Freelance Metadata Specialist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Job Summary

The University Multimedia Specialist supports Salisbury University's brand, marketing, communications, recruitment, advancement, and campus storytelling efforts by creating high-quality photography that captures the people, programs, events, and experiences of the University. This position exists to provide professional photographic coverage for University priorities, including campus life, classroom activity, portraits, special events, presidential activities, publications, social media, and other strategic visual communication needs. The role also manages the University's digital photography archive through MediaValet, ensuring images are properly uploaded, tagged, organized, searchable, and accessible for campus partners.
This position serves as a key visual storyteller for the University and works closely with all campus units. The University Multimedia Specialist also helps coordinate photography workflows, supports student workers with photography-related assignments, assists with image selection for publications and campaigns, and maintains consistent standards for photo quality, asset management, brand representation, and timely delivery of visual content. This includes photography for campus life, classroom activities, staff, headshots, presidential activities, and broader University storytelling, as well as MediaValet tagging and photo archive management.

Authority and Accountability

Student Photographers would report to this position.

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in photography, visual communication, communications, journalism, art, marketing, digital media, or a related field is required. Relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements.
• Professional photography experience, including event photography, portraits, candid storytelling, and environmental photography.
• Proficiency with professional digital camera systems, lighting equipment, and photo editing software such as Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, or comparable tools.
• Knowledge of digital asset management practices, including file naming, metadata, tagging, keywording, organization, image rights, and long-term archive stewardship.
• Ability to manage high-volume photo requests, competing deadlines, and assignments that require flexibility, including some evenings, weekends, and travel.
• Strong visual judgment, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, and ability to work professionally with a wide range of campus and community partners.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a creative team.
• Ability to lift, carry, transport, and set up photography equipment and move throughout indoor and outdoor locations for extended periods during assignments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, nonprofit, government, public relations, marketing, athletics, advancement, journalism, or institutional communications.
• Experience managing or supporting a digital asset management system, preferably MediaValet.
• Experience supervising, training, scheduling, or mentoring student workers, interns, freelancers, or part-time creative staff.
• Experience developing photography workflows, shot lists, metadata standards, image libraries, and archive processes.
• Experience selecting and curating images for publications, websites, magazines, reports, exhibits, social media, advertising, and executive communications.
• Familiarity with brand standards, copyright, model releases, usage rights, accessibility considerations, and image permissions.
• Comfort using project management or request management systems such as Jira, Asana, Monday.com, Trello, or similar tools.
• Ability to identify proactive photography opportunities that support institutional storytelling, recruitment, brand visibility, and campus engagement.

Except for qualifications established by law, additional related experience and formal education in which one has gained the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for full performance of the work of the job class may be substituted for the education or experience requirement on a year-for-year basis with 30 college credits being equivalent to one year of experience.

Additional Job Information:

The position is a Contingent II, full-time, non-exempt position.

Priority will be given to applicants who apply by June 25, 2026. However, the position will remain open until filled.

Please note, only applications submitted through Salisbury University's Online Employment Application System will be considered. Any supporting documents must be uploaded with the online application, as documents sent via email will not be accepted. Additionally, three professional references will be required during the final stages of the hiring process. Candidates will be notified prior to their references being contacted.

Salisbury University (SU) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. SU is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, ancestry, political affiliation or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.