Assistant/Associate Director, Communications

Position Focus :

Reporting to the Director of Communications in the Office of the Provost, this position will be responsible for developing, managing, and implementing communications that educate and engage internal audiences and external stakeholders.

Partnering with the Director of Communications, the Assistant / Associate Director will support office communications, serving as a writer, editor, and researcher.

The Assistant / Associate Director will also play a lead role in creating and implementing strategic communications that articulate and amplify the work of the Vice Provost for Research and Vice Provost for Planetary Solutions portfolios.

Primary responsibilities :

Working with the relevant vice provostial teams and colleagues across campus, produce and distribute a wide-range of communications including but not limited to op-eds, research summaries, news features, web copy, announcements, and talking points that align with office priorities and university investments.

Craft and contribute to strategic communications plans that amplify initiatives of the Research and Yale Planetary Solutions portfolios and increase engagement of on- and off-campus partners.

Work in partnership with the vice provostial teams, faculty and staff experts, and other communications colleagues to execute these plans and contribute to editorial coverage.

Play a lead role in maintaining, monitoring, and updating websites. Write and / or source, maintain, and update major components of content for websites and identify quality improvement opportunities, using analytics to inform decision-making.

Develop and nurture strong relationships with communications partners across campus, including colleagues in OPAC, to identify and pitch stories and important initiatives.

Contribute to editorial coverage and / or review stories related to the academic priorities.

Engage internal and external vendors to produce websites, videos, and other multimedia projects as needed. Deploy and uphold consistent brand identity and messaging.

Assist with responses to media inquiries. Other duties as assigned.

This work may be performed in either a remote or hybrid capacity, though occasional trips to campus to meet with partners and cover events will be necessary.

Applicants must submit 2-3 writing samples (press releases, op-eds, news stories, or short features) as part of their application.

Finalists will be asked to complete a writing assignment.

Position title will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

PLEASE NOTE : The following Essential Duties are generic in nature; the information contained above in the Position Focus and below in the Skills & Abilities section is most relevant to this position.

Essential Duties

1. Manages relationships with external media sources. Pursues media coverage creatively and aggressively. Responds to inquiries from national and international news media, student media, the University community and the general public.

2. Enhances the overall quality of media relations for key stakeholders by preparing them for media interviews. Manages relationships with key campus stakeholders with a high degree of professionalism, judgment and understanding of stakeholder goals.

3. Creates compelling story ideas and narratives; produces content for both external and internal channels; writes copy and social media posts and manages content.

4. Plans social media strategies for key University communications and programs. Monitors University social media assets for negative comments or misinformation.

5. Supports short- and long-term communication planning with insights into audiences, channels and culture; coordinates with other communications professionals to achieve institutional goals;

leads the communications process within developed standards and protocols. 6. Supports effective response strategies, often in crisis situations requiring 24 / 7 attention and intense media / public scrutiny, and articulates the University’s position via personal interviews or written responses.

7. Produces multimedia content and manages the work of graphic and web designers, student interns, printers, video producers and photographers.

8. Manages communication plans for all stakeholders by understanding the significance of campus initiatives and / or academic work;

creates compelling stories and messages to translate the significance through language that is clear and accessible for public awareness.

9. Develops and maintains regular contact with media representatives in multiple disciplines. 10. Maintains the Yale brand and graphic identity standards;

supports and maintains standard operating procedures; contributes to digital asset management. 11. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Communications or related field and five years of proven experience in public relations, journalism, television, corporate communications or agency work or an equivalent combination of education and proven experience.

Demonstrated experience in developing communications for a range of media and working with creative professionals in design, photography or video.

Required Skill / Ability 1 :

Ability to think analytically, articulate ideas clearly, and write a wide range of copy. Skilled in authoring web content, news stories, talking points, and other materials with superb attention to detail and context.

Skilled in translating academic content and adapting writing to a variety of audiences and media. Excellent editing, fact-checking, and proofreading skills.

Required Skill / Ability 2 :

Ability to develop & manage communications plans, identify communications vehicles relevant to key audiences, and transmit messages.

Ability to understand community needs, incorporate community members’ perspectives, and formulate communications. Demonstrated experience managing websites, strategic content planning.

Proficiency using analytics to inform decisions.

Required Skill / Ability 3 :

Excellent organizational and project management skills. Ability to manage group decision-making processes and related procedures, budgets, and project timelines.

Ability to manage relationships with agencies and freelance contractors.

Required Skill / Ability 4 :

A broad understanding of university culture. Ability to communicate and build relationships with a wide range of partners and constituents, including faculty and university leaders, in a complex organization.

Excellent interpersonal, influencing, and diplomacy skills. Ability to negotiate new and ongoing priorities in a dynamic environment with transparency and diplomacy.

Required Skill / Ability 5 :

Ability to work with high degree of independence. Capacity to be proactive, manage multiple projects, and meet tight deadlines.

Strong work ethic and eagerness to contribute in a highly visible, fast-paced environment. Commitment to confidentiality and integrity with attention to preserving and enhancing the reputation of the Office of the Provost and Yale.

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills :

Demonstrated experience developing communications and writing for a range of media and translating academic research into compelling narratives for general audiences.

Proven experience writing about science, research, and / or the environment strongly preferred but not required.

Drug Screen

Health Screening

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

The University maintains policies pertaining to COVID-19. All faculty, staff, students, and trainees are required to comply with these policies, which may be found here :

Posting Disclaimer

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the particular position.

Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring departments.

EEO Statement :

University policy is committed to affirmative action under law in employment of women, minority group members, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.

Additionally, in accordance with Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment, and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.