Social Media Specialist

Bachelor’s degree and two years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and appropriate experience.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Communications team (UF/IFAS Communications) amplifies the reach of scientific knowledge with words, technology, art, and video. We focus on building awareness of UF/IFAS experts and expertise.

UF/IFAS Communications is seeking a talented and creative Online Community Manager to join our team. The Online Community Manager will lead the strategic development and daily operations of Blogs.IFAS, a vibrant and growing digital platform with over 800 contributors and 10 million annual page views. This role is responsible for fostering engagement, supporting contributors, analyzing performance metrics, and ensuring a consistent and accessible user experience across the community.

• Online Moderator and Member Management

  • Serve as moderator for Blogs.IFAS, actively engaging members to encourage participation and content creation.

  • Coordinate the development and implementation of the user community.

  • Identify and analyze engagement patterns and trends to inform strategy.

  • Recruit and onboard subject matter experts.

  • Provide training, coaching, and guidance to faculty, staff, and member leaders.

  • Share best practices on accessibility and branding standards.

• Analytics and Dashboards

  • Analyze and interpret digital engagement data.

  • Create and present reports and dashboards on website and blog activity.

  • Monitor community demographics and member activity.

  • Recommend strategies to improve engagement and utilization.

  • Communicate performance metrics to administrative and member audiences.

• Communications

  • Manage digital campaigns, e-blasts, and newsletters.

  • Compose clear and concise messages on complex topics for broad audiences.

  • Troubleshoot technical issues and conduct quality assurance checks.

  • Collaborate with the web team to ensure consistent design and functionality.

  • Stay current with innovations in online community management.

• Content Curation

  • Collect, organize, edit, and publish content for UF/IFAS websites and blogs.

  • Assist clients with basic website setup and content collection.

  • Support users with event management and calendar postings.

• Taxonomy

  • Structure and classify community data using established taxonomy systems.

$44,000; commensurate with education and experience.

Bachelor’s degree and two years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and appropriate experience.

Collaboration and Work Style

• Team-oriented mindset with a strong ability to collaborate.
• Proven ability to work both independently and within a team setting.

Technical Problem-Solving and Communication

• Strong troubleshooting skills, with the ability to solve complex technical issues.
• Effective communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Skilled in resolving community issues by aligning user needs with University policies and guidelines, while maintaining trust among content creators.

Working knowledge of the following:

Technical Knowledge and Tools

• ADA and WCAG compliance standards
• Microsoft Excel and, Microsoft Word
• Basic Image cropping tools
• E-mail digital marketing platforms
• Proven experience using and interpreting data from Google Analytics properties

Intermediate knowledge of the following:

• Creating and troubleshooting Google Looker Studio data visualization reports
• Utilizing Google Search Console for SEO optimization

Web and Digital Communications

• Solid foundation in online technologies and 3+ years of advanced experience producing cohesive web communications, including text and image layout for websites
• Demonstrated experience as a Web Content Management System (WCMS) site administrator, including basic troubleshooting of plugins and content types
• Experience with content creation and curation, including online event calendar management
• Experience running digital campaigns, e-blasts, and e-newsletters

Data and Reporting

• Experience analyzing, interpreting, and presenting online data using reporting and publishing tools
• Experience as an information specialist or in structuring and classifying data using community taxonomy

Community Engagement and Leadership

• Ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders, including executives and member leaders, with a high level of diplomacy
• Strong team orientation and collaborative mindset for broader digital initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience moderating online communities, including:
• Motivating member participation and user-generated content
• Recruiting and onboarding subject matter experts
• Providing training, coaching, and guidance to community-aligned individuals

Interested candidates should upload a copy of their resume. You may also provide a link to your portfolio of relevant work if applicable. 

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.