Graduate Assistant for Social Media Strategy and Content

Job Title:

Graduate Assistant for Social Media Strategy and Content

Full or Part Time:

Part time

Hours:

24

Exempt:

No

Supervisory Org:

University Communications (JM-SE)

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY: 

The Graduate Assistant for Social Media Strategy and Content supports University Communications by helping plan, create and coordinate high-quality social media content that advances university branding, marketing, recruitment, engagement and storytelling goals. This position works closely with the Visual Media team, University Communications staff, student content contributors and campus partners to identify content opportunities, produce platform-appropriate content, maintain content calendars, assist with analytics reporting and help develop sustainable workflows for daily and weekly social media production. This role is designed for a graduate student interested in social media management, digital storytelling, marketing, communications, higher education, video production, content strategy or a related field.

This appointment is for a maximum of two calendar years.

JOB DETAILS:

Hourly Rate: $16.00/hour

Proposed schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Schedule may vary based on department needs, content assignments, campus events and approved graduate assistant work-hour limits.

Graduate Assistants are required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week. During the fall and winter semesters, work hours may not exceed 24 hours per week. During the spring and summer semesters, Graduate Assistants may work up to, but not exceed, 40 hours per week.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

•  Assist with the creation of regular social media content for SVSU’s primary university platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and other emerging platforms.

•  Develop and produce short-form video, photography, graphics, captions and other social-first content that supports university marketing, communications, recruitment and brand initiatives.

•  Identify, capture and edit content highlighting student life, academic programs, campus events, university initiatives and campus culture.

•  Help develop recurring social media series and campaigns aligned with recruitment, engagement, brand awareness and institutional priorities.

•  Assist with annual social media strategy, editorial planning and content calendars aligned with recruitment cycles, enrollment priorities and campus events.

•  Assist with coordinating social media content assignments and production workflows involving student content contributors, visual media students, interns and University Communications staff, under the direction of professional staff.

•  Track key social media metrics, including reach, engagement, follower growth, video views, non-follower reach and content performance, and assist with regular analytics reporting.

•  Help identify opportunities to repurpose high-performing social content for digital marketing, admissions communications, recruitment campaigns and other university uses.

•  Represent University Communications professionally when working with students, faculty, staff, alumni, guests and campus partners.

•  Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

General supervision is received from Michael Randolph, Manager of Visual Media.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

•  Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, digital media, public relations, journalism, business, education or related field.

•  Currently admitted to a graduate program or eligible and intending to apply upon accepting the offer. Graduate programs that may qualify for this position include Communications and Digital Media, Business, Public Administration, Education or other related graduate programs approved by Academic Affairs.

•  Demonstrated experience in social media content creation, digital storytelling, marketing, communications, video production, photography or a related area.

•  Demonstrated proficiency in one or more of the following: social media content creation, short-form video production, photography, video editing, caption writing, content planning or campaign development.

•  Experience using content creation tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, CapCut, native social media editing tools or similar platforms.

•  Familiarity with social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and other mainstream or emerging platforms.

•  Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple assignments with accuracy, attention to detail and responsiveness to creative direction.

•  Effective communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within a creative team and with campus clients.

•  Ability to exercise good judgment, professionalism and discretion when representing the university on social media.

•  Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn new software quickly.

•  Experience and ability to positively interact with all members of the campus community.

•  Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodations.

TUITION ELIGIBILITY & TAX IMPLICATIONS:
Graduate Assistantships include a tuition and fee waiver of up to 12 credit hours per semester (maximum 30 per academic year), funded by the SVSU central budget.

Full-time enrollment (9 credits or more) is required in the Fall and Winter semesters, with minimal exceptions available. Less than full-time enrollment is allowed in the final semester for completion or for programs that do not offer full-time enrollment.

All tuition/fee waivers will be reportable as taxable income per IRS regulations. Employees should consult a tax advisor for guidance. 

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Duties are generally performed inside and not exposed to adverse conditions.
• All work associated with this role must be performed within the state of Michigan.
• This position is an on-campus position and doesn’t qualify for remote work

The above reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job. It shall not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements that may be inherent in the job.  It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision.  The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.

About SVSU:

Saginaw Valley State University is a comprehensive university with more than 100 programs of study for its roughly 7,000 students. Located on a suburban campus in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, SVSU is committed to a supportive and empowering environment for students, faculty and staff. SVSU has been named a “Great College to Work For” on nine separate occasions.

SVSU emphasizes undergraduate teaching and learning, and community-based research. SVSU has twice earned the Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a distinction achieved by only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. By their senior year, 84 percent of students have engaged with community employers and agencies in internships, field placements or some other component of their academic preparation.

SVSU is establishing itself as a leader in STEAM education for the Great Lakes Bay Region, partnering with businesses, foundations and school districts to improve students’ performance in math, science and the arts at the middle school, high school and university levels.  SVSU is constructing the first university research facility on Lake Huron to improve public health and the economy in the Saginaw Bay watershed.
 
More than 70 percent of SVSU freshmen live on campus in student housing that is rated No. 2 among all public universities in the U.S. SVSU fields 21 varsity sports at the NCAA Division II level. The average class size is 23 students. For more information, please visit our website, http://www.svsu.edu.