Associate Director for Public Relations

Description

Position Summary :

The Associate Director for Public Relations (ADPR) partners with the Director for Public Relations to develop and expertly execute media relations efforts to elevate Harvey Mudd College’s unique position within higher education as the liberal arts college of science and engineering.

The Associate Director works closely with the editorial team to create written, video and photo content for strategic stories that showcase Harvey Mudd’s innovative approaches to STEM and climate education, high-level research, faculty experts and student achievements with the goal of raising the visibility of the College nationally and internationally.

The person in this role works together with the Director for PR to cultivate strong relationships with key media as well as with faculty and campus leadership in an effort to provide stories and relevant experts for media outlets.

The Associate Director collaborates closely with the Office of Advancement to integrate communication and media relations plans with marketing plans and campaigns, and also with outside PR counsel to develop and execute media outreach and crisis communications.

Duties and Responsibilities :

MEDIA RELATIONS

• Writes and pitches press releases and editorial content about activities and initiatives of the College, its leadership, and its faculty, students, staff, and alumni.
• Develops and implements media relations efforts and oversees media relations and / or content development for specific campaigns.
• Partners with strategic public relations planning and implementation including, media relations, social media, publications and periodicals, crises communication and issues management.
• Cultivates relationships with journalists and oversees and implements new methods for media relations efforts.
• Amplifies specific elements of the HMC story that tie into the upcoming fundraising campaign and messages and overarching strategic communications plan to pitch to the media.
• Proactively plans and executes PR efforts that enhance HMC’s reputation by initiating meetings with faculty members for proactive placement in local, national, and international traditional and nontraditional news outlets.
• Drives initiatives to increase earned and elite media placements, fostering greater engagement with traditional and nontraditional media.
• Supports and elevates thought leaders within the College, including the College’s president, board and leadership teams, faculty, and staff, helping them secure national and international media attention.
• Monitor media trends (social and traditional) to build relationships with influencers and journalists and to identify opportunities.

Track HMC’s media placements for internal reporting purposes.

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

• Provides communications support for executive leadership including written, video, photo and web materials for internal and external communications.
• Writes, films and edits regular video messages from the president. Organizes video coverage of related campus events for use in presidential videos.
• Produce high-quality photographs and videos that effectively showcase Harvey Mudd’s academic and residential life, activities, and student and faculty innovation.
• In conjunction with the president’s office, communications team and outside media counsel, supports the creation of a robust and dynamic media presence for the president and her leadership of the College.

CONTENT CREATION

In collaboration with the editorial team, develops visual and written content for a variety of communications, including both print and interactive platforms.

Interviews; creates and edits stories, blog posts, web copy, social media, press releases, newsletters, op-eds, scripts, talking points and presentation materials.

Participates in meetings and planning sessions for content development and creation.

• Creates video and photo content for the offices of Advancement and Admission, as well as within the Communications team for content for web, social media, and media outreach.
• In coordination with the Communications and Marketing Web Team, creates new web content, edits existing web content and monitors content for editorial style guide and accessibility adherence.

Collaborates with the communications team to repurpose existing content and develop new content in a variety of formats.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

Individuals must be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position.

Macintosh platform experience expertise required, experience and knowledge of other systems, such as Windows, preferred.

• Knowledge of standard office productivity software and desktop publishing software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat).
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Bridge) and Salesforce Marketing Cloud or similar email marketing platform, a plus.
• Video filming and editing skills. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite video editing programs (Premiere, Audition) a plus.
• Evidence of outstanding writing and editing skills, with the ability to adapt writing to multiple audiences, outlets, and media vehicles.
• Experience analyzing and reporting performance of various media channels and making adjustments as needed to meet stated objectives.
• Experience systematically monitoring conversations and trends in media coverage, assessing opportunities for, and threats to, the advancement of HMC’s reputation.
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills and project management skills, including maintaining an editorial calendar for outreach to multiple media channels.

The ability to prioritize and meet a variety of continuous deadlines. Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks effectively.

• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communications skills. Proven expertise in editing and writing, able to adhere to HMC’s print, video and web-related style standards.
• Ability to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the College, its people and programs.
• Experience with content creation for web and social media platforms.
• Willingness to stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and methods.

Qualifications : Education :

Education :

Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations or a related field, or a combination of education, training and relevant experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities of the position.

Experience :

Seven or more years or progressive responsibility and experience in media relations, public relations, journalism or communications required, preferably in higher education or a non-profit environment.

Video filming and editing skills, photography and web writing experience. Experience with WordPress or a similar content management system preferred.

Physical Requirements :

While performing the duties of this job, the staff member is regularly required to sit; stand, use hands and fingers and talk or hear.

The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The individual must regularly lift and / or carry up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and / or move up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other : Classification :

Classification :

This is an exempt, full-time, benefits-eligible position.

Salary :

The anticipated starting salary range will be $74,000 - $77,500 per year. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Reporting : Reports to the

Reports to the

Application Process :

Please visit to view a complete job description for this position and obtain information on how to submit an application.

Information about HMC’s competitive benefits package is available at www.hmc.edu / hrbenefits.

Additional Information :

Harvey Mudd College is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will be given consideration for employment without regard to age, race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, protected veteran’s status, disability, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any staff position at Harvey Mudd College you must apply for each position for which you believe you are qualified.