promote faculty scholarship and program accomplishments to relevant stakeholders to improve reputation of the PA program.

  • Collaborate to prepare the PA program for future ranking criteria which are based upon factors such as student-to-faculty ratio, PANCE pass rates, graduation rates, percent of faculty with doctoral degrees, faculty research activity, and accreditation success.

  • Assists with student recruitment strategies for the current PhD and MS and future PBCs in Health Professions Education as well as the Physician Assistant Program and Alumni engagement.

 

Qualifications

  

Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, English, journalism, or a demonstrably related field.

Experience: Three (3) or more years of professional experience in communications and digital marketing positions, preferably within a nonprofit or university setting.

 

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

  • Demonstrated success developing and implementing integrated digital marketing and communication plans and campaigns from start to finish (including tracking and reporting) for a wide range of programs, events, and services.

  • Strong written communication skills across a variety of disciplines. Ability to edit and review content for factual messaging, grammar guidelines, brand consistency, and optimal SEO results.

  • Experience with social media management systems, email marketing systems, WordPress, Google analytics and google keywords / ad grant management, and Microsoft tools.

  • Experience with graphic design and graphic design software, including Canva, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Ability to create branded graphics for social media, website, outreach materials, and newsletter content.

  • Authentic passion for the missions of the SAFE Center and the Physician Assistant Program.

  • Strong interpersonal skills, cultural humility, and a demonstrated ability to effectively interact with diverse populations.

  • Proven abilities to take initiative as a self-starter, think creatively, anticipate needs and act accordingly, problem-solve, follow direction and demonstrate accountability to meet goals and deadlines.

  • Strong detail-oriented, organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks with different timelines in a fast-paced environment with fluctuating workloads and changing priorities.

  • Demonstrated ability to successfully work independently and as part of a team with the ability to draw connections between day-to-day job responsibilities and the goals of the two distinct programs supported by the position.

 

 

Hiring Range: Low to mid $60,000s, commensurate with education and experience

 

 

UMB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law or policy. For assistance related to employment, please contact the Staffing department at HRJobs@umaryland.edu

 
If you anticipate needing a reasonable accommodation for a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), during any part of the employment process, please submit a UMB Job Applicant Accommodation Request. You may also contact HRDiversity@umaryland.edu. Please note that only inquiries concerning an ADA request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.