Communications and Social Media Manager

About the Job

The Communications & Social Media Manager serves as the University of Minnesota Crookston''s primary communications professional and is responsible for leading internal and external communications, media relations, public relations, and social media strategy. This role develops and delivers communications that engage key audiences, support institutional priorities, and strengthen the university''s reputation.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer, strategic communicator, and relationship builder with experience managing communications across multiple channels and audiences. This individual will be responsible for ensuring consistent, engaging, and mission-driven communications that strengthen campus engagement, enhance visibility, and support the university''s strategic goals.

• Serve as the university''s primary internal communications professional and coordinate institution-wide communications efforts
• Develop and manage employee and student communications, including newsletters, campus announcements, leadership messages, daily updates, and other university-wide communications
• Develop and execute communication plans for major campus initiatives, policy updates, events, organizational changes, and strategic priorities
• Ensure timely and accurate communication of information affecting employees and students
• Support executive communications including but not limited to speeches, talking points, presentations, and leadership messaging
• Coordinate emergency and urgent communications related to weather closures, campus disruptions, safety incidents, and other time-sensitive situations
• Maintain consistency of messaging, voice, and brand standards across all internal communication channels

• Serve as the university''s primary media contact and spokesperson liaison
• Develop and maintain relationships with local, regional, statewide, and higher education media outlets
• Research, write, and distribute press releases, media advisories, feature stories, and other public relations materials
• Coordinate media interviews and prepare university representatives for media engagement opportunities
• Monitor media coverage and proactively pursue earned media opportunities that highlight university programs, student success, faculty expertise, research, and institutional achievements
• Maintain media contact databases and earned media reporting metrics

• Develop and execute social media strategies that increase awareness, engagement, audience growth, and brand affinity
• Manage the university''s official social media channels including content planning, publishing, monitoring, and community management
• Create engaging written, visual, and video content tailored to platform-specific audiences and best practices
• Monitor platform trends and performance metrics to identify opportunities for audience growth, engagement, and continuous improvement
• Respond to inquiries and engage with audiences across social media platforms in a timely and professional manner
• Collaborate with marketing, admissions, athletics, academic departments, and campus partners to support recruitment, events, and institutional initiatives through social media

• Develop and implement strategic communication plans aligned with institutional priorities
• Strengthen the university''s reputation through storytelling, public relations, and community engagement
• Monitor public perception and emerging issues that may impact the institution
• Support communication planning and response efforts during emergencies, sensitive situations, and crisis events

• Monitor communication performance and develop reports on engagement, audience growth, media coverage, and key outcomes
• Track earned media placements and measure public relations impact
• Utilize data and audience insights to inform communication strategy and content planning
• Ensure all communications comply with university policies, accessibility standards, copyright requirements, and brand guidelines
• Evaluate communication effectiveness and recommend improvements to internal and external communication channels

• Serves as a trusted communications resource for campus leadership, employees, and students
• Successfully manages internal, external, and emergency communications with professionalism and accuracy
• Increases positive media coverage and strengthens relationships with media partners
• Grows social media engagement and community interaction
• Connects communication efforts to measurable institutional goals and outcomes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor''s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing or a related field
• 4+ years of professional experience in communications, public relations, social media management, journalism, marketing communications, or a related field
• Exceptional writing, editing, and…