The Project and Social Media Coordinator is a key member of the Graduate School team and will execute projects and events in support of graduate students at Vanderbilt University, as well as design and implement social media outreach and communications. Reporting to the Director of Events and Communications with a dotted line to the Director of Operations, the project, and social media coordinator will carry out event planning and logistics, draft strategic communications and marketing collateral, design social media posts, and help manage the Graduate School social media accounts.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and the Dean of the Graduate School operates as the chief administrator for all graduate programs within the university’s schools and colleges and fosters a collaborative support system across multiple departments, programs, and central provost resources such as the Career Center or the Student Care Network. The office also includes oversight of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. The Graduate School promotes excellence in research and scholarship with the goal of training the next generation of leaders within and outside of the academy. We do so by promoting the most promising pre- and post-doctoral scholars from a diverse set of backgrounds and by creating an inclusive and stimulating environment that fosters intellectual growth and development.

Duties and Responsibilities

Event Planning:

• Assist with the execution and planning of student-centered events, programs, initiatives, and activities, including new student orientation, graduate student appreciation events and listening sessions, and commencement/diploma ceremonies.
• Liaise with the Graduate School Financial Unit Manager (FUM) to ensure the proper allocation and documentation of all procurement requests.
• Follow standards and protocols for university events, including but not limited to: invitations and RSVPs, VIP stewardship; venue selection; site walkthroughs; catering; detailing the program of activities and schedule of events; and all ancillary services.
• Identify and manage relationships with all external partners necessary to support the event (e.g., event volunteers, catering, rentals, etc.).
• Track metrics in a data-driven environment to assess the outcomes of all events and consider ongoing improvements.
• Demonstrate understanding of the Graduate School’s mission, values, goals, and priorities and an ability to ensure that all are considered in developing communications and events strategies.

Project Coordination:

• Provide program-level coordination of academic or student-centered initiatives to advance the priorities of the graduate school, including completing benchmarking analyses, synthesizing data, drafting visual presentations, and communicating with graduate student leaders, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Communications & Social Media :

• Coordinate communications across all channels and platforms to ensure relevance, consistency, coherence, and quality of messaging, including responses to inquiries.
• Assist in maintain Graduate School webpages, listservs, and shared exchange mailboxes.
• Produce content and copy for various Graduate School audiences including students and alumni across communication channels and ensure alignment across all media platforms.
• Assist in the distribution of a monthly Graduate School student newsletter to provide resources and ensure students are aware of support resources, funding opportunities, and upcoming events.
• Leverage storytelling skills to gather news, develop messaging and content, and coordinate dissemination of stories to students, key university partners and stakeholders, and the larger Vanderbilt community.
• Draft media/press releases, project reports, brochures, flyers, and other marketing collateral.
• Communicate with campus partners regarding event development and implementation.
• Design visual representations of data using graphic design tools to support events, programs, and initiatives.
• Design social media posts, help manage social media accounts and contribute to the development of an innovative social media strategy to connect Vanderbilt’s graduate student population.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary.
• A Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.
• Professional experience working in higher education is preferred.
• Understanding graphic design principles, computer applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, and In-Design) and printed document production is necessary.
• Specialized training or on-the-job experience in project coordination is necessary, including three years of experience in event planning, project coordination, or communications and social media strategy.
• Proven ability to work independently and in teams is necessary.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal is necessary.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is necessary.
• The ability to problem-solve, manage multiple complex tasks effectively, and meet deadlines is necessary.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.