Job Posting Title:
Communications Specialist
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Hiring Department:
Recreational Sports
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
Exempt
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Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue
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Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS
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Job Details:
General Notes: Do you thrive in a dynamic, innovative team environment where no two days are the same? Do you love learning through hands-on experience across multiple projects? Recreational Sports is seeking a Communications Specialist — a marketing and communications generalist who can support a variety of channels and processes to advance our marketing and communications goals.
About the Communications Team at RecSports
The Communications team at Recreational Sports operates as the department’s internal marketing agency, supporting marketing and communication needs for seven recreation facilities and six program areas including intramural sports, sport clubs, fitness and wellness, outdoor recreation. membership and guest services, and an instructional programming.
The team leads branding initiatives, developing marketing campaigns designed to drive participation and revenue. We create participant-centered digital content that highlights the impact of Recreational Sports on the student and member experience. Our team also manages internal communication and member engagement through a variety of channels.
Additionally, the team supports development functions, including alumni communication, event marketing, marketing needs related to the department’s corporate partnerships. The Communications Specialist would join the Communications and Development area, which includes three communications professionals, two development staff members, and senior leadership. The communications team also includes 20-25 student employees, including field marketing ambassadors, photographers, and videographers.
What You Can Expect
This position is ideal for someone who is organized, proactive, eager to contribute to storytelling, social media, content creation, and project coordination.
You’ll gain hands-on experience across multiple marketing and communication functions, helping you grow into a well-rounded professional. You’ll be part of a highly collaborative, creative, and student and-member-centered team with high standards for timeliness, engagement and quality deliverables.
In this role, you’ll play a key role in keeping our team organized and effective. You’ll feel empowered to contribute new ideas and support their execution in ways that best connect with our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members.
Must be eligible to Work in the U.S. on a full-time basis without sponsorship.
Purpose: This position supports a range of communication and marketing efforts that advances the department’s participation goals. The Communications Specialist manages daily operations for assigned projects and provides coordination support for print and branding collateral.
The role also supports accounting-related processes for communications projects, including budget tracking. The role coordinates various email communication functions such as guest communication for departmental events, email marketing campaigns, and oversight for the department’s primary email inbox addressing general inquiries.
The Communications Specialist actively participates in team brainstorming sessions and assists with pitching story ideas. This role works directly with the Associate Director for of Communications, the Senior Graphic Designer and Assistant Director. In addition, this role will also interface with communication area student employees, including Ambassadors, Photographers, and Videographers.
Responsibilities
Project and Production Coordination
Support communications projects by routing client requests to design, drafting copy for marketing collateral, and assisting in print production efforts in partnership with Senior Graphic Designer.
Coordinate print collateral project timelines, vendor relationships, and accounting processes (quotes, approvals, expense tracking, and invoice management) working with internal accounting team to ensure invoices are paid in compliance with University guidelines.
Content Creation
- Contribute to communications and marketing strategies that engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, members, and donors.
- Participate in marketing content planning meetings and help pitch and shape content ideas.
- Assist in execution across multiple platforms including blogs (Medium), social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn), and email (Mailchimp).
- Support general website content updates with written and visual assets in collaboration with Assistant Director for Communications.
- Collaborate with Associate Director, Assistant Director, Senior Graphic Designer and creative student staff positions to advance the team’s content creation strategies.
Event Communication
- Maintain and update event registration pages using Splash, collaborating with Senior Graphic Designer on design elements.
- Manage backend registration processes for events and coordinate relevant guest communications in partnership with Associate Director and internal clients.
- Provide on-site event support during Communications, Development, and departmental special events as needed.
Email Marketing
- Write content for various email marketing efforts, including monthly newsletters and targeted campaigns designed to support participant engagement and drive registration or sales goals.
- Organize, maintain, and segment all email distribution lists in Mailchimp, ensuring compliance with University policies and best practices.
General Communications Support
- Monitor and respond to inquiries from the general RecSports email account in coordination with internal stakeholders to provide timely responses that adhere to the department’s customer service standards.
- Manage marketing collateral and promotional item inventory; recommend new materials based on audience needs.
- Manage the department’s digital signage content schedule as well as reviewing and uploading content submittals from other University departments.
- Provide tactical support to the Communications Team to help advance the area’s goals.
- Serve as contributing member of the staff, participate in meetings, collaborate with colleagues, serve on special event committees, and perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of relevant experience in communications (may include internships, volunteer experience, and applicable coursework).
- Experience supporting social media, web content, or digital marketing efforts.
- Enthusiasm for working in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment
- Ability to self-start, work independently, prioritize and manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
- Strong writing skills tailored to a variety of audiences and platforms.
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to communicate proactively and professionally.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience working in communications in higher education, campus recreation, or related field.
- Experience with creating content for a variety of platforms, especially Instagram, LinkedIn, email marketing, and/or Medium.
- Experience collaborating with creative positions such as graphic designers, photographers, and videographers.
- Experience managing email marketing campaigns and email distribution lists/audiences.
- Familiarity with project management tools such as Basecamp.
- Basic understanding of reporting tools for social media and email marketing.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Salary
$48,000 - $51,000
Working Conditions and Other Requirements
Continuously maintain and adhere to departmental Vision, Mission and Values, Performance Standards and Communication Credo. Regular and punctual attendance at the workplace required and work additional hours when required. This position’s work location is on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Comply with departmental and university policies and procedures, and all other university and system rules and regulations. Security sensitive position. Position is a Campus Security Authority pursuant to the Clery Act and University policy, and a Responsible Employee pursuant to Title IX, SB212, and University policy.
The role involves occasional exposure to varying weather conditions. The position requires manual dexterity, lifting, and moving objects, as well as the ability to work in environments with alarms, large crowds, dust, and noise, including construction noise. The work area may occasionally be windowless, and there may be brief exposure to chemical fumes. The position also requires frequent use of a keyboard, repetitive hand movements, climbing stairs, and other manual tasks as part of daily duties.
Occasional intrastate and interstate travel. Security sensitive position. Position is Exempt Classified.
Work Shift
- Standard work schedule is Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
- May work evenings and weekends, occasionally without advance notice
- Occasional holiday work
- Regular and punctual attendance at the workplace required
Required Materials
- Letter of interest
- Resume/CV
- 3 Work references; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
- Writing sample and/or link to portfolio with examples of communications-related work.
Please note, if you do not include all of the required materials listed above, your application will not be considered and will not advance to the hiring committee for review.
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page, and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
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Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.
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Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
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Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.
