Media Strategist

Job Posting Title:

Media Strategist

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Hiring Department:

University Marketing and Communications

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Feb 12, 2024

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

Job Description Summary

The Media Strategist in University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) will play a lead role identifying, pitching, and placing news stories and faculty subject matter experts that advance key research pillars of the University’s 10-year strategic plan, Change Starts Here: Technology and Society, Health and Wellbeing, and Energy and the Environment. Emphasis will be placed on several beats including, but not limited to, UT’s advancements in AI, robotics, energy and life sciences. To successfully accomplish this, the Media Strategist will serve as a primary conduit between University Communications and UT’s colleges, schools, and interdisciplinary endeavors to identify and cultivate stories that show the greatest societal impact, write pitches and press releases, and develop strategic relationships with relevant news reporters and editors at statewide, national, and global publications to establish UT expertise and initiatives as leading authorities. The Media Strategist reports to the Senior Media Relations Manager and frequently interacts with UMAC and University leadership. 

General Notes 

Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Media Relations: Enhance the reputation of the University by facilitating story placement with an emphasis on promotion of the Strategic Plan pillars. Develop strategic relationships with relevant statewide and national media contacts. Identify media contacts and pitch stories and faculty experts as sources to members of the media on enterprise stories, topical news events, and upcoming date pegs. Create expert lists for major happenings as assigned. Help share and promote strategic news content across colleges, schools, and units. Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop events, programming, and other opportunities for media to learn about key University advancements in priority initiative areas.

• Writing: Write original news content for the University (explainers, Q&As, roundups, media pitches, etc.) on a wide array of topics. Plan, identify, write, edit, promote and publish content for use in news releases, feature stories, web content and social media posts. May proof and copy edit news releases or other documents as needed for the Media Relations and Newsroom team. 

• Communications Planning & Collaboration: Serve as the point of contact for projects with internal/external partners for announcements, communications plans, news releases and media pitches. Assist with press conferences or other events where media will be present. 

• Other related duties as assigned. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

• Three years of experience in public affairs, including media relations, journalism, coordination of special events, and preparation of informational materials.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Ability to quickly grasp and communicate complex, often technical subject matter and identify the value to core audiences.

• Accuracy in all phases of work.

• Ability to interact in a professional manner with faculty, staff, students and the public.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• More than three year of experience in public affairs or related field. 

• Demonstrated experience successfully pitching earned media stories in top national publications.

• Extensive experience writing news releases.

• Experience using Wordpress, or similar CMS.

• Basic knowledge of HTML.

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills.

• Intermediate skill level with Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Word, Excel)

• Basic database skills a plus.

• Experience using a project management system a plus.

Salary Range

$75,000 + 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 and may be eligible for occasional remote work. 

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 that ALL Required 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 questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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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.

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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.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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]

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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.