SENIOR WRITER & PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

Employer: University of California, Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, CA

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Employment Type: Full Time
Institution Type: Four-Year Institution

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Job Details
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Special Instructions to Applicants

Cover Letter: A position-specific cover letter is required as part of the application.

Writing Samples: Three relevant writing samples are required (e.g., press releases or published news articles related to STEM topics). Please either: Upload your resume and all three writing samples together as a single PDF or Word document, or Copy and paste your writing samples into the Cover Letter section of the application.

Position Summary

In collaboration with the Assistant Dean, Chief Marketing Communications Officer (CMO) and other members on the school's Communications team, the Senior Writer and Public Information Officer (PIO) will leverage their substantial media relationships and the school's media-monitoring platform to develop a strategic media relations plan with minimal supervision. This includes developing and maintaining the general/trade/topic-specific media lists for UCLA Samueli, finding compelling news-worthy pitches from research and other school activities, working with traditional and digital-media journalists to identify story ideas suitable for our faculty and/or students, positioning select faculty experts as go-to sources for target media outlets, formalizing a proactive and strategic program designed to generate consistent and positive external news coverage, etc. UCLA Engineering faculty are at the forefront of many exciting research areas, including robotics, artificial intelligence/machine learning, computational medicine, climate change, sustainability, quantum computing, data sciences, cryptography and many other emerging technologies. The PIO will gain a deep understanding and knowledge of target journalists' beats and faculty expertise to identify opportunities for media briefing and interviews on an ongoing basis.The Senior Writer/PIO is a seasoned communications professional responsible for writing and editing electronic publications, web content and social media posts. Additional writing duties in support of the Communications team include web features, event invitations, research press releases, op-eds, student and alumni profiles, monthly e-newsletters, marketing materials, presentations, school announcements and other content as directed by CMO. The PIO will assist CMO in drafting speeches and talking points for both internal and external speaking engagements of key school leadership.The PIO will coordinate with the Communications team to post on the school's main social media channels, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to ensure proactive and consistent messaging throughout the school. Working with CMO, the PIO will also be responsible for developing and implementing a proactive public-relations program, including a UCLA Samueli speaker's bureau, to raise visibility for the Dean and other key leadership in the school.UCLA Samueli is embarking on a strategic plan to grow the school, with an emphasis on attracting top faculty from diverse backgrounds around the world and setting the standard for undergraduate and graduate engineering education in an equitable and inclusive way. This position is expected to play a key role in the success of that strategic plan by elevating the school's brand among its many constituents.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.
Qualifications

A minimum of five (5) years of full-time professional experience in journalism and media relations, with demonstrated success in working with print, broadcast and electronic news outlets (Required)

Strong relationships with mainstream science and technology reporters, both regionally (Los Angeles) nationally and internationally. (Required)

Superior newsroom writing (AP Style) and editing skills; proven track record of translating technical and scientific research into compelling content for general audiences. (Required)

Experience spearheading high-profile media events and fielding a large number of incoming media inquiries. (Required)

Expertise in identifying, capturing and delivering media relations metrics to demonstrate ROI. (Required)

Advanced knowledge of working with social media to build and strengthen School brand. (Required)

Ability to think creatively and critically; prioritize workload efficiently in the face of competing deadlines and fluctuating priorities; effectively work with a team in a fast-paced setting with a positive, can-do attribute and impeccable professionalis (Required)

Ability to attend evening and weekend events occasionally to facilitate media coverage and other communication needs. (Required)

Experience working in PR agency, in-house communications, and/or nonprofit with ability to handle high pressure and deadline-driven tasks. (Required)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

Bachelor's Degree journalism, communications or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience (Required)

Special Conditions for Employment

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.

Schedule

8:00am to 5:00pm
Union/Policy Covered

CM–Comms, Mktg, & Sales Profs
Complete Position Description

https://universityofcalifornia.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=38&JDName=Media%20Communications%20Specialist%203%20CM%20(40817051)

Working at University of California, Los Angeles

UCLA is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1919 and is the second oldest of the ten campuses affiliated with the University of California system. UCLA offers over 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines and enrolls about 26,000 undergraduate and about 12,000 graduate students from the United States and around the world every year.

UCLA features the College of Letters and Science, seven general campus professional schools, and four professional schools for the health sciences. The UCLA College of Letters and Science has 34 academic departments and 900 faculty, and houses the majority of UCLA's 129 undergraduate majors as well as the students in the Graduate Division of Letters and Sciences. The UCLA College Honors Program is also housed in the College. The College of Letters and Science's programs are divided into five academic divisions: humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, and the International Institute. UCLA also offers certificate programs, undergraduate degree-credit and continuing education credits for non-full-time students through its UCLA Extension education program.

The 2010 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA as the 24th best university in the nation and 32nd best in the world. In the 2007 edition of U.S. News and World Report, UCLA Medical Center was ranked best in the West, as well as one of the top 3 hospitals in the United States alongside Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 15 of the 16 medical specialty areas examined, UCLA Medical Center ranked in the top 20.

The campus' location in Los Angeles makes excursions to local museums, theaters, or other entertainment venues relatively quick and easy.