Department:

UF IFAS Extension & Sustainability

Start Here. Grow Here. Stay Here.

Are you looking for a role that blends creativity, collaboration, and community impact? Join our UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County team as a Communications Associate I! This position offers the chance to develop and support engaging communications and marketing efforts, working closely with our Extension team members to ensure information is timely, consistent, and well-crafted. It’s a great opportunity to bring your communication skills to a role where every message helps connect people with resources that make a difference in their daily lives.

As part of our collaborative team, you’ll partner with both Sarasota County’s Communications Department and UF/IFAS Communication Services, ensuring our outreach is clear, effective, and impactful. Employees with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County play an essential role in carrying out programs administered by the University of Florida, working in full partnership under the Memorandum of Understanding between UF and Sarasota County. With excellent benefits, a healthy work-life balance, and the chance to contribute to a mission-driven career, this is an opportunity to grow while serving your community. Apply today!

About the Position

In this role, you will be responsible for...

Content Creation

• Develop and edit a variety of educational and promotional materials such as brochures, catalogs, flyers, newsletters, blogs, and webpages, ensuring accordance with AP and organizational style guides.

• Develop and review campaigns, strategies, and publishing schedules for social media, blogs, and webpages.

• Assist with the maintenance of webpages, including the development of new pages and content, and the coordination of editing existing content by program staff.

• Monitor and respond to social media and other online users; use direct messages and comments in a “social” way to ensure excellent customer service.

• Provide support for video production, photography, and photo management.

Communications Facilitation & Engagement

• Support communication and marketing strategies for Extension programs and services.

• Organizes and attends project meetings with staff to plan, brainstorm, and manage communication projects.

• Assist with developing communications and engagement plans, tracking progress, and updating strategies.

• Promote programs through community engagement, including distributing materials, tabling events, and building relationships with local leaders.

Administration & Reporting

• Plan, track, and report on assigned projects and communications efforts.

• Provide guidance and training on communications practices to staff and stakeholders.

• Stay current on trends, tools, and strategies through training and development.

• Ensure all tasks follow UF, county, and department policies while providing excellent customer service.

• Assist with reporting metrics and outcomes, serving as back-up to the Communications and Marketing Coordinator.

About the Schedule

Work Hours:

• Full-time, 40 hours per week.

• Typical Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Occasional weekends are required for events and tabling opportunities.

As a reminder, all county employees are considered essential and must be prepared to protect and support the community and its citizens. Each employee, without exception, will have a duty assignment and be required to work during a disaster or declared emergency.

About You

To be considered for this role, you must have the following:

• Associate degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Media Relations, Mass Communications, Marketing, or a related field.

• OR: Significant related experience in Public Communications, Environmental, and/or Human Services Communications may substitute for the required education (at management's discretion).

The ideal candidate has the following knowledge, skills, and/or abilities:

Please note that these are not requirements but bonuses for your consideration.

• Experience developing, evaluating, and implementing community engagement or marketing plans.

• Technical skills such as HTML/CSS, data analytics (e.g., Smartsheet, Python), and web content management.

• Proficiency with comm