Public Relations Specialist II

Rutgers University; New Brunswick (NJ); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, prescription drug, and dental

Paid vacation and holidays

Competitive retirement benefits

Educational benefits

Life insurance

Employee discount programs

Job summary

Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, seeks a Public Relations Specialist II for the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). The role embeds with our programs team to craft press releases, coordinate media outreach, and produce content for newsletters and social media.

You will collaborate with the Director of Communications to highlight CAWP programs and impact. You will create daily social content, graphics from CAWP data, and biweekly newsletters, working in a

Qualifications

• Minimum BA in journalism, political science, communications, or related field with two years of PR/communications experience.
• Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and short deadlines in high‑stress situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead press outreach for CAWP programs and promote events to local and national press.
• Develop press materials, newsletters, and social media content.
• Coordinate with the Director of Communications on strategy and messaging.
• Create graphics and simple videos from CAWP data for social platforms.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Writing/editing

Verbal communications

Organizational skills

Education

BA in journalism / communications / political science

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Publisher

Canva

Photoshop

Social media tools

Job description

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the State of New Jersey’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. As one of the largest employers in the State of New Jersey, Rutgers University is committed not only to the students and the State that we serve, but also to the faculty and staff who work on our campuses.

For two consecutive years, Rutgers is ranked on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Large Employers. Rutgers holds #64 of 500 employers and is the #1 New Jersey employer on the publication’s 2023 list. Rutgers’ commitment to its employees includes maintaining and fostering a safe, diverse, and respectful workplace environment, creating employment opportunities for our nation’s military veterans, and ensuring accessibility and accommodation for individuals with disabilities.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is seeking a Public Relations Specialist II for the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. The Public Relations Specialist II reports to the Director of Communications of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). The Public Relations Specialist II is responsible for two key areas of the Center’s communications strategy: as the lead public relations coordinator for the Center’s education and programming initiatives and as the audience engagement lead. The position will embed with our programs team for the purpose of crafting press releases and media outreach related to our programmatic offerings. They will also produce, in coordination with the Director of Communications and other Center stakeholders, content to be deployed across the Center’s social media channels and newsletter offerings, including written content, graphics, data visualizations, and explainer videos.

Among the key duties of the position are the following:

• Coordinates with CAWP’s programs team to promote our programs to local and national press and to help market these events to their intended audiences.
• Promotes our Ready to Run®, NEW Leadership®, and Teach a Girl to Lead® programs, as well as our annual Wynona Lipman Chair Lecture, and other events, lectures, and public programs.
• Fields incoming media requests related to our programs and proactively pitch journalists to promote these programs.
• Develops strategies to promote CAWP programs in the lead up to these programs.
• Establishes connections with new media contacts to expand the reach of CAWP’ s public programs.
• Assists and be a communications resource for partner Ready to Run® and NEW Leadership® programs around the country.
• Coordinates with the Director of Communications on strategies to frame CAWP programs in blog and op-ed content that highlights their utility and promise.
• Creates materials to highlight programs’ successes to internal and external audiences, including university leadership and donors.
• Creates daily content to deploy across social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and emerging platforms.
• Coordinates with the Director of Communications in the creation and management of a social media calendar.
• Creates graphics from CAWP research, data, events, and educational programs, as well as historical milestones, for deployment on social media.
• Creates simple short-form or explainer videos using CAWP data for social media audiences. Formats and produces a biweekly newsletter focusing on Center products and events. Coordinate with the Director of Communications on the creation of additional newsletter offerings.

On occasion, all members are asked to participate in Institute-wide and/or cross-team projects.

FLSA

FLSA Nonexempt

Grade

Grade 04

Salary Details

Minimum Salary 59893.480

Mid Range Salary 73909.480

Maximum Salary 87925.480

Offer Information

The final salary offer may be determined by several factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and expertise, and availability of department or grant funds to support the position. We also take into consideration market benchmarks, if and when appropriate, and internal equity to ensure fair compensation relative to the university’s broader compensation structure. We are committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation packages to attract and retain top talent.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
• Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
• Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
• Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable)
• Life insurance coverage
• Employee discount programs

Position Status

Full Time

Working Hours

Standard Hours

37.50

Work Arrangement

Consistent with the current application of Rutgers Policy 60.3.22 or the applicable provisions of relevant collective negotiations agreements, this position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Flexible work arrangements are not permanent, subject to change or discontinuation, and contingent on the employee receiving approval in the FlexWork@RU Application System.

Union Description

URA-AFT Administrative

Payroll Designation

PeopleSoft

Terms of Appointment

Staff - 12 month

Position Pension Eligibility

ABP

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

• Minimum of a BA in journalism, political science, communications, or a related field as well as two years of work experience either in corporate, agency, or non-profit public relations, as a journalist, or in communications for an elected official or in government.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills and be comfortable meeting and working with a broad range of people from high-level public officials to media representatives to vendor staff to students in a variety of highly visible settings.
• Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communications skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple tasks and short deadlines in high-stress situations.
• Ability to be very organized, efficient, and detail-oriented.
• Ability to be comfortable working for an organization that is political, yet bi/non-partisan and an organization that straddles the worlds of politics and academia.
• Working knowledge of American politics.
• Knowledge of and interest in women and politics in the U.S. and the specificities of New Jersey politics.
• Understanding of the relevant positions, processes and relationships and be aware of sensitive political issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience interfacing with the American political system through either covering politics as a journalist, working for a politics or policy-oriented non-profit, or working for a political campaign or officeholders’ staff.
• Previous experience with social media management tools like Tweetdeck, Meta Business Suite, Hootsuite.
• Word Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher), Constant Contact, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, PhotoShop, Canva, simple video editing and animating tools, email marketing platforms, social media, and desktop publishing.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Eagleton offices are located within a historic building with no elevator.
• The duties of this position regularly involve navigating stairs numerous times a day.
• An applicant may request a reasonable accommodation if they have a disability that restricts them in their ability to climb and/or navigate stairs.

Special Conditions

• This position requires the availability to work some evenings and weekends.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement

Supplemental Questions

• * Do you have a minimum of a BA in journalism, political science, communications, or a related field as well as two years of work experience either in corporate, agency, or non-profit public relations, as a journalist, or in communications for an elected official or in government?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Are you a current member of URA-AFT Administration?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Documents

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter/Letter of Application
• List of Professional References (contact Info)

Optional Documents

It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: Non-Discrimination-Statement.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation with regard to your access to and/or your participation in the application and selection processes (for example, the online application process or interviews), please call 848-932-3973 or e-mail us .

Rutgers University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. If you have trouble accessing this page because of a disability, please contact us at 732.745.7378 or via email at [e-mail] .

Rutgers University participates in the E-Verify program as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program .

For technical assistance with the applicant tracking system (login, filling out your application, resetting your password, etc.) please contact the ROCS Help Desk at 848-932-4444 or [e-mail] .

To learn more about Rutgers University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on its campuses, click here .