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Job Description and Responsibilities

As a Member of the Committee on Communications (ex-officio)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Social Media Officer is to work with IBO Staff to ensure that a steady stream of relevant content for biometricians and statisticians is sourced from and shared with our audience through all active social media channels. This voluntary position is formed in order to centralize these efforts and candidates must be a member of the Society to be considered.

Term

The incumbent serves a term of two years (January of year 1 through December of year 2) and works with and receives assistance from an Officer-elect in year 2 of their term. The Officer-elect assumes the role of Officer following the end of the current Officer’s term.

Selection Process

Each year, nominations for a new Social Media Officer are sought by the Committee on Communications between May and July. Then a candidate is approved by the Executive Board by the end of August, and that newly-elected candidate will assume the position in January of the following year.

If the Society so chooses, a current Social Media Officer may be reappointed to one additional two-year term.

It is understood that the incumbent is considered to be “in charge” of the management of social media during the second year of their term, whether the Officer-elect is considered truly new or a returning officer (i.e. re-elected). 

Regarding the Selection Process for 2021 – 2024 Only: Note that we are currently seeking one candidate to serve for the period from 1 January 2022 - 31 December 2023, and a second candidate to serve for the period from 1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024.

Both will work together to establish the program in 2022, with suggestions from the Officers, Committee on Communications members, the Chair and IBS Staff. Key tasks that may be undertaken early in the establishment of this program (among others) include 1) putting in place processes to “automate” many of the regular tasks, 2) engaging the Regions and acculturating them to regularly tag the IBS on items they seek to publicize internationally (@IBSstats), and 3) engage the officers and Board members in creating content. Adjustments to the program’s scope may also be explored during this period.

The first candidate selected in 2021 will serve as the primary volunteer (or Officer) and will be considered “in charge” for  2023, while the other will continue in a support role (or Officer-Elect) and be considered “in charge” in 2024.

A third candidate will be sought in May of 2023, to begin serving in January of 2024. This candidate will serve in a support role for their first year. The selection process to be followed in future years is outlined above.

Tasks of the Social Media Officer

Support will be provided by the Officer-Elect and IBO Staff, as needed.

• Posting diverse, visually attractive, informative, and entertaining content as appropriate as part of the Society’s social media strategy, whether original or curated.
• Regularly review existing regional biometrical URLs and posts.
• Source new relevant content provided by IBS members, IBS Regions, sister societies, relevant universities, industry providers, and other sources as needed.
• Engage and task the network of Social Media Liaisons (connected with their local Regions) to assist in content curation for IBS platforms. Also work with these contacts to have IBS content re-posted locally.
• Work directly with the IBO’s Staff Liaison to post content through all relevant channels.
• Inform the IBO’s Staff Liaison of appropriate social media content that may also be shared via the Society’s website and relevant IBS member communities.
• Coordinate coverage and share news and information with the Editor of the Biometric Bulletin.
• Maintain an IBS social media strategy, updating as needed and with input from the IBO staff liaison, the Officer-elect, Social Media Liaisons and other committee members.
• Maintain regular contact with the Chair of the Committee on Communications and prepare a brief written report on recent activities to the committee prior to each meeting (maybe in the form of an e-mail). Alternatively, reports may be presented to the committee in person during regularly scheduled committee meetings.
• Attend Committee on Communications meetings as an ex-officio (non-voting) member.

Available support

Social Media Statistics - Information on social media statistics and analytics will be supplied by IBO’s Staff Liaison on an agreed-upon frequency.

Other expectations for this position

• The incumbent must be familiar with the Society’s varied platforms and how they work and be active on social media.
• Technical expertise includes the ability to access all relevant social media platforms, as well as electronic e-mail and reports.
• Prior to beginning their term, the incumbent must agree to and sign a Conflict-of-Interest Policy statement and other relevant policy documents as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board.

Apply to be IBS Social Media Officer