Description
Position Summary
The Communications Senior Specialist works collaboratively with University Information Services (UIS) stakeholders to develop communications, alerts, and website content about the information technology (IT) services provided to all four university of Colorado (CU) campuses and the System Administration office. This position plays a key role in developing and maintaining the department’s communication programs and plans. The Communications Senior Specialist is responsible for independently creating content for campaigns, internal CU employee publications, service alerts, emails, print collateral, and other items. This position is part of a Communications team based in Employee Services but also works closely with UIS staff. This role acts as the primary point of contact for UIS communications and works with other stakeholders across CU’s four campuses as needed. The position requires excellent people and interpersonal skills, versatility, and a knack for finding new ways to tell engaging stories. 

This position reports to the Assistant Director of Communications and Outreach and is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff System.

Duties & Responsibilities 
Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: 

Communications

• Provides consultation on communications methods and channels and develops communication plans for UIS projects and initiatives. 
• Serves as the primary point of contact for UIS and works with the department on varying communication needs and projects.
• Works on communications projects and deliverables as part of communications and project teams. 
• Assists with the development and strategy of communication plans for UIS. 
• Creates and edits articles for UIS newsletters, emails, service alerts and blogs.
• Conducts interviews with stakeholders and campus business partners.
• Distributes messages via the RAVE alerts system, maintains RAVE distribution list and trains users on RAVE processes.
• Maintains UIS department websites, including writing content, building webpages, maintaining content inventory and troubleshooting issues.
• Distributes communications materials via the SalesForce Marketing Cloud, CU employee intranet, SharePoint, website and blogs.
• Prepares presentations and materials for meetings and events, as needed. 
• Assist the Assistant Director in developing and implementing policies, procedures, and best practices for the Communications and Outreach team.

Who we are: System Administration, which also houses the Office of the President, is located in the uptown neighborhood of Denver with a few smaller offices located on the campuses.  However, this position is located in Denver. Many of our departments support the educational and research missions of the four University of Colorado campuses, but System Administration is not considered a campus. We provide diverse opportunities for professional development, innovation, and collaboration with talented staff and faculty.  Learn more about CU System Administration.

The University of Colorado has been proactive in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can visit our COVID-19 webpage for more information.

What we offer:

Salary: The salary range has been established at $55,000 -$60,000.

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Benefits: The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision and Wellness
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
  • Vacation Days: 22
  • Sick Days: 15
  • Holiday Days: 10
• Tuition Benefit: System employees have the benefit on all campuses 
• ECO Pass: RTD Bus and light rail service
• Additional Perks & Programs: Click here to access a few more Perks and Programs

Click here to access our Total Compensation Calculator to see what your total rewards could be at CU. This position is a University Staff position.

Additional taxable fringe benefits may be available.

More information on benefits programs, including eligibility, is available at www.cu.edu/employee-services/.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
To be successful in this position, candidates will need the following:

• Working knowledge of graphic standards and branding.
• Excellent verbal, listening, and written communication skills, including the ability to accurately interpret what others are saying and synthesize technical information in a clear, concise manner.
• Creative thinking skills that allow you to devise new and out-of-the box ideas to deliver effective messages. 
• Ability to deliver effective messages to constituents.
• The ability to generate story ideas for department newsletters and publications.
• Excellent people skills and ability build relationships across CU’s four campuses.
• Ability to utilize email marketing tools, such as SalesForce Marketing Cloud, and creative design tools such as the Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop and Illustrator).
• Demonstrated knowledge of writing, editing, proofreading and tenets of journalism, including AP style.
• Demonstrated knowledge of website content management systems.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple concurrent and competing tasks and responsibilities, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining personal effectiveness.
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and stay on task when completing special projects and daily assignments.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and reliable professional judgment, as well as collaboratively with a team to achieve desired results.
• Ability to maintain a strong work ethic, positive problem-solving attitude, and enthusiasm for the work performed.
• Ability to self-start and take initiative in completing daily tasks and special projects.
• Ability to focus on activities that have the greatest impact on meeting work commitments.
• Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with a variety of internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ages.

Qualifications
Please ensure your resume includes any and all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against these qualifications.  You must meet all minimum requirements listed at the time of application to be considered for this role.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis).
• Three (3) years of experience in communications, IT Communications, creating and maintaining website content, and/or creating and developing content campaigns and strategies. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) years’ of experience in communications, IT Communications, creating and maintaining website content, and/or creating and developing content campaigns and strategies. 

Job Category: Communication
Primary Location: Denver
Schedule: Full-time
Posting Date: May 25, 2021
Unposting Date: Ongoing