The Florida Education Association (FEA) is the largest association of professional employees and the largest labor union in the Southeast, representing more than 120,000 members. FEA members include teachers, education staff professionals, higher education faculty and graduate assistants, retirees, education students, and early career educators. FEA represents the professional and working interests of its members and plays a prominent role in shaping state policies that affect public schools. FEA is a merged state association affiliated with both the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
Position Summary
The Public Relations and Digital Communications Specialist will work with the Director of Communications to help maintain and shape the Florida Education Association’s and its members’ image in ways that promote the organization’s strategic goals, values and mission. Along with Communications Director, the Specialist will be responsible for establishing and maintaining media relations and collaborating with the communications team and other departments.
The Public Relations and Digital Communications Specialist will work with the Director of Communications and other departments to facilitate the organization’s communication with the public, including education policy makers and stakeholders, reporters, and other media specialists.
The Specialist must have strong writing, content creation, editing and presentation skills. The Specialist will be expected to suggest, research and write Op-eds, LTEs, press releases, statements and a variety of internal and external member communications. The Specialist will contribute to the development of membership, digital and social media campaigns along with web content creation. Experience in communications, project management, media or public relations, digital and social media desired. Experience using design platforms including Adobe suite products preferred but not required.
The Communications department’s goal is to design and implement strategic media and communications plans to increase awareness of FEA’s work and goals among a diverse set of audiences, both internal and external.
Competency Framework
The incumbent must embrace, possess and exhibit the following effectiveness competencies:
- Oral Communication – The Specialist may at times be called upon to speak on behalf of the FEA. When doing so, the Specialist must be able to clearly explain the organization’s position. Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information; makes clear and convincing presentations, listens to others; attends to nonverbal cues.
- Self-Management/Initiative – Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments promptly; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior. The Specialist must respond quickly to news developments and maintain the organization’s reputation.
- Teamwork – Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust; fosters commitment; works with others to achieve goals.
- Written Communication – Must be able to write well-organized and clear messages for internal and external audiences. The Specialist must be able to grasp the key messages and write them in a short, succinct way to get the attention of busy readers or listeners. Recognizes and uses correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information in a succinct and organized manner, produces written information that is appropriate for the intended audience. The Specialist must be able to identify new types of social media and digital platforms and recommend their use in order to meet organizational needs. Key to this position is the ability to think strategically about all communications efforts and to operate with a storytelling mindset.
- Planning and Evaluating – Organizes work, sets priorities, determines resource requirements, determines goals and strategies; coordinates with other organizations, monitors progress; evaluates outcomes. The Specialist will be managing several requests and responses at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills.
- Integrity/Honesty – Contributes to maintaining the integrity of the organization; displays high standards of ethical conduct and understands the impact of violating these standards on an organization, self, and others; is trustworthy.
- Interpersonal Skills – FEA work is a team effort. Not only will the Specialist deal with the public and the media regularly but also with other department staff, directors and local union leaders across the state; therefore, the Specialist must be open and friendly to maintain a favorable image for the FEA. Shows understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy; develops and maintains relationships; deals with difficult people; relates well to people from varied backgrounds; is sensitive to individual differences.
General Responsibilities
- Acknowledge and support the advancement of FEA’s vision, mission, and strategic goals.
- Identify, contribute to, and support new strategic opportunities to advance FEA’s vision, mission, and strategic goals.
- Perform all work assignments in a manner that effectively and efficiently utilizes FEA resources.
- Contribute to and support the development and implementation of departmental and interdepartmental programs and services.
- Perform all duties, responsibilities, and assignments within the guidelines outlined in the FSO/FEA Collective Bargaining Agreement and FEA’s Policies and Procedures.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
- Contribute to formulating strategic communications plans and campaigns for internal and external audiences.
- Manage media requests and coordinate media relations by leading the creation of content for media (like press releases, statements, opeds, ltes etc.) and preparing/training FEA leadership for interviews or other media opportunities.
- Lead media monitoring efforts and proactively identify media opportunities that can be leveraged by the organization.
- Assist communications team with the creation of event communication and marketing materials, along with event logistics where necessary.
- Write articles for website publication that support FEA positions, programs and lend themselves to the Communications team’s larger strategic goals.
- Work with Communications team to gather stakeholder testimonials for digital and print use in order to effectively tell the stories of public education.
- Manage English-language FEA social media platforms and create strategic content plans for each platform with the goal of growing and educating audiences, and bettering engagement. Work with Spanish-language team to ensure Spanish-language social media plans align with overall social media strategy. Graphic creation/design experience is preferred, though not mandatory.
- Work with director(s) and other departments to plan and implement programs and services.
- Lead communications projects as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Communications or designee.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary per the negotiated agreement between the Florida Education Association and the Florida Staff Organization based on credited experience. Employer-provided hospitalization, medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance; employer-paid retirement; vacation, sick leave, and holidays.