Communications Specialist

Nashville Public Radio; Arlington (TX); On-site; USD 45,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

The School of Social Work is seeking a communications specialist to craft news stories, press releases, and feature pieces about students, faculty, alumni, and staff. You will edit and design newsletters and the annual magazine, ensuring timely production and high-quality content.

You will also support social media content, multimedia materials, and speeches for deans and senior leaders, collaborating with university communications and advancement teams to enhance outreach and reputation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in print journalism or digital journalism.
• Experience writing news stories and press releases preferred.
• Strong editing and AP Style knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Write news stories, news releases, and feature stories about students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
• Develop ideas and write/edit stories following AP Style guidelines and industry standards.
• Lead the school’s annual magazine, e-newsletter, and publications projects as editor.
• Create, design, and publish e-newsletters, flyers, brochures, and annual reports.
• Ensure publications are designed, published, and distributed on time.
• Review and edit content for the SSW website and keep it up to date.
• Write speeches and remarks for deans and senior leaders.
• Collaborate with leadership and communications teams for outreach and reputation building.

Skills

News writing

Editing

AP Style

Content creation

Education

Bachelor's degree in print journalism, digital journalism

Job description

Salary

The annual salary for this position ranges from $45,400 to $62,600. The final offer will be commensurate with the candidate’s relevant experience and qualifications.

Purpose of Position

Provides a broad range of communication support for the School of Social Work (SSW) by documenting student, faculty, alumni, and staff achievements through writing news stories and press releases, as well as editing and designing newsletters, the annual magazine, and other publications including fliers, brochures, pamphlets, and information booklets. Develops print content that directly supports student recruitment, retention, and graduation, institutional advancement, community outreach, alumni initiatives, reputation management, marketing, admissions, special events, and other functions.

Essential Functions

• Responsible for writing news stories, news releases, and feature stories about the achievements, research, activities, events, and other initiatives of students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
• Develops ideas and writes and edits news and feature stories following Associated Press Stylebook writing guidelines and industry journalistic reporting standards.
• Serves as the project lead and editor for SSW’s annual magazine, e-newsletter, and annual research and doctoral publications.
• Develops, creates, designs, and publishes e-newsletters, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, advertising placements, and hard copy annual report publications/magazines, along with other materials for the school.
• Ensures SSW publications are designed, published, and distributed on time.
• Serves as the primary project lead in reviewing and editing, developing written descriptive content for the SSW website.
• Writes clear and concise content for the SSW webpages.
• Ensures that the content on the SSW website is free from grammatical errors and misinformation.
• Regularly monitors and updates written and imagery content for the SSW Web Developer/Web Software Specialist for the school’s website.
• Assists the SSW marketing team in writing and creating engaging content for social media platforms, including taking and posting photos, videos, and other multimedia content.
• Writes speeches, talking points, statements, and other remarks for deans and senior leaders.
• Collaborates with SSW leadership, University Institutional Advancement, University Communications/Media Relations, alumni, and others to enhance SSW's community outreach, engagement, and reputation.
• Keeps the SSW Media Toolkit updated.
• Assists the communications manager and assistant dean with media training for faculty, staff, and students, and identifies and collaborates with University Communications to connect faculty with various media outlets, journalists, professional publications, and social work-related blogs for interviews.
• Monitors media and news coverage of the SSW and social work-related issues, providing regular reports and updates to the supervisor.
• Supports media relations operations, crisis communications, planning, and both internal and external communications.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in print journalism, digital journalism