You can make a difference in your community and in the lives of students by working as a senior digital communication specialist for Ulster BOCES and neighboring school districts located in the beautiful Ulster County region! The award-winning Ulster BOCES School Communication Service provides customized communications, public relations, and marketing support to schools in order to inform and engage audiences through clear, transparent, and proactive communications (including traditional and digital storytelling). The team consists of specialists with skill sets in strategic communication, media relations, journalism, content creation, marketing, crisis communication, photography, video, graphic design (for digital and print), social media, websites, and other digital strategies.
Candidate Profile The ideal senior digital communication specialist position will be experienced in project management, mentoring/training, and implementing traditional print and digital/electronic communication strategies, as well as possess exceptional interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and customer service skills . To be successful, the individual must be creative and tech savvy, as well as have strong writing, proofreading, social media, website, photography, and organization/planning abilities. Video is a plus.
What You'll Do You'll be immersed in the school setting, working closely with school leadership and serving as a project manager and mentor to other members of the Ulster BOCES Communication team in order to ensure families, staff, community partners, and other stakeholders have the information they need. Flexibility is needed to attend meetings and school events on weekends or in the evening to gather photos and information, to write newsletter content and press releases, or to meet deadlines.
Civil Service Classification: Competitive. Merit and fitness competitive examination applies.
Salary commensurate with experience and training. Salary range starting at $60,670
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
This position involves responsibility for promoting and building strong communication links between the district, schools, parents, staff, and community. An employee in this class is responsible for providing a continuum of communications services that includes website design and management, social media management, and other digital and traditional public relations services. The work involves responsibility for the design, implementation, and maintenance of school districts’ websites and social media presence, as well as developing and writing content for electronic and print use and helping implement communications projects and strategies. The work also includes scheduling work of team members, mentoring and training, and managing project timelines, quality control and client satisfaction. Work is performed under the general supervision of a higher-level employee with considerable leeway allowed for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative in carrying out the details of the work. Supervision normally a function of this class. Does related work as required.
SPECIFIC DUTIES: The typical work activities listed below, while providing representative examples of the variety of work assignments in the title do not describe any individual position. Incumbents in this title may perform some or all of the following, as well as other related activities not described.
- Guides, monitors, motivates and leads an assigned team to complete projects;
- Coordinates the day-to-day activities of the team and delegates tasks;
- Acts as client liaison to ensure customer satisfaction;
- Provides digital communications counsel and assistance to administration;
- Designs, implements and maintains a visually compelling and technically effective school website utilizing typographic and graphic design techniques, photography and illustration;
- Coordinates the transfer of website content from test to production with appropriate personnel to maintain quality assurance standards;
- Uses various website tools, such as forms, electronic notifications, calendar systems, listserv or broadcast email programs;
- Coordinates web project timelines and the nature and schedule of specific projects, in conjunction with departmental personnel, to ensure project timeframes are appropriate and can be met;
- Monitors visitor traffic and recommends any necessary programming changes;
- Analyzes and resolves design layout, content and implementation problems;
- Monitors electronic presence for accessibility compliance and provides necessary solutions;
- Confers and guides teams and clients to identify and prioritize needs, develop content criteria, or choose solutions;
- Keeps informed of the latest Web applications practices through education, study, and participation in conferences, workshops and groups;
- Organizes files and content for retrieval;
- Creates, curates, monitors and manages all social media published content (images, videos, ads, etc.) for the purpose of sharing news, cultivating relationships, and building online reputations;
- Analyzes key metrics and tweaks strategy as needed in an effort to maximize results and show effectiveness;
- Coordinates coverage of various educational events and activities to gather information and photographs for use in newsletters, district publications, media releases, websites and social media;
- Plans, develops, writes, proofreads, edits, reproduces, and distributes school publications (i.e. newsletters, brochures, calendars, press releases, media invitations, special marketing materials, etc.), and electronic communications content, including photographic and graphic design components;
- May provide technical assistance to personnel relating to best practices for public relations, website
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either:
A. Graduation from a New York State registered or regionally accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Graphic Technology, Graphic Communications, Computer Graphics, Public Relations, or a closely related field and one (1) year of full-time paid experience, or its' part-time equivalent, in public and community relations which included experience in web design and/or development ; OR
B. Graduation from a New York State registered or regionally accredited college or university with an Associate's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Graphic Technology, Graphic Communications, Computer Graphics, Public Relations, or a closely related field and (3) years of full-time paid experience, or its' part-time equivalent, in public and community relations which included experience in web design and/or development; OR
C. Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and five (5) years of full-time paid experience, or its' part-time equivalent, in public and community relations which included experience in web design and/or development; OR
D. An equivalent combination of training and experience as described in A, B and C above.
Special Requirement: At time of appointment and throughout the duration of employment in this title, the incumbent must possess and continuously maintain a valid New York State Driver's License.
Special Requirement for appointment in School Districts including BOCES: In accordance with the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) legislation and by the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, candidates for employment in school districts must obtain clearance for appointment from the State Education Department based upon fingerprinting and a criminal history background check.
AGENCY OVERVIEW
Our Mission:
At Ulster BOCES, our mission is to provide high quality shared educational, administrative, and technical services that will enable component school districts to develop the capacity of their students and adults to achieve higher standards of performance. With an emphasis on economic efficiencies, Ulster BOCES is committed to offering educational programs that enable all students to prepare for employment and/or post-secondary education.
The Ulster County Board of Cooperative Education Services is an educational agency serving eight component school districts. They are: Ellenville Central School District • Highland Central School District • Kingston City Schools Consolidated • New Paltz Central School District • Onteora Central School District • Rondout Valley Central School District • Saugerties Central School District • Wallkill Central School District
BENEFITS
Generous health insurance, dental and vision benefits. Paid time off. New York state retirement system membership and 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities plan. Flexible spending plan, disability benefits, employee assistance program and tuition reimbursement.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Ulster County Board of Cooperative Educational Services Non-Discrimination Statement
The Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Sole Supervisory District of Ulster County (“BOCES”), does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, religious practice, national origin, ethnic group, sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), gender identity, sexual orientation (“sexual orientation” means heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or asexuality), political affiliation, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, disability, weight, domestic violence victim status, arrest or conviction record, genetic predisposition or carrier status or any other legally protected status in regard to employment opportunities or educational/vocational programs or activities which it operates. All inquiries regarding BOCES Non-Discrimination policies and/or complaints regarding violation(s) of these policies should be directed to Ed Forgit, Assistant Superintendent for Operations in one of the following manners:
By E-Mail: complianceofficer@ulsterboces.org
By Mail: 175 Route 32 North, New Paltz, New York, 12561
By Telephone: (845) 255-1400
Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulation and/or complaints regarding violation(s) of these provisions can be referred to the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 32 Old Slip, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005-2500, Telephone: (646) 428-3900, FAX: (646) 428-3843; TDD: (800) 877-8339; E-Mail: OCR.NewYork@ed.gov.