Digital Engagement and Outreach Specialist

Digital Engagement and Outreach Specialist

The Opportunity

The Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures (Center) advances scholarship, education, and public engagement that illuminates and addresses the root causes of racial inequity. RJEF builds partnerships across Cornell and beyond the University to support research, storytelling, and collaborative initiatives that imagine and create equitable futures for all.

Reporting to the Director, we seek a Digital Engagement and Outreach Specialist to support the Center's mission by enhancing its digital presence, strengthening community partnerships, and amplifying visibility for its programs, research, and events. The position will manage the Center’s website, advise on social media strategy and digital storytelling, and translate academic work and community collaboration into accessible public content. The person in this position will also help to develop and oversee the center’s artist-in-residence program. This role will help the Center connect local, national, and global audiences to its work on racial justice and equity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Social Media Strategy & Website Management: Maintain and update the Center’s website, ensure brand alignment and accessibility, create digital and visual content, and track analytics to inform strategy.
• Event Promotion & Storytelling: Plan and execute digital promotion for events and programs, develop marketing materials and newsletters, and capture and archive content for storytelling and donor engagement.
• Outreach & Community Engagement: Lead public engagement initiatives, support and sustain partnerships, represent the Center in virtual and in-person partnership spaces, and support student and faculty engagement through targeted outreach.
• Strategic Visibility & Special Projects: Collaborate on integrated outreach and media strategies, support grant-related outreach and reporting for foundation and donor partnerships, and manage special projects and special initiatives.

This is a fully remote, 70% FTE (28 hours per week) position with an initial appointment through June 30, 2027. The position may be renewed contingent on available funding, available work and successful performance.

What We Need

We are looking for a team member who is passionate about racial equity, inclusion, and community-centered engagement. Additionally, you will:

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Media, Marketing, Fine Arts, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience) and have at least two  years of experience in digital communications, outreach, or engagement within higher education, nonprofit, or cultural institutions.
• Have demonstrated excellence in writing, editing, and visual communication for diverse audiences.
• Have experience maintaining websites and using content management systems (WordPress, Drupal, or similar).
• Be proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and/or equivalent tools for digital media design.
• Have ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with strong organization and attention to detail.
• Have experience modeling values that support inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing.
• Have ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s ok if you don’t.

• Master’s degree in Communications, Higher Education, Public Affairs, Fine Arts, Creative Writing, or related field.
• Experience with digital storytelling, photography, and video production.
• Strong interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and sound professional judgment.

A cover letter and resume are required for further consideration for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is based in Ithaca, New York, however, the successful applicant may perform this role remotely anywhere within the United States. Employees who work remotely may receive multiple W-2 Forms depending on their work location.

The New York Convenience of employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholding for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside of New York State.

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

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