Social Media & Content Lead

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by August 9th.

The Social Media & Content Lead serves as the primary social media strategist, content planner, and community engagement specialist for the College of Science and Engineering (CSE). This position develops and executes organic social media strategies that elevate the college's reputation, engage key audiences, and support priorities related to student recruitment, alumni engagement, research visibility, and community building.

The Social Media & Content Lead manages the college's primary social media channels, leads social content planning, develops platform-specific content, and fosters meaningful engagement with audiences across digital platforms. The position builds relationships across CSE to identify stories, voices, and real-time opportunities that reflect the breadth of the college's people, programs, research, and impact.

Success in this role requires excellent writing and editorial judgment, creativity, strategic thinking, digital storytelling expertise, audience awareness, and the ability to balance long-term planning with timely content opportunities. The position must be comfortable working in a large, complex organization and exercising sound judgment when managing public conversations, sensitive topics, and rapidly evolving situations.

Location and Work Environment

Location: Twin Cities Campus, University of Minnesota
Work Environment: Hybrid

Expected Work Schedule

• Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Minimum of three days per week in the office, with Monday and Wednesday expected as on-campus collaboration days
• Up to two days per week remote, consistent with department and University policies
• Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to provide event coverage, respond to time-sensitive matters, or support college initiatives

Primary Responsibilities

40% Manage Social Media Channels and Audience Engagement

• Develop and execute organic content strategies for the college's primary social media platforms.
• Create, schedule, publish, and optimize content based on the audiences, conventions, and opportunities of each platform.
• Manage the day-to-day operation of CSE's social media accounts, maintaining a consistent and distinctive college voice.
• Monitor comments, messages, mentions, and audience conversations, responding or escalating matters appropriately.
• Build engagement with prospective and current students, alumni, faculty, staff, industry partners, and other key audiences.
• Apply sound editorial judgment when addressing sensitive subjects, negative feedback, misinformation, or rapidly developing situations.
• Monitor social media trends, emerging platform features, and changing audience behaviors to identify meaningful opportunities for CSE.
• Provide live social media coverage of college events, research showcases, commencement activities, student experiences, and other strategic initiatives.
• Ensure social media content follows University requirements related to accessibility, privacy, permissions, records management, and brand standards.

30% Lead Content Planning and Digital Storytelling

• Develop and maintain the college's social media content calendar, balancing planned campaigns with timely and emerging opportunities.
• Build relationships with faculty, students, staff, embedded communicators, and college partners to proactively identify compelling content.
• Coordinate with writers, media relations staff, designers, photographers, videographers, and other partners to plan and distribute content across appropriate channels.
• Create compelling social media copy, campaign messaging, headlines, and audience-focused content that supports college priorities.
• Translate complex scientific, engineering, academic, and institutional topics into clear and engaging social content without sacrificing accuracy.
• Repurpose research stories, media coverage, videos, publications, and other long-form materials into effective platform-specific content.
• Support student recruitment, alumni engagement, advancement, and reputation-building initiatives through strategic digital storytelling.
• Identify opportunities to feature authentic student, faculty, staff, and alumni voices and perspectives.
• Draft short-form content for newsletters, promotional campaigns, event communications, and related digital initiatives as needed.

20% Strengthen Social Media Practices and Collaboration Across CSE

• Provide guidance and consultation to departments, centers, programs, and embedded communicators on social media strategy and best practices.
• Develop strong working relationships with communicators and content contributors across CSE, recognizing their expertise and helping connect local stories to broader college priorities.
• Share platform updates, content recommendations, emerging trends, and lessons learned with partners across the college.
• Promote consistent use of University and college brand standards while allowing departments and programs to communicate authentically with their distinct audiences.
• Collaborate with the Creative & Brand Lead to encourage effective use of approved visual assets, templates, and design resources.
• Develop training materials, practical resources, and documentation that support social media excellence across CSE.
• Help coordinate cross-college campaigns and content-sharing opportunities while respecting the priorities and capacity of decentralized communicators.
• Serve as a resource during account transitions, platform changes, and other situations affecting college-affiliated social media channels.

10% Measure Performance and Inform Strategy

• Track and analyze social media performance, including engagement, audience growth, reach, impressions, referrals, sentiment, and other relevant measures.
• Develop regular reports that explain performance, audience trends, and their implications for future content.
• Partner with the Digital Marketing & Analytics Lead to incorporate social media data into college-wide reporting and measurement frameworks.
• Identify high-performing content, recurring audience interests, and areas for improvement based on platform analytics and audience behavior.
• Use performance insights to test and refine content formats, publishing practices, platform strategies, and audience-engagement approaches.
• Monitor peer institutions, industry activity, and the broader communications environment to identify relevant opportunities and emerging practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, English, digital media, or a related field.
• Four years of professional experience managing social media, digital content, communications, marketing, or related activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience developing and managing content across multiple social media platforms.
• Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, and digital storytelling skills.
• Experience using social media management, scheduling, and content-planning tools.
• Experience using platform analytics and performance data to inform content strategy and decisions.
• Experience managing social media communications in higher education, research, nonprofit, government, or another complex organization.
• Experience translating scientific, technical, academic, or research-related subjects for public audiences.
• Experience developing content strategies that support student recruitment, alumni engagement, advancement, or organizational reputation.
• Experience building relationships and coordinating content with decentralized communicators, subject-matter experts, and other contributors.
• Experience managing editorial calendars and collaborative content-planning processes.
• Experience providing live event coverage and creating content in real time.
• Experience managing online communities and responding appropriately to sensitive, critical, or rapidly evolving conversations.
• Experience using Canva, Adobe Express, CapCut, or comparable content-creation tools.
• Familiarity with accessibility, privacy, permissions, and other standards affecting social media content.
• Familiarity with University of Minnesota brand standards and digital communications practices.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.

About the College of Science and Engineering

The College of Science and Engineering (CSE) is ranked among the top engineering and science academic programs in the country. The college includes 12 academic departments offering a wide range of degree programs at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels.

For more information about the College of Science and Engineering Office of the Dean, visit https://cse.umn.edu/.

Pay Range: $74,000-$91,000 per year; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the
time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures
that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while
maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and
equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates
will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.