Tamu

Job Title
Communications Specialist II - Science Communications
Agency
Texas A&amp;M Agrilife Extension Service
Department
Marketing and Communications
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
College Station, Texas
Job Type
Staff
Job Description
About Texas A&amp;M AgriLife
Texas A&amp;M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&amp;M University System members:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Extension Service</a></li>
<li><a href="https://agriliferesearch.tamu.edu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Research</a></li>
<li><a href="https://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&amp;M University</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas A&amp;M Forest Service</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas A&amp;M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory</a></li>
</ul>
As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&amp;M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&amp;M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&amp;M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.
Click <a href="https://agrilife.tamu.edu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more about how you can be a part of AgriLife and make a difference in the world!
Position Information:
As a member of Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Marketing and Communications, this role strategizes, develops and executes comprehensive communications activities aimed at elevating the thought leadership and visibility of Texas A&amp;M AgriLife. The position is charged with elevating the quality, rigor and reach of Texas A&amp;M AgriLife's science writing and communication - translating complex research into clear, accurate and engaging content for public, media and stakeholder audiences. This includes writing for AgriLife Today's digital newsroom and magazine, supporting science-based earned media efforts and contributing to web content for Texas A&amp;M AgriLife's KPEP sites, and serving as the dedicated communications steward for an assigned portfolio of AgriLife units. This person holds a passion for the life sciences, strong science writing skills and the ability to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible, compelling content for a range of audiences.
Key Responsibilities:
Science Writing and Content Strategy
<ul>
<li>Serve as a science writer for Texas A&amp;M AgriLife, elevating the standard, clarity and impact of research storytelling across the organization.</li>
<li>Write and edit science-driven stories, features and news content for AgriLife Today, ensuring accuracy, appropriate context and accessibility for both scientific and general-public audiences.</li>
<li>Translate technical findings from faculty, researchers and Extension specialists into narratives suitable for digital newsroom distribution and earned media pickup.</li>
<li>Coordinate across internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to leadership, social media, photo/video, media relations, web, graphic design, etc.</li>
</ul>
Assigned Unit Stewardship
<ul>
<li>Serve as the dedicated communications point of contact for assigned units, building ongoing relationships with department heads, center directors, faculty and staff to identify story opportunities.</li>
<li>Proactively track research publications, grants, awards and AgriLife Extension milestones within assigned units to surface newsworthy content.</li>
<li>Coordinate with unit leadership to align messaging with departmental and college priorities and maintain a consistent editorial cadence for each unit.</li>
</ul>
Web Content and Communications
<ul>
<li>Contribute to and help maintain web content on KPEP websites, ensuring content is current, accurate and consistent with Texas A&amp;M AgriLife's editorial and brand standards.</li>
<li>Steward brand messaging, voice and tone across platforms to ensure consistency in messaging and alignment with the overall communications strategy.</li>
<li>Serve as back-up and extra support as needed for the Texas A&amp;M AgriLife-wide digital calendar.</li>
<li>Manage and support ad hoc projects and assignments, in coordination with the web team.</li>
</ul>
Analytics and Reporting
<ul>
<li>Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of communication efforts and campaigns using metrics and analytics tools.</li>
<li>Prepare reports and presentations for internal stakeholders, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement, including on assigned unit content performance.</li>
</ul>
Other Duties:
<ul>
<li>Performs other duties as assigned.</li>
</ul>
Required Education and Experience:
<ul>
<li>Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.</li>
<li>Two years of related experience.</li>
</ul>
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
<ul>
<li>Knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet applications.</li>
<li>Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.</li>
<li>Strong verbal and written communication skills.</li>
<li>Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.</li>
<li>Ability to present information clearly and concisely.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Qualifications
<ul>
<li>Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Agricultural Communications, Life Sciences or a related field.</li>
<li>Master's degree in a relevant field.</li>
<li>3+ years of experience in science writing, journalism or communications, ideally in a research, higher education or agricultural setting.</li>
<li>Experience writing for a digital newsroom, magazine or news publication.</li>
<li>Prior experience covering agriculture, natural resources or life sciences research.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
<ul>
<li>Strong writing, editing and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific or technical information into clear, accurate content for general audiences.</li>
<li>Working knowledge of AP style and journalistic writing conventions.</li>
<li>Familiarity with the life sciences, agriculture, natural resources or a related scientific field sufficient to interview researchers and accurately represent their work.</li>
<li>Experience building and maintaining relationships with faculty, researchers or subject-matter experts to identify and develop story ideas.</li>
<li>Understanding of earned media and media relations practices, including pitching science stories to journalists.</li>
<li>Strong project management skills, with ability to manage multiple assignments, deadlines and stakeholders simultaneously.</li>
<li>Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills for coordinating across marketing and communications functions&nbsp;(social media, photo/video, graphic design, media relations).</li>
<li>Ability to maintain brand voice, tone and editorial consistency across multiple platforms and content types.</li>
</ul>
What You Need to Know
Salary:&nbsp; Pay Grade: 9.&nbsp; Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.
This position is based in College Station, TX.
Note: New hires are required to work on site full-time for the first 90 days. After the initial 90-day period, employees may be considered for a flexible work arrangement that allows up to 20 hours per week at an alternate work location, subject to approval and Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Procedures.
Why Work at Texas A&amp;M AgriLife?
When you choose to&nbsp;work&nbsp;for Texas A&amp;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&amp;M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance</a> with Texas A&amp;M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums</li>
<li>12-15 days of annual paid holidays</li>
<li>Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month</li>
<li>Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas</li>
<li>Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&amp;M AgriLife</li>
</ul>
Applicant Instructions
A&nbsp;cover letter, resume, and references are strongly recommended. You may upload them on the application under the CV/Resume section.
Applications received by Texas A&amp;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.

Communications Specialist II - Science Communications

Communications Specialist II - Science Communications

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