Communications Specialist - Tennessee Reading Research Center - UTK

This position will serve as the communications specialist for the Tennessee Reading Research Center housed in the College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences (CEHHS) at UTK. This position will manage long-term projects that require an evaluation, originality, and ingenuity approach to content creation, news/media releases, web content, research summaries, campaigns, and webpage creation. This position will supervise student workers and will be responsible for the performance management of those who create document layouts, design webpages and keep them maintained, and provide graphic design work. Additionally, this position will use their professional judgment to ensure that messaging and content are on brand with center, college, and university standards and expectations, keeping a cohesive and consistent writing style and appropriateness for the specific audience. This position will have knowledge of existing university systems, policies, and processes in order to evaluate and implement solutions. In addition, this position is responsible for ensuring compliance in regard to college and university brand standards and has the authority, in consultation with the director, to either approve, advise, and/or reject department-created content in relation to the UT brand, image, and/or policies. This is a 100% grant/soft funded position.

The Communications Specialist develops and manages the Tennessee Reading Research Center’s communications plan and produces original content across web, print, video, and digital platforms by determining the appropriate style, audience, and purpose for each product. The position manages long-term communications projects that require evaluation, originality, and creative problem-solving, including research summaries, news and media releases, web content, blog posts, social media campaigns, event coverage, brochure text, white papers, and development and maintenance of the Center’s website. Responsibilities also include reviewing written products generated by Center staff for accuracy, clarity, adherence to APA 7th edition style, and alignment with the Center’s mission, university brand guidelines, and funder requirements, as well as planning and coordinating graphic design and production for print and digital publications. The Communications Specialist works independently, manages multiple projects simultaneously, and supervises student employees, collaborating with the Director on policies and procedures and ensuring deliverables are completed on time and meet quality standards.