Communications Specialist - Toppel Career Center

The University of Miami Department of Communication has an exciting opportunity for a full time Communication Specialist to work in Coral Gables, FL.

• Write, edit, and produce Toppel content: news and feature stories, student success and alumni career-outcome stories, employer spotlights, program and service highlights, and award and milestone coverage.
• Serve as the Center’s editorial lead, ensuring all Toppel communications meet enterprise editorial, accuracy, and quality standards; maintain familiarity with all Toppel programs and services and keep communication resources current.
• Develop and maintain Toppel’s website content within the enterprise CMS, templates, and governance standards; monitor pages for accuracy, engagement, and usefulness; request new builds through the enterprise intake process.
• Produce Toppel’s owned publications — the e-newslet​ter, annual report content, and career guides and collateral — with Creative Studio design support and brand review; serve as editor of the Toppel e-newsletter.

• Manage Toppel’s approved social media accounts day to day — planning, posting, monitoring, and responding — within Creative Studio platform strategy and governance standards.
• Escalate account issues, negative engagement trends, or sensitive matters promptly.

• Support Toppel leadership and staff on award nominations, donor and employer communications, and other high-stakes institutional writing.

• Support the Executive Director’s internal communications: announcements, staff updates, and messages to students and the Toppel community; keep students and Career Center staff informed via electronic bulletins.
• Promote Toppel programs and events, maintain campus calendar and campus publication entries, and support signature events including the Job & Internship Expos and other career-related events.

• Feed the enterprise story pipeline: proactively flag newsworthy student career outcomes, employer partnerships, expert sources, and stories to the Communications vertical (Enterprise Content and University Communications) for earned and owned media.
• Route all media inquiries to University Communications; do not pitch media directly.
• Escalate any emerging issue or potential crisis to Crisis Communications immediately; the unit does not manage crisis communications independently.
• Partner with the portfolio Director of Marketing: provide program knowledge, local insight, and content that informs and feeds Toppel marketing plans and campaigns promoting Toppel services to students, alumni, faculty/staff, and employers.
• Submit requests for design, video photography, web builds, and campaign support through the enterprise intake process, planning ahead so unit work enters the queue with adequate lead time.
• Apply University brand guidelines correctly in all Toppel materials; advise Career Center staff on editorial standards and correct brand application; route new brand applications to Creative Studio for approval.
• Participate in the Enterprise Mar Com community of practice: team meetings, training, office hours, and shared standards.

• Supervise 3–5 Toppel student workers supporting graphic design, video production, and social media efforts; assign and coordinate their day-to-day work within Creative Studio creative standards, and lead their training and performance evaluation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, English, marketing, or a relevant field.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience, 3 years of relevant communications, journalism, or content experience preferred.
• Excellent writing, editing, and copy-editing skills across formats — news, feature, web, social, and executive voice.
• Strong interviewing and story development instincts; able to translate career outcomes and program impact into compelling stories for student, employer, alumni, and…