GRADUATE COMMUNICATION COACH

Hiring Department

Writing & Communication Center

Job Description

The Writing & Communication Center (WCC) at Missouri S&T is seeking a full-time Graduate Communication Coach to support graduate students across disciplines in developing clear, effective writing, research communication, and professional speaking skills. This position plays a central role in graduate student success by providing individualized coaching, advanced document support, instructional content development, and professional communication preparation.

The ideal candidate is an experienced communicator, editor, and educator who enjoys mentoring graduate students, working across genres and disciplines, and contributing creatively to a collaborative academic support environment. This role also includes overseeing a small team of graduate student workers who assist with dissertation technical editing and other graduate tutoring needs.

Position Overview

The Graduate Communication Coach works one-on-one with graduate students on writing, research projects, presentations, and professional communication. Responsibilities include document editing, speaking and interview coaching, curriculum development, SPEAK Test preparation for international TAs, and administrative coordination. The position also provides day-to-day guidance and oversight for graduate student workers supporting dissertation technical editing and advanced tutoring services. This is a full-time, professional staff position within the Writing & Communication Center.

Key Responsibilities

• Graduate Writing, Research Support, & Editing
  • Provide in-depth editing and feedback on graduate-level documents, including literature reviews, research proposals, journal articles, theses, dissertations, statements of purpose, résumés, and CVs
  • Support clarity, organization, argumentation, coherence, tone, grammar, and academic style
  • Assist with thesis and dissertation formatting in accordance with university guidelines
  • Guide students in citation practices and disciplinary conventions (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE)
• Speaking & Professional Communication Coaching
  • Conduct mock interviews for academic, industry, and internship positions
  • Coach students on pronunciation, pacing, clarity, confidence, and professional presence
  • Support preparation for academic presentations and conference talks
  • Prepare international graduate students for the SPEAK Test required for teaching assistant eligibility
• Graduate Student Staff Supervision & Mentoring
  • Oversee and mentor a small staff of graduate student workers supporting dissertation technical editing and advanced tutoring services
  • Train graduate staff in WCC standards for technical editing, documentation practices, and graduate-level tutoring
  • Review and coordinate student work to ensure quality, consistency, and adherence to university guidelines
  • Support professional development of graduate student workers through feedback, modeling, and instructional guidance
  • Collaborate with WCC leadership on scheduling, workload distribution, and service alignment
• Curriculum & Instructional Development
  • Develop structured tutoring curricula and lesson plans for graduate communication support
  • Create assignments, worksheets, and instructional resources
  • Build and maintain Canvas modules and course materials for WCC programming
• Content Creation & Design
  • Produce written and visual materials such as flyers, guides, and digital resources
  • Design professional-quality materials using Adobe Creative tools and Canva
• Administrative & Data Management
  • Maintain organized records of student documents and tutoring files
  • Track session data, feedback, and outcomes for reporting and assessment
  • Communicate with students via Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to schedule appointments and follow up

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 1 year of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Technical Communication, English, Writing Studies, Rhetoric, or a closely related field (or equivalent experience)
• Strong academic writing, editing, and professional communication skills
• Experience tutoring, teaching, coaching, or mentoring writers and speakers
• Experience supporting or supervising student workers or peer tutors preferred
• Ability to support multilingual and international graduate students
• Proficiency with or willingness to learn Canvas, Outlook, Teams, and Zoom
• Strong organizational skills and comfort with data tracking (Excel)
• Experience with Canva or Adobe Creative tools preferred