Academic Program Specialist I (Outreach Coordinator)

Academic Program Spec I

Bachelor's degree and two years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

The Opportunity
The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is seeking a highly organized and energetic professional to support student engagement, recruitment, and outreach initiatives within the Knight Division and the Office of Careers and Corporate Partnerships (OCCP). This role is ideal for someone passionate about helping students succeed, building relationships, and communicating effectively across a variety of channels. You’ll play a key role in connecting current and prospective students to CJC and industry opportunities by promoting student programs, managing recruitment activities, and enhancing student experiences through thoughtful and strategic communication.

Key Responsibilities

• Student Communication & Engagement: Lead outreach to students through class visits, tabling events, and virtual and in-person workshops. Ensure consistent messaging about OCCP programs, track student participation, and develop content for student-facing communications and presentations.
• Recruitment & Event Coordination: Organize on- and off-campus recruitment events, manage volunteer student ambassadors, and collaborate with staff and faculty on initiatives. Monitor recruitment budgets and set measurable goals for each cycle.
• Prospect Management & Outreach Strategy: Maintain a database of prospective students, track interests and timelines, and use data to promote scholarships, deadlines, and programs through targeted communication. Oversee and update recruitment content across platforms.
• Relationship Building & Support: Serve as a liaison between prospective students, applicants, and internal teams. Provide accurate and timely responses through multiple channels while adhering to UF’s brand and communication guidelines.

Why work with us?

UF is a top ranked University: The University of Florida is ranked #6 among public universities by U.S. News and World Report. UF has a student body of over 55,000 who come from all 50 states in the United States and more than 100 countries.

Gainesville is an ideal location: Gainesville is in a central location to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, providing easy access within a day’s drive to beaches, nature preserves, theme parks, and water-based activities. Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds.

Our benefits are incredible: We offer top-of-the-line health insurance, a huge selection of supplemental plans, state retirement programs and more. Explore the comprehensive suite of options: https://hr.ufl.edu/benefits

We promote work-life balance: You will earn over a month of leave time every year plus 2 weeks of holidays and 8 weeks of paid family medical leave for life events. Accrual starts day 1 of employment! Check out all leave programs: https://hr.ufl.edu/leave

Advance your education: The University of Florida cares about developing its team members, and that includes reduced tuition toward higher education. We would support work toward earning a master’s or doctorate. See: https://hr.ufl.edu/professional-development/eep

Bachelor's degree and two years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preference will be given to applicants with demonstrated expertise and skills in one or a combination of the following areas:

•           Customer service skills

•           Public Speaking and presentation skills (Recruitment experience is a plus)

•           Attention to detail

•           Problem solving

•           Takes initiative

•           Strong Interpersonal Skills

•           Proven ability to stay organized and meet deadlines consistently

•           Excellent written and oral communication

In order to be considered, please upload a cover letter, resume, and three references for consideration.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-4621 or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

For additional questions or more information, please contact search panel chair Katrice Graham at

kgraham@jou.ufl.edu

Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http//www.naces.org/. The application packet will be submitted as one PDF file through the UF Jobs website at https://jobs.ufl.edu/. All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening, which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Laws require that all documents relating to the search process, including letters of application, nomination, and reference, be available for public inspection.