How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Job Summary
Department Summary:
Student Life Sustainability (SLS) connects students with opportunities to practice sustainable leadership, partner with staff, and reduce the carbon footprint across our buildings and operations. By partnering with students, Student Life Sustainability works to grow a culture of sustainability across campus so people and society can thrive.
The University of Michigan Division of Student Life is a collection of 27 units that support students outside of the classroom. From housing and dining, recreational sports and fitness, study and hangout spots, student organizations, social justice causes, and more, Student Life helps students find community and connect to, and get active in, causes and interests that are meaningful to them. As a large part of the U-M community, we are uniquely positioned to make a substantial contribution to sustainability. Our units occupy a fifth of the physical footprint of the Ann Arbor campus, so even the smallest environmental changes, if implemented widely, have a big effect.
And because virtually 100 percent of the student body participates in at least one of our services or support organizations, including a range of co-curricular programs, academic partnerships and internships, we have an opportunity to collaborate with students and promote sustainable habits and principles for life. With the Excellence in Sustainability Honors Cord program and paid sustainability leadership programs like U-M Sustainable Food Program, Planet Blue Student Leaders, and the Student Sustainability Coalition Student Life facilitates opportunities for students to use our campus as a lab to develop and test projects at the intersection of sustainability and social justice.
Student Life Sustainability Core Values Include
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice as integral to sustainability
- Student-centered approach
- Transformational behavior and culture change
- Collective Impact
- Narrative and data-driven storytelling
- Personal and community well-being and resilience
Position Summary
- The Sustainability Marketing and Communications Specialist will lead and coordinate Student Life Sustainability's outreach and communications work, with a particular emphasis on sharing the unit's position as a leader in campus-as-lab and experiential learning opportunities for students. This position will develop and execute a communications plan for the unit, conduct outreach and education with partners across Student Life and campus, and manage a team of student interns.
- As a new unit, Student Life Sustainability is seeking strategic leadership to market and share our growing portfolio of work. SLS is uniquely positioned within UM to provide co-curricular and experiential learning opportunities for students in alignment with the Division of Student Life's core values and priority areas while playing a vital role in the University's sustainability and carbon neutrality efforts. SLS's sustainability work extends beyond environmental impact, with cross-disciplinary opportunities for UM students to practice leadership in arts engagement, health & well-being, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Accordingly, the Sustainability Communications Specialist will be responsible for sharing the unit's impact and potential within these overlapping university-wide priority areas.
- Sustainability is, by its nature, evolving and changing. The position is expected to stay current in sustainability best practices in Higher Education and be responsive to innovative new and emergent technologies and pedagogy. The Sustainability Marketing and Communications Specialist will continuously adapt programming, strategy and resources to the changing needs and opportunities of U-M's sustainability work.
Responsibilities*
Communications Strategy Leadership - 50%
- Develop and implement strategy to increase the visibility of SL Sustainability programs and initiatives.
- Develop brand and voice for SL Sustainability unit in alignment with Student Life Communications, Marketing & Design standards.
- Co-develop University-wide sustainability and carbon neutrality communications strategy with AVP Campus Sustainability and Vice Provost Sustainability and Climate Action's communications teams.
- Manage intake, timeline, and prioritization of marketing requests from SL Sustainability staff, students, and sustainability partners.
- Oversee design and production of digital boards, print materials, and unit swag.
- Publish and manage unit annual reports, newsletters, and visuals.
- Create compelling visuals and writing to share unit priorities and Student Life's climate action plans with various audiences
- Maintain a content calendar of all SL Sustainability events and programs.
- Update Planet Blue website content and other Student Life sustainability information across various web properties.
- Regularly pitch stories to The University Record, Student Life Today, and other university or division-wide publications.
Outreach, Education, and Communication with Partners & Stakeholders - 20%
- Work collaboratively with the Planet Blue Ambassador program on opportunities to support Welcome to Michigan programs.
- Document and share the work of SLS programs with University leadership, current and potential partners, and funders.
- Share content and stories with development offices and potential donors
- Create training and education materials about sustainability for various staff audiences within Student Life.
- Expand awareness of existing student grant programs (Planet Blue Student Innovation Fund, Social & Environmental Sustainability Grants, and Student Food Empowerment Fund)
Internship Management and Student Staff Training - 15%
- Hire and train a team of 2-8 student staff to support graphic design, social media, and other marketing efforts.
- Train Planet Blue Student Leader, UM Sustainable Food Program, Student Sustainability Coalition, and Cultural Organizing teams in marketing and engagement best practices.
- Schedule and facilitate weekly meetings for the intern team and other student-staff communicators.
- Create accessible pathways for student staff to share their own stories and work.
- Advise student staff of four co-curricular sustainability leadership programs as they share stories about their work through organizational newsletters and social media accounts.
- Provide technical assistance and communications-related professional development opportunities for student communicators.
- Publish weekly email newsletter to all student sustainability staff within unit and partner units.
- Meet with student staff one-on-one and in small groups to provide guidance and accountability for goals.
Leadership within Unit & Unit Representation - 10%
- Serve as liaison between SL Sustainability and marketing/communication channels (e.g., Student Life's central Communications, Marketing and Design, Office of Vice President of Communications, U-M Social, and Planet Blue Communicators)
- Work with partners in arts/humanities, wellbeing, and campus-as-lab programs to share SL Sustainability's programs and contributions to those University-wide efforts.
- Navigate distributed leadership across sustainability units within UM and related communication channels.
Program Support - 5%
- Offer support for other unit programs and events throughout the year (e.g., Harvestfest, Student Sustainability Summit)
- Assist with division and campus-wide programs and events as needed (e.g., Earthfest, Zero Waste Convocation, waste audits, move-out)
- Pursue additional collaborative opportunities as time allows
Required Qualifications*
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field
- Minimum 2-3 years professional or graduate level experience in communications, marketing, or related field
- Excellent oral/written communication skills, attention to detail, strong interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to interact professionally with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities at once and budget time accordingly
- Demonstrated ability to manage projects independently, exercise initiative, meet deadlines, and work collaboratively as part of a team
- Demonstrated proficiency in common Microsoft Office software, GSuite, and the ability to learn specialized software
- Fluency in common digital communication and marketing tech tools such as Canva, Mailchimp, Instagram, vertical video, and/or Adobe Creative Suite applications
- Minimum of one year of experience supervising or coaching others
Desired Qualifications*
- 2+ years experience working in sustainability field.
- 2+ years experience working with higher education institutions or working with students
- Experience with community outreach programs
- Experience with event planning and meeting facilitation
- Experience working across diverse stakeholders, including academicians, students, and operations/facilities
- Experience and demonstrated working knowledge of multiple social media platforms, including branding and communications work
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Additional Information
Financial/Budgetary Responsibility
- Budget responsibilities around $20,000
Working Conditions
- This position requires working various times throughout the week and weekend, outdoors, and with various stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, community partners, etc.) The person in this role will attend meetings and assist with events at various locations around campus and in Ann Arbor.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to do computer work for long periods of time.
Direct Reports
- Interns (2-8)
- Other student staff, as needed
This role may have reporting obligations under Title IX and Clery.
Authorization to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment and applicants for this position will not be sponsored for work visas.
Salary may vary depending on qualifications, experience, and education of the selected candidate.
Relocation will not be offered for this position.
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Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
