Multimedia Communications Specialist

Sweet Briar is a liberal arts college for women with a long history of forging female leaders. Sweet Briar College is repeatedly named by the U.S. News and World Report as one of the most innovative liberal arts colleges in the nation. Sweet Briar College is growing rapidly, attracting students who are drawn to it for its excellent liberal arts program, coupled with distinctive programs in women leadership, engineering, sustainability, arts and its legendary equestrian program. Its finances are robust, and validated by balanced budget and positive bond ratings.

Located in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains 12 miles north of Lynchburg and 54 miles south of Charlottesville. Its campus is one of the nation’s most spectacular, replete with nature sanctuaries, lakes, forests, trails, and most recently, vineyards, apiary and greenhouses.

The College boasts a modern core curriculum focused on women's leadership in the 21st century and undergraduate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching. It is one of only two women’s colleges in the United States with an ABET-accredited engineering degree. The women’s leadership core curriculum is innovative and energizing.

When students graduate, they are persuasive communicators who know how to think on their feet and bring people together. No matter what they study or where they go, Sweet Briar women are prepared to lead. The campus community is a family of faculty, staff, coaches, and alumnae who support and encourage students and each other. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, students lead research, ask questions and forge supportive relationships with faculty that can last for decades.

Job Title: Multimedia Communications Specialist

Reports To: Associate Director of Communications

Job Summary/Objective: Sweet Briar College is seeking a talented multimedia communications specialist with a focus on photography, videography, and visual storytelling via social media. The ideal candidate will create visual content that showcases the college’s culture, academics, events, and achievements while maintaining established brand standards and will possess a keen eye for detail, an ability to tell stories through visuals, and be skilled in both photography and videography with a creative mindset for multichannel media production. 

Position Type/Expected Work Hours: Full-time, 40 hours/week. Evening and weekend work should be expected.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Photograph campus events, people, and programs as needed, including planning, scheduling, set up, lighting, distribution, and cataloging finished products, including photography requests from other college departments (e.g., Athletics, Student Life, faculty and/or academic division heads) 
• Plan, set up, light, and record video projects, including interviews, events, programs, activities, b-roll, and student life 
• Produce and edit videos in accordance with communications and marketing standards and objectives for a variety of platforms, including web hosting and social media
• Conceive, support, storyboard video projects in collaboration with colleagues and campus community members
• Maintain the College’s library of photography and videography on its digital assets management system, YouTube and Vimeo accounts, and public-facing portals
• Collaborate with student leaders to conceptualize and produce authentic video projects for social media, with an eye to recruiting prospective students
• Coordinates with freelancers and student photographers as needed
• Work with the Associate Director of Communications to conceive and produce visual content for social media platforms, electronic communications, digital marketing, and print marketing as needed
• Maintain and catalog photographic and video equipment
• Maintain the College’s PlaySignage platform on televisions across campus in collaboration with other faculty and staff 
• Maintain employees’ access to the College’s Canva and Canto accounts and train new users as needed
• Collaborate with other departments on campus to produce content that supports student recruitment and donor stewardship

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in photography, video production, communications, or related fields
• Two years of experience in a professional photography and/or videography position
• Familiarity with a variety of video styles, including interviews, documentary, commercial, short-form, and more
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro (or Apple’s Final Cut Pro)
• Familiarity with higher education marketing, branding, and communications
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative environment
• Ability to meet deadlines and, on occasion, work within limited time frames
• A creative mindset with a dedication to following brand guidelines
• Effective written and verbal communications skills
• Awareness of developing social media trends

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with college culture and student life
• Familiarity with Asana (project management) and Canto (digital assets management system)
• Familiarity with music licensing and copyright sensitivities
• Hold an FAA 107 drone pilot’s license

Work Environment: Office, indoor and outdoor events and activities

Physical Demands: Ability to lift, carry, set up, and operate video and photographic equipment in a studio as well as outdoors in varied conditions.

Travel: Limited

Other Duties: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Deadline for Submission: Until Filled

How to Apply: Please submit a cover letter, résumé, a link to your online portfolio, and three professional references.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Sweet Briar College is committed to enhancing our community and encourages applications from qualified individuals with varied backgrounds, experiences and ideas who would increase the diversity of the College.