economic, and social value. We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice.
Departmental Overview
Berkeley Social Welfare is one of the nation's leading social work graduate programs. As part of the world's top ranked public university, the School of Social Welfare is producing new knowledge for the common good and training the next generation of social work thought leaders dedicated to serving society's most vulnerable members. Known for combining rigorous scholarship with outstanding education, the School of Social Welfare offers MSW and PhD programs as well as an undergraduate major. Since 1944, the School has prepared nearly 12,000 social work professionals for leadership positions in the public and nonprofit human service sectors.
Position Summary
This role spans internal and external communications - from translating the strategic plan into messaging that builds faculty alignment, to positioning SSW research on institutional channels and in external media. The position reports administratively to the Assistant Dean of the School of Social Welfare and receives professional direction from the Executive Director of News & Media Relations in UC Berkeley Strategic Communications. This hybrid position requires a minimum of 80% on-campus presence, with a higher on-campus presence during the first six months to support relationship-building within the School.
Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is July 20, 2026.
Responsibilities
Strategic & Internal Communications
- Develop and maintain core messaging that articulates the school's identity, direction and value proposition.
- Translate strategic plan priorities into accessible narratives for faculty, staff, students and alumni.
- Support internal change communications as the school evolves programs, structure and curriculum.
- Manage school's internal communications program.
- Draft talking points, remarks and written materials for the dean and school leadership.
Institutional Storytelling & Strategic Communications Partnership
- Identify, pitch and develop SSW faculty research stories for institutional channels.
- Partner with faculty and dean to define research theme clusters.
- Manage media inquiries for SSW faculty expert requests.
School Communications & Content Production
- Maintain school web properties and content.
- Maintain active social media presence across LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
- Produce 2-4 electronic newsletters annually.
- Develop recruitment and yield materials.
- Serve as the school's Information Technology Accessibility Lead.
Required Qualifications
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex information into clear narratives for diverse audiences.
- Strong writing and editing skills across formats.
- Ability to navigate and communicate complex issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, ability and other intersectional topics.
- Experience managing multiple projects and competing priorities with limited supervision.
- Proficiency with social media platforms and analytics.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with website content management systems.
- Experience with email marketing platforms.
- Familiarity with accessibility standards for digital communications.
- Understanding of higher education environment.
Education / Training
Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field, and/or equivalent training or experience. Demonstrated experience in communications, preferably in higher education, nonprofit, or mission-driven organization.
