WHAT DOES A SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST DO?

Published: August 2, 2024 - The Senior Communications Specialist oversees the creation and delivery of comprehensive communication materials, ensuring message consistency across all channels and platforms. Develops templates and tools to streamline communications processes, supporting and enhancing team productivity. Moderates content development and distribution, including newsletters, press releases, and digital content, guaranteeing accuracy, clarity, and alignment with organizational goals.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Senior Communications Specialist

1. Senior Communications Specialist Duties

  • Integrated Marketing Communications: Develops internal and external communications across integrated marketing channels, such as social media, website, email communications, etc.
  • Editorial Calendar Management: Creates and manages a monthly editorial calendar to increase awareness, engagement, and allow for a steady flow of communications across all channels to all audiences.
  • Social Media Content Management: Creates and manages the content creation and execution process for social media.
  • Communications Effectiveness Measurement: Measures the success of specific communications and tailors future communications to improve effectiveness.
  • Project Coordination: Coordinates with graphic designers, webmasters, video editors, and department managers to get support and/or input on current projects.
  • Website and Event Promotion: Updates and maintains consistent messaging on websites and helps promote event and advertising collaborations.
  • Tradeshow Strategy and Execution: Assists with tradeshow strategy, planning, and execution.
  • Collateral and Press Material Creation: Creates sales collateral, press releases, presentations, slide shows, and videos.
  • Vendor Management: Works closely with printing vendors to ensure collateral is stocked and various departments have support resources.
  • Online Reputation and Brand Management: Assists with online reputation management, managing the company brand and its usage and consistency of its usage internally and externally.

2. Senior Communications Specialist Details

  • Strategic Planning: Define strategy for business unit communications to ensure that messages are delivered consistently and timely through the right channels
  • Event Production: Help produce weekly company all hands along with regional and department events
  • Communications Planning: Create communications plans, targeted written communications, and live events that drive understanding of key initiatives, goals, and priorities to important stakeholders
  • Content Development: Create and develop written and visual messaging around various topics, including company strategy, priorities, and announcements
  • External Communications: Work closely with select leaders across the company on external communications, including announcements and talking points
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Build partnerships with key executive and internal stakeholders
  • Content Creation: Tell Wanzek’s story and engage audiences through high-quality content utilized in marketing and communications campaigns
  • Calendar Management: Coordinate the management and implementation of Wanzek’s annual marketing and communications content calendar tailored to the needs of key internal and external audiences
  • Analytics Management: Assist in maintaining Wanzek’s internal and external analytics, including internal communications, blogs, recruitment, and company information
  • Writing and Editing: Leads with the writing, editing, and reviewing of internal communication documents and programs that support the organization

3. Senior Communications Specialist Responsibilities

  • Strategic Advising: Serve as a strategic advisor to business leaders across the Company
  • Strategy Development: Develop effective M&A communication strategies
  • Content Creation: Lead the creation and delivery of communication materials
  • Message Consistency: Ensure consistency of messages across all internal communications and channels
  • Template Design: Create communication templates and tools
  • Team Support: Support the broader Communications team: write, edit, produce, and lead distribution of internal communications content
  • Consultation Leadership: Leads in communication consultations with various internal departments
  • Customer Relations: Leads the creation and distribution of general customer relations information to external clients or customers
  • Material Coordination: Moderates the coordination and development of internal and external communication materials, which may include but are not limited to newsletters, press releases, internet/intranet pages, and company events
  • Quality Control: Moderates the final editing and distribution of communication materials to ensure accuracy, clarity, and appropriateness

4. Senior Communications Specialist Accountabilities

  • Publication Management: Plan, edit, and produce the university's news publications and other communications products from the office of communications, which include priority broadcast emails, news columns, press releases, and departmental and university magazine and reports.
  • Social Media Management: Serve as manager, strategist, and developer for the university's news-related social media content, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, working with the assistant director of social media.
  • Editorial Oversight: Serve as an editor for the office of communications; review work product as needed and provide feedback.
  • Strategic Communications: Work closely with the chancellor's office on priority communications, particularly in the absence of the director and assistant director.
  • Emergency Communications: Serve as part of the university's public information team and regularly participate in campus-wide emergency communications.
  • Story Development: Research campus events, activities, and accomplishments and consult with faculty, students, and staff for possible stories for the university's website, publications, and the media.
  • Media Relations: Assist in researching news outlets and developing media outreach lists for particular events and news pitches.
  • Public Relations: Communicate news about the university to external and internal audiences through public relations activities, web postings, and publications.
  • Web Content Development: Assist in the development of website content and provide editorial oversight.

5. Senior Communications Specialist Functions

  • Strategy Development: Participate in strategy and message development on both internal campus and external civic priorities for the chancellor's office
  • Content Creation: Contribute to the university's news publications, including developing and/or writing stories, taking photos, and organizing photography needs
  • Strategic Writing: Write broadcast emails, memos, and other strategic communications pieces
  • Project Management: Develop and manage special communications projects
  • News Distribution: Oversee the distribution of daily electronic news clips featuring news about UMass Boston and its faculty, staff, and students
  • Media Relations: As needed, respond to media inquiries for additional information about the university
  • Media Coordination: Connect the media with faculty experts on campus, develop media expert profiles, and promote availability
  • Database Management: Continue to build and maintain a UMass Boston faculty and staff experts database on the website
  • Event Support: Staff events at the university to assist with press needs and inquiries
  • Media Planning: Develop media plans for major university events