Media Relations Strategist

ubc; Kelowna; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

UBC Okanagan Public Affairs | University Relations seeks a Media Relations Strategist to enhance the university's reputation by communicating activities, facilities, services, goals and objectives to audiences at local, regional, provincial, national and international levels, including faculty, staff and students.

The role builds trust with faculty, staff and students to surface stories early and collaborates with journalists, editors, producers and digital creators to place stories where

Responsibilities

• Develops and sustains positive working relationships with journalists, editors, producers and assignment desks across print, broadcast and digital outlets
• Develops relationships with independent journalists, newsletter writers, podcast hosts, documentary producers, digital publishers and subject matter creators whose audiences align with UBC Okanagan's areas of strength
• Proactively pitches story ideas, tailoring the approach, format and supporting material to the norms of each outlet or channel
• Responds to media inquiries, refers media to appropriate experts or other sources of information, and provides factual background information
• Builds and maintains UBC Okanagan's experts list and media contact lists, including contacts in new and emerging media
• Tracks how relevant outlets, formats and audiences are shifting, and adjusts outreach approaches accordingly
• Plans, organizes and conducts news conferences, media availabilities, campus visits and other events as required in conjunction with senior university administrators, faculty and outside organizations, including various levels of government
• Promotes UBC Okanagan research, people and events at local, provincial, national and international levels
• Establishes and maintains ongoing relationships with deans, department heads, campus communicators, faculty, researchers, staff and students in order to proactively identify stories early and consistently
• Meets regularly with faculties, research units and student groups to understand their work, build familiarity and proactively surface newsworthy activity rather than waiting for it to be submitted
• Provides media coaching and preparation to faculty, staff and students, including guidance on interviews, podcast appearances and other long form or conversational formats
• Provides factual background information and actively promotes story ideas across campus
• Works with researchers proactively to identify the public interest in their work and shape it into stories suited to a general audience
• Researches and writes media releases, pitches, backgrounders, key messages and short form content in support of media and public relations activity
• Identifies opportunities to tell stories visually, and works with creative services colleagues to develop video, photography and other visual assets that strengthen pitches and support coverage

Job description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS
Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Information Services, Level B

Job Title
Media Relations Strategist

Department
UBCO | Public Affairs | University Relations

Compensation Range
$7,158.42 - $10,292.25 CAD Monthly The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date
September 30, 2026
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date
Ongoing

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

JOB SUMMARY

This position performs a wide variety of media and public relations tasks designed to enhance the university's reputation by communicating activities, facilities, services, goals and objectives to audiences at the local, regional, provincial, national and international levels, as well as to faculty, staff and students. The position works proactively and through relationships: building trust with faculty, staff and students in order to surface stories at the source rather than waiting for them to be brought forward, and building trust with journalists, editors, producers, independent writers and digital creators to place those stories where audiences actually are. The role covers both established news outlets and emerging channels, including podcasts, independent newsletters, digital publications and creator led media, and it looks for opportunities to tell stories visually as well as in writing.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

Reports to the Director, Public Affairs. This position works with independence and maintains close working relationships with deans, department heads, faculty and administrative unit communicators, researchers, staff and students across the UBC Okanagan campus, and with Media Relations colleagues on the UBC Vancouver campus.

WORK PERFORMED

Media relationships and outreach

• Develops and sustains positive working relationships with journalists, editors, producers and assignment desks across print, broadcast and digital outlets
• Develops relationships with independent journalists, newsletter writers, podcast hosts, documentary producers, digital publishers and subject matter creators whose audiences align with UBC Okanagan's areas of strength
• Proactively pitches story ideas, tailoring the approach, format and supporting material to the norms of each outlet or channel
• Responds to media inquiries, refers media to appropriate experts or other sources of information, and provides factual background information
• Builds and maintains UBC Okanagan's experts list and media contact lists, including contacts in new and emerging media
• Tracks how relevant outlets, formats and audiences are shifting, and adjusts outreach approaches accordingly
• Plans, organizes and conducts news conferences, media availabilities, campus visits and other events as required in conjunction with senior university administrators, faculty and outside organizations, including various levels of government
• Promotes UBC Okanagan research, people and events at local, provincial, national and international levels

Campus relationships and story development

• Establishes and maintains ongoing relationships with deans, department heads, campus communicators, faculty, researchers, staff and students in order to proactively identify stories early and consistently
• Meets regularly with faculties, research units and student groups to understand their work, build familiarity and proactively surface newsworthy activity rather than waiting for it to be submitted
• Provides media coaching and preparation to faculty, staff and students, including guidance on interviews, podcast appearances and other long form or conversational formats
• Provides factual background information and actively promotes story ideas across campus
• Works with researchers proactively to identify the public interest in their work and shape it into stories suited to a general audience

Content in support of outreach

• Researches and writes media releases, pitches, backgrounders, key messages and short form content in support of media and public relations activity
• Identifies opportunities to tell stories visually, and works with creative services colleagues to develop video, photography and other visual assets that strengthen pitches and support coverage
• Prepares supporting material appropriate to the channel, wh