Communications Coordinator

**UP Professional and Support**:
DEPARTMENT OF ENROLMENT AND STUDENT ADMINISTRATION

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

PEROMNES POST LEVEL 08- The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international science and technology development._

JOB PURPOSE:
To provide specialist input and update UP information for the Web/SMS/Chatbot /admission letters and the Student Centre. Ensure that UP communications to students via the channels mentioned are updated, maintained, edited, and quality-checked to ensure that all information shared with students is aligned with promoting the UP brand and conveys up-to-date, uniform information.

The position will support operational activities, continuous improvements and ensure no interruption regarding the communication value chain. Update policies and procedure relating to communication.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Communication support and strategy:

- Assist in the annual registration project, set-up and communication;
- Conduct research, and stay updated on industry trends to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement in communication strategies, for approval and implementation;
- Suggest innovative solutions for technical support and communication to management for consideration and implementation;
- Liaise with external service providers to resolve incidents that have been reported;
- Draft and submit reports as required;
- Communication with staff and students:

- Provide advice to DESA on technical requirements for updating the DESA website and Chatbot;
- Liaise with the Communication Unit with regard to messages to students, and the use of social media;
- Sent urgent short message service (SMS) messages to students to communicate information;
- Manage communication of all programmes' admission and selection processes;
- Website updates:

- Update and maintain all DESA web developments and improvements.
- Liaise with the relevant stakeholders to ensure the website provides accurate institutional information;
- Manage podcasts (PODs) and videos for web pages;
- Maintain the What to Study site on UP Web for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, for all faculties, per programme;
- Update all information and grids in accordance with the latest programme requirements and SENEX decisions;
- Update student FAQs on the web;
- Responsible for adding new student FAQs in accordance with UP publications (Campus News articles, Fact Finder, web announcements, Tukkievaria, JuniorTukkie magazine) and changes in systems and/or procedures;
- Remove outdated FAQs;
- Update existing FAQs in accordance with the latest information (dates, requirements, fees, procedures).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

- Relevant Bachelor’s degree (Language, Communication or Linguistics degree), with
- A total of three years’ experience in / knowledge of:

- External / internal communication at a Higher Education Institution or large corporate company;
- Editing, translation, and quality assurance;
- Project Management;
- Information Management;
- Working in an academic institution;
- Different communication systems;
- Managing responses and engagements on social media;

OR
- A total of three-year National Diploma, with
- Five years’ experience in / knowledge of:

- External / internal communication at a Higher Education Institution or large corporate company;
- Editing, translation, and quality assurance;
- Project Management;
- Information Management;
- Working in an academic institution;
- Different communication systems;
- Managing responses and engagements on social media.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES):

- Knowledge:

- UP policies and procedures;
- PeopleSoft;
- BI Publisher;
- All information sources available to students;
- UP Vision and Mission;
- Document design;
- Higher Education environment;
- Corporate Communication Policy of UP (branding and image);
- UP-Language Unit's guidelines;
- UP Faculties structure and culture;
- UP General Rules and Regulations;
- Protocol with regard to minute-taking;
- Effective time and priority management;
- Self-restraint, tolerant and self-driven;
- Ability to:

- Quickly identify the root of a problem;
- Perform different jobs / multi-task;
- Perform under pressure;
- Technical competencies:

- Understanding systems and system architecture for information management and statistics purposes;
- Use of the SMS system;
- Recognise errors or system malfunctions;
- General computer skills;
- Behavioural competencies:

- Accuracy and precision;
- Accountability and responsibility;
- Analytical thinking;
- Communication and dissemination of information skills;
- Decision-making;
- Ability to:

- Negotiate with external service providers;
- Quickly draw a conclusion and log a request;
- Envisage the problem from the user’s perspective and computer literacy level;
- Form a full picture and identify the cause of a disturbance of