Occupational Summary:

The Office of Communication Services at Duke University seeks a news writer/producer who can tell high-quality stories for print and digital channels. This curious person is a resourceful communicator who will contribute strong journalistic skills on any given day in support of Duke’s programs and initiatives. Duke is the size of a small city, and this communications professional will be part of a small but mighty team that tells the story of the Duke workforce. One day, you may write about campus construction, and the next day, you could be examining data for a story for the award-winning employee print publication or producing a one-minute video to highlight the work of a staff member. The successful candidate is self-motivated, flexible, and highly collaborative – a team player who contributes good ideas and has a clean, clear writing style that can turn a complex or flat topic into a compelling story for more than 40K readers. The successful candidate is also adept at using social media.

Work performed:

• Write short and long form print and digital stories to tell the story of the Duke University workforce, its employee benefits, programs and services, as well as other campus happenings or initiatives
• Capture and edit video to best represent Duke
• Conduct research and interviews as part of original reporting for print and digital channels
• Take pictures for print and digital channels
• Support Working@Duke’s employee-focused social media accounts
• Develop materials to support communication plans, as directed
• Work collaboratively with a team of communication professionals to achieve common goals
• Develop and maintain professional contacts with colleagues in Duke’s central administration and communication offices across Duke, including University Communications
• Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein

Skills:

• Demonstrated talent for producing high-quality written work on deadline and with high attention to detail
• Proficient at gathering, deciphering and translating information in an interesting and creative manner for the Duke employee audience
• Adept at journalistic fundamentals, including story structure and AP Style
• Skilled at video editing applications such as iMovie or Adobe Premiere
• Talented at generating interesting, creative and relevant ideas for print and digital channels on a consistent basis
• Brings kindness, a positive attitude and good humor to one’s work and the team
• High regard for accuracy and quality standards
• Ability to effectively manage time, take initiative and successfully juggle multiple projects simultaneously and under competing deadlines
• Comfortable with social media and technology programs such as Microsoft Office products, Photoshop, Canva, Drupal content management system

Requirements:

Work requires a bachelor’s degree, preferably in Journalism, and at least two years of full-time writing experience, preferably at a daily newspaper or magazine.

About the Office of Communication Services:

Duke’s Office of Communication Services manages Duke’s communications platforms for employees and supports communication needs for central administration units such as Human Resources, Parking and Transportation, Sustainability, and other areas. The office produces all content for the Working@Duke section of Duke Today, which is the university’s flagship news website, as well as stories for the award-winning print magazine, Working@Duke. The Working@Duke portfolio also includes a weekly e-newsletter and Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts. The office supports a work arrangement that includes flexibility to work off-site a few days per week.

In addtion to applying online, qualified candidates should send a resume, several examples of clips (long-and-short form writing sent as scans or links/not Word documents); video/multimedia samples; and a cover letter to: Leanora Minai, Editor/Executive Director of Communications, at Leanora.Minai@duke.edu.

Learn more:

Working@Duke print publication archive

Working@Duke section on Duke Today

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.