Communications Assistant V - CALS Marketing and Communications

As a university founded to be a place where “…any person can find instruction in any study,” diversity and inclusion are at the core of our values and mission. We strive to be a welcoming, caring, healthy, and equitable community where students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect, and feel empowered to engage in any community conversation. As a member of the Cornell University community, it is important to recognize our shared responsibility to each other to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all.  Cornell Core values 

As an individual contributor you will model and support a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing and continually seek to understand how your role, behaviors, and actions impact the success of this culture.    

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell.  These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success

Department Background

Cornell communicators share a mission to enhance and preserve the university’s brand and reputation as a top research institution and a leader in higher education, and to support and promote critical programs that serve the university’s teaching, research, and public engagement mission. Communication services are carried out through a matrixed organizational system in which University Relations houses the departments of News (Cornell Chronicle), Media Relations (pitching and servicing media requests), Brand (cornell.edu, multimedia production, brand management and governance), Strategic Communications (communications plans, key messaging, social media management), and Cornellians (digital alumni publication). Communicators in colleges, schools, and units regularly collaborate with, and consult, University Relations departments. University Relations serves as a partner and resource for all college/unit communicators.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second largest population of students, faculty and staff. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: natural and human systems; food, energy and environmental resources; and social, physical and economic well-being. The CALS Office of Marketing and Communications provides leadership and expertise in strategic communications and branding to raise the visibility of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its scientific discoveries. We tell the stories and show the impact of CALS' life-changing research, education and outreach through a digital-first strategy that leverages campus partnerships and news media to reach key audiences, which include current and prospective students, faculty and staff, alumni and state and federal partners.

Position Summary

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Creative Content within the CALS office of Marketing and Communications, the Creative Content Specialist will collaborate with team project leads to produce content for a variety of target audiences across multiple college channels, including news articles, website copy, digital newsletters, social media content and event support. The incumbent will be a highly collaborative, regularly contributing member of the CALS MarComm team and will work with a broad cross-section of college and university faculty, staff and students, as well as external partners. They will assist with a variety of projects to support the strategic priorities of the Office of Marketing and Communications, the college and the university. Thi