News and Media Relations Manager, Marketing and Communications - Roger Williams

Job Description:

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Communications & Media Relations, the News and Media Relations Manager is responsible for developing and promoting engaging stories that illustrate the distinctiveness of the RWU experience. The News and Media Relations Manager works collaboratively across all University divisions and stakeholders to build relationships that will evolve University expertise, community outcomes, institutional initiatives, research, scholarship, and student and alumni successes, into stories that differentiate Roger Williams University from other institutions and to show the resulting impact of our unique expertise and institutional strategic priorities. The News and Media Manager creates and maintains relationships with local and hometown media source outlets, creating news releases, pitches, op-eds, promotions, and other press materials, to build brand awareness for a variety of internal and external audiences. The News and Media Relations Manager manages the editorial team by guiding story development across the University website, magazine, marketing materials, and various other outlets.

Editorial and Communications

* Identify, manage, and write stories and other content that highlight the unique stories and expertise of our leadership, faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

* Manage the editorial team, including assigning and editing stories and other content.

* Collaborate with the AVP in defining an Editorial Strategy for the University.

* Manage a team of student editorial and communications interns.

* Assist with the internal University communications, including the weekly internal newsletter and other communications, as needed.

* Generate and report engagement metrics of the newsletter on key performance indicators of story engagement, utilizing this information to continually improve internal communications performance.

* Responsible for ensuring all news and stories are search-engine optimized for rankings.

* Serve as needed on the Emergency Response Team and other emergency and crisis communications events.

* Manage assigned aspects of crisis communications in collaboration with the university leadership CMO and AVP.

* Maintain the RWU Style Guide of writing and uphold high writing standards.

* Assist other department staff to promote a team effort and support University initiatives.

Media Relations

* Work with the AVP to develop a multi-year media strategy that outlines plans for media coverage of the University's expertise and institutional priorities across national, regional, and local media outlets.

* Manage day-to-day media relations efforts, including handling media inquiries, media interviews, and photo requests.

* Identify newsworthy leads and experts, write and edit news releases, media pitches, op-eds, and other media outreach strategies.

* Work closely with faculty and staff to gain their participation in opportunities to create a faculty and staff community expertise to develop an RWU Expertise inventory, and pitch expertise to various media outlets by connecting journalists to expert RWU sources.

* Research and follow issues and trends in the regional media, national media, current higher education, and public relations best practices.

* Generate reports on media outreach efforts and quarterly and annual media reports.

* Ensure University spokespeople (including senior leadership and the President) are properly informed and briefed for media interactions, and follow-up is done on their behalf.

* Provide media training to faculty and staff on campus.

Additional Functions

* Contribute to social media planning and strategy.

Requirements:

* Bachelor's degree in English, journalism, communications, or public relations from an accredited college or university.

* At least five years of experience in copywriting and editing.

* Proficient in AP style guide.

* Must be an influential writer and storyteller.

* Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.

* Ability to identify and anticipate stories needed to build the institution's reputation.

* Coordinate all story aspects, including interviews, photoshoots, multimedia, and social media.

* Must be meticulous, detail-oriented, deadline-driven and able to manage multiple projects.

* Experience in media.

* Experience building SEO web copy.

* Able to collect story outcomes and determine engagement behaviors.

Preferred Requirements

* Higher education PR experience preferred.

At the University's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be excepted where the candidate can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the University, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Additional Information:

Roger Williams University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse workforce. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable state and federal law. For information on our Non-discrimination policy, visit here.

RWU prohibits all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex in its education programs and activities and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and its implementing regulations not to discriminate in such a manner. Complaints of Title IX sexual harassment should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at the contact information listed below. Details regarding the formal complaint process can be found here: Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures. All complaints of sexual harassment will be taken seriously and responded to promptly. TITLE IX COORDINATOR: Dr. Jen Stanley, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809 / Phone Number: (401) 254-3123 /Email Address: jstanley@rwu.edu.

Salaries for new hires at Roger Williams University usually fall between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range.

$54,267 - $68,000

Application Instructions:

Please attach a resume, cover letter, and list of three (3) professional references. In your cover letter/letter of interest, in addition to listing how your qualifications meet the requirements of the position, please include information about how you would be able to contribute to RWU's diversity, inclusivity, and equity goals.

Department:

Marketing & Communications