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Editorial and Communications Assistant Job Description

Job Title: Editorial and Communications Assistant
Location: Washington, DC
Reports to: Senior Vice President for Communications
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

SUMMARY: The Editorial and Communications Assistant provides support to the AAU Communications Department through performing various administrative tasks, producing editorial content, and project management. The Editorial and Communications Assistant will help draft, edit, and distribute communications including for the AAU website, plan and manage meetings for AAU’s constituent group for communications professionals at our member universities, help manage the calendars of the department’s leadership, maintain departmental records and databases, manage special communications projects, and support the department’s overall activities.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.

EDITORIAL AND COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

  • Draft, prepare, and distribute letters, talking points, presentations, web content, and summaries for other department members, including creating initial drafts, proofreading, editing, formatting, and using email distribution software.
  • Provide support for special/ad-hoc initiatives and programs, including program support, outreach and drafting.
  • Use AAU’s distribution systems for weekly newsletters and provide assistance as needed for other members of the department in producing and sending newsletters.
  • Use AAU’s media monitoring tool and provide monitoring assistance as needed for other department members.
  • Coordinate with various departments to gather and organize content for newsletters.
  • Conduct research to support content development, including sourcing relevant articles, data, and images.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

  • Serve as the communications team’s administrative liaison and work with other departments within AAU to coordinate meetings and workflows as necessary.
  • Screen telephone calls and meeting requests and handle routine inquiries independently with personal knowledge of supervisor’s activities; this includes monitoring the AAU Public Affairs email inbox for incoming media requests.
  • Schedule meetings, telephone calls, conference calls, and webinars for supervisor; anticipate schedule conflicts, preparation and travel time, and other events which might impact schedules.
  • Create meeting agendas, compile background and meeting information, participate in meetings and take notes, and ensure follow-up is completed as needed.
  • Use knowledge of AAU practices and priorities to proactively respond to daily issues and requests; provide organizational support related to daily workflow and determining action items and priorities.
  • Maintain, update, and track records in AAU’s database (Association Management System), including retrieving and relaying information from database to other department staff.
  • Organize, create, and post content on departmental SharePoint site (intranet). Help coordinate business travel and prepare itineraries for department leadership; prepare expense reports, check requests, and credit card reconciliations in accordance with AAU policies and procedures for department staff; organize and maintain paper and computer files.
  • Collaborate and coordinate with other AAU administrative assistants and fill in as necessary.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

COMMITTEES, COALITIONS AND CONSTITUTENT GROUP MANAGEMENT

AAU PUBLIC AFFAIRS NETWORK (PAN):

  • Act as liaison between top communications officers on AAU member campuses and the AAU Communications Department through AAU’s PAN constituent group.
  • Maintain and track PAN member information, including rosters and other relevant lists, in AAU’s association management software system to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  • Gather content and disseminate meeting materials for PAN meetings.
  • Work with department staff as well as the PAN Steering Committee to produce PAN meetings, including PAN Annual Conference. This includes assistance with program content and procurement of speakers and on-site support for the staff and the PAN. 
  • Coordinate and assist AAU Meetings team with logistics for the annual conference in advance and on site.
  • Coordinate and assist AAU Meetings team on planning, program development, and logistics for virtual PAN meetings.
  • Manage the welcome and onboarding process for new PAN members.

PAN STEERING COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEES/COMMUNITIES

  • Track and monitor PAN Steering Committee member terms; create and maintain timelines, ensure new members are identified in a timely manner, and manage the onboarding process for new Steering Committee members.
  • Maintain PAN subcommittee and AAU Connect lists and coordinate conference calls and occasional in-person meetings; manage supervisor’s and department’s commitments to steering committee and sub-groups; take accurate notes during meetings as appropriate.
  • Schedule PAN Steering Committee and subcommittee calls and in-person meetings.
  • Provide meeting materials, take meeting minutes, draft meeting summaries, and ensure timely follow-up and completion of tasks.
  • Assist in drafting and/or compiling meeting materials for meetings and conference calls.
  • Provide administrative and program support for the PAN online community, including through the AAU Connect dedicated constituent communications platform.
  • Help develop and maintain online community guidelines.
  • Respond to members’ requests as appropriate in a professional, personable, and timely manner to grow and keep the community thriving.
  • Monitor, track, and report to relevant internal stakeholders on community discussions.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: Ideal candidates will have the following characteristics. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Excellent writing skills, including a strong command of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  • Ability to communicate in a style appropriate for the target audience.
  • Proficiency in editing and proofreading to ensure accuracy and clarity.
  • Superior organization and prioritization skills; meticulous and detail oriented; must follow through in a timely manner and complete tasks without prompting.
  • Flexibility and ability to manage competing demands; ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment; ability to work both alone and as a member of a team; ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.
  • Resourcefulness and ability to work proactively and think ahead; good logic skills to review minutes and summarize the conclusions and actions taken.
  • Must be trustworthy in working with highly confidential information.
  • Must be able to resolve problems, use analytical judgement, and produce a high volume of accurate, detailed, and quality work products.
  • Must be able to create and support an environment that fosters teamwork, cooperation, and respect; must value diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Must promote and foster productive multidirectional communications with staff as well as AAU member university officials and external parties.
  • Ability to work ethically and with integrity; must follow AAU’s policies and procedures; consistently be at work and on time and ensure that work responsibilities are covered when absent.
  • Must be willing to take ownership of wide-ranging responsibilities; be able to demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness and look for ways to improve and monitor own work to ensure quality.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING/EXPERIENCE:

  • 1-3 years of experience in administrative support roles that involve organization, coordination, managing multiple tasks; college employment and substantive volunteer experience can be considered.
  • 1-3 years of experience in content creation roles that involved conducting research, drafting materials, and editing and proofreading is preferred. (Substantive volunteer or school experience will be considered in meeting this qualification).
  • A college degree is preferred, as is experience working at a nonprofit organization.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint) is required. Experience working with Zoom, SharePoint, and OneDrive is preferred.
  • Experience working with an association management system or CRM, mass email systems, and website content management systems is strongly preferred. 

TRAVEL. Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some evening, out-of-the-area, and overnight travel may be expected.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY. This position has no supervisory responsibilities. However, this position is expected to coordinate efforts with key personnel in the department and the Association to achieve the position’s purpose.

LOCATION / WORK ENVIRONMENT. This job operates primarily out of AAU’s DC office but supports a professional hybrid office environment where eligible staff may telework up to 2 days a week after completing their initial 90 days of employment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as laptops, docking stations, phones, and photocopiers.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate and exchange information as well as be physically present in the Washington, DC office and on-site at AAU and other locations for meetings/events.

This is largely a stationary position; however, the employee is required to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. and operate a computer and other office productivity machinery and equipment, such as a copy machine, a computer printer, filing cabinets, etc. Some filing is required; this requires the ability to move files up to 20 pounds across the office for various needs.

POSITION TYPE. This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

OTHER DUTIES. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not to be construed in a manner that implies an employee’s right to employment. This job description is not a contract of employment, expressed or implied, nor is it an offer to enter into such a contract or guarantee of employment for any duration.

AAU is committed to a work environment that is inclusive to all and free of discrimination. It is our policy to be an equal opportunity employer without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, citizenship status, or any other factors prohibited by federal, state, and local law. AAU will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability.

MUST BE CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED TO WORK FOR ANY EMPLOYER IN THE UNITED STATES, AND MUST BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METRO AREA.