Assistant Director of Media Relations and Issues Management

Penn State University; State College (Centre County); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Flexible schedule

Job summary

Penn State University is seeking an assistant director for its Office of Strategic Communications to lead crisis and issues communications. The role involves researching, planning, executing, and evaluating communications strategies aligned with institutional priorities.

It requires strong writing, editing, and messaging for executives and University leadership. The position is hybrid, combining remote and on-campus work, with evening and weekend hours as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 8+ years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination.
• Experience in issues and crisis communications and advising senior leaders.
• Superior writing, editing, and oral presentation skills.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and respond under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Identify and address issues proactively and reactively; research, craft messages, FAQs, plans, and other materials.
• Develop and implement an issues management strategy at local, regional, national, or global levels.
• Create communications plans, materials, responses, and provide updates and post-event analyses.

Skills

Crisis communications

Strategic leadership

Writing

Oral presentation

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

POSITION SPECIFICS

Penn State's Office of Strategic Communications -the University's central public relations and marketing division-is looking for an assistant director to join its issues and crisis communications team. Reporting to the team's director and working closely with the vice president for strategic communications, the person in this position will research, plan, execute, and evaluate communications focused on crisis and issues management.

This is a hybrid position that combines remote and on-campus working. Evening and weekend hours will be required as needed.

This individual will be part of a talented team that provides University leadership with advice, guidance, and materials on issues of critical reputational importance to Penn State. The successful candidate will be a strategic leader who can work individually and as part of a team to proactively identify issues and assess their potential impact; respond to reputational challenges; provide direction and leadership to others; and develop and implement a communications strategy that is aligned with institutional priorities and provides accurate messaging on behalf of Penn State.

Key Responsibilities

• Working with others across the University to proactively and reactively identify and address issues; conduct research; and craft key messages, news releases, FAQs, communications plans, and other written materials
• Developing and implementing an issues management strategy that proactively identifies challenges on a local, regional, national, or global scale and can potentially impact the University or its constituents
• Creating communications plans, associated materials, and responses and p roviding updates, summaries, and post-event analysis and recommendations
• Monitoring news media, social media, and websites to identify issues and evaluate public/media perceptions
• Using strong analytical and issues-management skills to identify options, recommend tactics, and draft clear, concise responses and briefing communications for University leadership and others
• Working with news media and social media platforms to provide appropriate information and responses to inquiries and online conversations related to reputational topics and institutional priorities

In addition to working effectively with diverse stakeholders, the ideal candidate must be highly organized; pay strong attention to detail; be able to manage multiple priorities; and possess a solid work ethic, sound judgment, and strong problem-solving skills.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Have experience in issues and crisis communications and advising senior leaders on communications
• Possess superior writing, editing, and oral presentation skills
• Be able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and respond quickly and professionally under pressure and in crisis situations
• Have the creative and political acuity to develop messaging and tactics suitable for executive-level communications
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team
• Have the a bility to consistently reinforce University messages across all media and audiences
• Be adept at working with others across the University to address, develop, support, and implement messaging and positioning for Penn State

Minimum Education, Work Experience & Required Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• 8+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Required Certifications: None

About Penn State's Office of Strategic Communications

As Penn State's central public relations and marketing division, the Office of Strategic Communications is a fully integrated, award-winning, best-in-class marketing and public relations team defined by innovative strategy and breakthrough creative driven by measurable goals. We advance the University by strengthening and protecting the institution's reputation in regional, national and international spheres of influence in ways that serve recruitment, resource and leadership goals.

Spanning Penn State's large-scale enterprise-including campus locations across Pennsylvania, nearly 90,000 students, and an alumn