Assistant Professor - Social Media

Department School of Communication Compensation $68,800.00 to Negotiable Annual General Description: This is a 9- month, tenure earning, Assistant Professor in Social Media position in the School of Communication. Responsibilities include teaching and developing courses in social media and emerging, strategic communication at graduate and undergraduate levels. The ideal candidate for this position is a dedicated teacher-scholar with a specialization in strategic social media, social media marketing, integrated marketing communication campaigns, social media metrics and analytics, social media and artificial intelligence, and/or brand management.

The School of Communication seeks applicants who can design and deliver courses in our forthcoming M.A. in Digital, Social and Emerging Media program, which will welcome its inaugural cohort in Fall 2027, as well as our rapidly growing B.A. in Communication Studies program. The undergraduate course in Strategic Social Media is required for the B.A., is a popular elective in the School is Communication’s AI and Social Media minor and is open to all UNF students; including those enrolled in the school’s B.S. programs (Advertising, Digital Video Production, Multimedia Journalism, and Public Relations).

An applicant who is a strong fit for this position should expect to balance a 2/2 teaching load with a program of research that demonstrates an inclination toward innovation and methodological rigor. The candidate may explore social media from a wide variety of angles and through the strategic implementation of quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods approaches.

UNF faculty are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic excellence in all phases of instruction, research/scholarship/creative activity, and service.

Supervisor: This position reports to the Director of the School of Communication.

Working Hours: Varies

Supervision Exercised: This is not a supervisory role.

Required Licensure: N/A

Required Qualifications:

• Earned a Ph.D. in Communication, or a closely related field, by start of employment
• Provide evidence of college teaching experience

Preferred Qualifications / Skills:

• Should be equipped to teach the Communication Theory & Research Methods course, which is an upper-level elective in the B.A. program, and comparable courses for the School’s two master’s programs
• Experience teaching both face-to-face and in online/distance learning environments

Anticipated Start Date: August 2, 2027

Additional Application Materials Required: Applicants should be prepared to provide the following required documents:

• Current curriculum vitae
• Cover letter
• Evidence of college teaching experience
• The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials by the date of hire.

Additional Requirements: Name, phone number, and email address of three professional references will be requested during the application review stage. Applicants may be required to upload additional documents based on their responses to the Foreign Influence Review questions.

• Passport (all pages including blank pages) and
• Form DS-160 (if ever submitted. If not, upload an explanation)

How to Apply: Applicants must submit an online application that includes all required application documents. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Dr. Margaret Stewart at (904) 620-2651or [email protected].

Application Review Date: Initial review of applications will begin on December 7, 2026.

Job Posting Close Date: Open until filled.

About the Department: UNF’s School of Communication is currently comprised of five undergraduate major programs, one graduate program, four minors, and a new graduate program commencing in Fall 2027.

The School has state-of-the-art facilities, including a high-definition television studio, the Digital Media & AI Innovation Lab (DMAIL), and developing Public Speaking Center. The School is the second largest in UNF’s College of Arts & Sciences, serving roughly 650 majors.

Undergraduate students have the option to major in a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, Multimedia Journalism, Digital Video Production, and Public Relations, or a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. The four B.S. majors are accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), one of only five accredited communication programs in the state of Florida.

The School also has a professionally oriented Master of Science degree in Communication Management with its largest cohort of students to date; the forthcoming Master of Arts is in Digital, Social, & Emerging Media. Jacksonville is a rapidly growing city on Florida’s First Coast, offering graduates access to a significant professional market, rich is media and industry.

The School enjoys excellent relations with communication professionals in Northeast Florida through a thriving collaboration with our professional advisory board, School of Communication Alumni, thriving internship program, and vast experiential learning, research, mentoring, and community-based learning opportunities. UNF is a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus conveniently and centrally located 10 miles from downtown Jacksonville and 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful beaches.

For more information about the School of Communication: http://www.unf.edu/coas/communication/

Statement(s) of Understanding This position requires a background check. In conjunction with the University's policy, this position may also require a credit check.

The holder of this position is designated as a “Responsible Employee” pursuant to their role under Title IX. Therefore, the incumbent must promptly report allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual violence, and child sexual abuse by or against any student, employee, contractor, or visitor to the University’s Title IX Administrator or any divisional Title IX Coordinator Pursuant to Florida Statute 1010.35, this position requires additional information from all applicants seeking research or research-related positions prior to an interview or offer of employment. Applicants MUST fully complete the Foreign Influence Review section of their application. Additional documents (e.g., passport) may be required based on form responses.

Equal Opportunity The University of North Florida (UNF) is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who interact in our community. In building this environment, we strive to attract students, faculty and staff from a variety of cultures, backgrounds and life experiences. The University of North Florida does not commit or permit discrimination or harassment on the basis of genetic information, race, color, religion, age, sex, disability, marital status, national origin, or veteran status in any educational, employment, social, recreational program or activity that it offers. In addition, UNF will not commit or permit retaliation against an individual who reports discrimination or harassment or an individual who cooperates in an investigation of an alleged violation of university regulation.

Carnegie UNF is a Carnegie Community Engaged Institution. This designation celebrates the University’s collaboration with community partners from the local to the global level. It reflects UNF’s mission to contribute to the public good and prepare educated, engaged citizens.