Job Description

Working/Functional Title

Digital Communications Manager

Position Summary

Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive organization, which requires all staff to contribute towards a vision for success. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our work, regardless of title or position within the organization. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:

• We work together to ensure that programming is delivered to diverse audiences, produces equitable impacts for all participants, and demonstrates partnership and inclusion for all groups.
• We embrace that it is everyone’s job to create a culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and inclusive culture.
• We foster inclusion by recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives, skills, experiences, and work to create equal access to programming for communities.
• We commit to continuous learning for diversity, equity, and cultural competency, in order to achieve inclusive excellence.
• We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements to our work and are vital to the organizational culture and programmatic success of MSU Extension.
• We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching and feedback towards achieving a vision of success for the entire organization and its staff.
• Together we will achieve success and we commit to these goals in our work, continued education, and ongoing efforts. 

POSITION SUMMARY

Manages the information, public relations, and marketing activities for a department, college, or program area of moderate size, budget, staff, and/or complexity, in order to inform the public and the university.

MSU Extension (MSUE) is a large and complex unit with more than 600 employees in 83 counties spread across the upper and lower peninsula of Michigan. MSU Extension is the university’s community outreach organization, linking people across the state to the vast knowledge and resources of MSU.

The Digital Communications Manager at MSU Extension (MSUE) has a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s digital footprint. This position is responsible for managing MSU Extension’s social media and web presence, crafting innovative strategies to engage diverse audiences, and ensuring the organization’s digital content aligns with its mission and strategic direction. A key emphasis is placed on creating impactful video content, which plays a vital role in promoting MSU Extension programs, communicating organization's impact and success.

Applying a forward-thinking approach to digital communications, leveraging cutting-edge tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, to optimize content creation and social media strategies will be essential to your success. In this role, you will collaborate with the Director of Communications and Digital Strategy to monitor and analyze digital performance metrics to inform the digital strategy.

You will work in concert with the MSU Extension leadership and communications team to assess organizational needs to enhance and elevate MSU Extension’s social media platforms, aligning with university brand standards and ensuring accessibility to reach diverse populations effectively.

Additionally, you will collaborate with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) communications team to manage and enhance MSU Extension’s web presence, providing training to support staff to streamline web management responsibilities and reduce the workload for programming staff and teams. Through innovative storytelling, engaging content, and a focus on accessibility, you will ensure MSU Extension remains a trusted and impactful resource for Michigan communities.

Although negotiable, there will be space available for this position to work from the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

This position may be eligible to utilize a flexible work environment, however, there is an expectation to work from a MSU Extension office. The needs, responsibilities, and opportunities of an individual’s position and office location drive the ability and amount of work-location flexibility.

Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities

• Plans new strategies, campaigns, and directs public relations efforts for MSU Extension and advises institutes and other units on media and public relations issues.
• Plans and implements public relations budget and establishes policies and procedures related to the daily operation of Public Relations.
• Develops promotion and marketing/news plans for MSU Extension.
• Develops specialized communications plans for MSU Extension, institutes and other units as requested.
• Coordinates special events.
• Recommends web development and technology enhancements for MSU Extension.
• Plans, creates, produces, photographs, edits, records or drafts releases and feature materials for media and publications in order to inform the public and university of issues and events.
• Identifies sources of information in research, reviews, and surveys in order to obtain information.
• Negotiates rates and orders advertising for print, television, or radio.
• Designs and presents workshops on news writing, radio usage, newsletters, and marketing strategies.
• Develop and manage MSU Extension’s social media platforms to effectively engage diverse audiences and align with organizational strategic goals; develop and execute social media content calendars, ensuring consistent, timely, and engaging messaging.
• Create, curate, and publish high-quality digital content, including written, visual, and video materials, to promote MSU Extension programs and initiatives.
• Produce compelling video content that aligns with MSU Extension’s brand and voice, drives audience engagement, and supports overall digital strategies.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications and Digital Strategy to assess and implement strategies for improving MSUE’s social media and digital outreach; prepare regular analytics reports to guide digital strategy, identify areas of need, and plan potential campaigns.
• Leverage AI platforms to enhance social media strategies, optimize content production, and improve the organization’s web presence.
• Respond to social media inquiries, comments, and messages in a timely and professional manner, fostering positive online communications.
• Manage staff profiles process; train support staff to add new profiles and remove outdated ones.
• Work closely with the CANR communications and web team to manage, enhance, and elevate MSU Extension’s web presence.
• Provide training and support to staff for effective web page management, streamlining processes, and reducing workload for programming teams.
• Ensure all digital communications adhere to MSU brand standards, social media and web presence guidelines, and accessibility requirements.
• Collaborate with communication managers to tell the MSU Extension story, share impact, and attract new audiences and stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain social media resources, such as Canva templates and a social media manager manual, to support organization-wide content creation.
• Provide ongoing training to staff on social media, digital content best practices.
• Serve as the main resource for other social media managers within the MSU Extension system, offering guidance, support, and resources as needed.
• Stay informed of digital communication trends and best practices to continuously enhance MSU Extension’s digital strategies.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Minimum Requirements

• Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in digital marketing, communication, telecommunications,  public relations, or related field.
• Three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in public and media relations; composing, editing and publication production; news, broadcasting, and or print media; and/or marketing, advertising, and creative services; graphic design; word processing; desktop publishing; web design; presentation; spreadsheet and/or database software; public presentation or radio production; or computer programming/technology.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• This position requires or will require prior to the completion of the probationary period: knowledge of basic personal computer terminology and operations, and the ability to use e-mail and the internet.

Desired Qualifications

• Proven experience in managing social media accounts and producing content for digital platforms, with a strong portfolio showcasing original work, particularly video content.
• Proficiency in video production, including planning, shooting, editing, and producing professional-quality video content.
• Proficiency in content creation tools, AI platforms, and graphic design software, including Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing trends, SEO principles, and social media algorithms.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, serving in both leadership and contributor roles.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships intra- and inter-organizationally.
• Knowledge of MSU Extension programs and services.
• Strong writing, proofreading, and editing skills.
• Proven ability in establishing and working with a network of constituents and community members across race, color, gender, national origin, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, veteran status, socioeconomic class, and other differences.
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, knowledge, and use of appropriate approaches, skills, and techniques, which reflect an understanding and awareness of social, cultural, and economic diversity of the target population.
• Understanding of and ability to implement Civil Rights principles and compliance standards.
• Other skills and/or physical abilities required to perform duties of the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Current resume/CV.

Cover letter.

Four (4) professional references including two (2) current or previous supervisors.

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

Bidding eligibility ends April 1, 2025, 11:55 PM

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

Connections working at Michigan State University

Job Tags

Work experience placement, Flexible hours,

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