Media Relations Representative

Job Posting Title: Media Relations Representative Hiring Department: University Marketing and Communications Position Open To: All Applicants Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 FLSA Status: Exempt Earliest Start Date: Immediately Position Duration: Expected to Continue Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS Job Details: Purpose: The Media Relations Representative will be a key member of the University's Media Relations team, responsible for collaborating across colleges, schools, centers and programs to identify and create compelling, high-quality content that promotes and elevates the University's leadership and advancements in specific areas (see General Notes). This position requires excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills to develop a wide range of materials, including press releases, feature stories, media advisories, thought leadership articles, and video produced in coordination with multimedia units. This position forecasts trends in national media interests. The ideal candidate has the ability to engage in persuasive conversations with reporters and editors to facilitate story placement. General Notes : Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship. There are two vacancies for this role, each covering different topical areas. Please indicate in your cover letter your area of interest/expertise. Area A: Energy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Robotics. Area B: Life Sciences, Health and Entrepreneurship. Responsibilities Content Gathering : Collaborate with faculty, researchers, communications staff and students across multiple colleges, schools, centers and programs to identify and develop compelling stories that showcase the university's contributions to specific areas. Transform complex subjects into engaging and visually rich narratives for a wide audience or tailored to specific publication placement. Content Development : Write and edit press releases, news articles, media pitches, talking points and other communications that highlight the university's academic programs and research breakthroughs. Collaborate with relevant faculty, researchers and staff to conduct interviews, ensure content accuracy, and develop effective media pitches. Thought Leadership : Strategize on and contribute to the development of thought leadership content, including op-eds and opinion pieces for faculty and University leadership, positioning the University as a leader in specific areas. Editing and Proofreading : Review and edit content to ensure it aligns with the university's messaging, tone, and brand guidelines. Provide editorial support for team members and other university communications professionals as needed. Content Strategy : Support the Media Relations team in developing and refining content strategies that enhance the university's presence in the media and among target audiences. Support Major Events : Contribute to media outreach efforts for major university events, including press conferences, public lectures, and major announcements, by preparing supporting materials such as backgrounders and event summaries. Other related functions as assigned. Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, or a related field. 7 years of experience in journalism, public relations, or communications, preferably in higher education, nonprofit, or media environments. Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with a portfolio of writing samples that demonstrate versatility in content creation. Ability to translate complex academic and research content into clear, accessible language for general audiences. Strong attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and media partners. Experience conducting interviews and background research for writing assignments. Knowledge of AP Style or similar editorial standards. Preferred Qualifications: Familiarity with higher education and current issues in academia. Experience working with media relations teams or in public relations. Understanding of digital communications platforms, including social media, blogs, and online news outlets. Basic knowledge of media monitoring tools and analytics. Salary Range $70,000 depending on qualifications Working Conditions May work around standard office conditions. Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation. Occasional overtime during peak periods. This position is based in Austin, TX and is required to work on campus; however, the position is eligible for flexible scheduling. Required Materials Resume/CV Letter of interest Three writing samples. 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure thatALLRequired Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes. Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questionspresented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above. Employment Eligibility: Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval. Retirement Plan Eligibility: The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position. Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University 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, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Pay Transparency: The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. Employment Eligibility Verification: If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university. E-Verify: The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following: E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF] E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF] Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF] Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF] Compliance: Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.