Media Relations Specialist

Georgia Tech; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Georgia Tech is seeking a Media Relations Specialist to advance the Institute's visibility by developing and pitching stories and securing coverage. The role involves guiding faculty and staff on media engagement and integrating outreach into broader campaigns.

The candidate will write press materials, coordinate interviews, and collaborate with marketing and digital teams to amplify coverage across channels. A Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related discipline or equivalent.
• 6+ years of relevant experience.
• Resume and Cover letter required for consideration

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes proactive media pitches and campaigns to highlight research, innovation, and programs.
• Builds and maintains relationships with local, national, and trade media outlets.
• Writes press releases, feature pitches, talking points, and other media content.
• Responds to media inquiries and coordinates interviews with faculty and leaders.
• Identifies and develops story opportunities with faculty, researchers, and communicators.
• Maintains and updates media contact lists and outreach strategies.
• Provides media coaching and preparation for subject matter experts.
• Collaborates with marketing, content, and digital teams to ensure media coverage is amplified across web, social, and other communication channels.
• Tracks media performance, analyzes coverage, and recommends improvements.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Skills

Organizational skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Attention to detail

Media outreach

Education

Bachelor's degree in related discipline

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Mercury/Drupal CMS

Meltwater

Excel

Photoshop

PowerPoint

MS Word

Job description

About Us

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our strategic plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

About Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:

1. Students are our top priority.

2. We strive for excellence.

3. We thrive on diversity.

4. We celebrate collaboration.

5. We champion innovation.

6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.

7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.

8. We act ethically.

9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Job Summary

The Media Relations Specialist advances the Institute's visibility and influence by developing and pitching stories, securing coverage, and cultivating relationships with journalists. This role develops media materials, provides guidance to faculty and staff on media engagement, and integrates media outreach into broader communications campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Job Duty 1 - Develops and executes proactive media pitches and campaigns to highlight research, innovation, and programs.
• Job Duty 2 - Builds and maintains relationships with local, national, and trade media outlets.
• Job Duty 3 - Writes press releases, feature pitches, talking points, and other media content.
• Job Duty 4 - Responds to media inquiries and coordinates interviews with faculty and leaders.
• Job Duty 5 - Identifies and develops story opportunities with faculty, researchers, and communicators.
• Job Duty 6 - Maintains and updates media contact lists and outreach strategies.
• Job Duty 7 - Provides media coaching and preparation for subject matter experts.
• Job Duty 8 - Collaborates with marketing, content, and digital teams to ensure media coverage is amplified across web, social, and other communication channels.
• Job Duty 9 - Tracks media performance, analyzes coverage, and recommends improvements.
• Job Duty 10 - Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements

Bachelor's degree in related discipline or equivalent, related experience

Required Experience

6+ years of relevant experience

Resume and Cover letter required for consideration

Preferred Qualifications

Additional Preferred Qualifications

Advanced certification may be preferred or required

Preferred Educational Qualifications

Master's degree in related discipline or equivalent, related experience

Preferred skills include video shooting/editing, story gathering, video and still photography, motion graphics creation, and multimedia production

Proposed Salary

Proposed Salary: $65,202 - $103,000. Commensurate with education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

SKILLS

Strong organizational skills, excellent verbal and written communications skills and attention to detail; computer knowledge: search for data, input/edit information, word processing; software knowledge: Macintosh/Windows, Excel, Photoshop, MS Word, PowerPoint, Mercury/Drupal content management systems, and Meltwater

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia ("USG") and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of an individual's race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

Other Information

This is not a supervisory position.

This position does not have any financial responsibilities.

This position will not be required to drive.

This role is not considered a position of trust.

This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).

This position will not travel.

This position does not require security clearance.

Background Check

A successful candidate must be able to pass a background check. Please visit: https://usg.policystat.com/policy/19298143/latest