"Media Relations Officer"

Position Focus

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Communications, the Media Relations Officer in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications is responsible for proactively pursuing positive media coverage for the university in local, national and international news media outlets. This position helps to support the goal of raising the profile of Yale University by highlighting the university’s priorities and differentiators from peer institutions.

This position identifies opportunities for pitching the media; and effectively responds to media inquiries. The position helps to monitor and report on Yale’s performance in the media and prepares and trains faculty for media engagements. The position works collaboratively with other units within OPAC to help ensure alignment of work around both owned and earned media. The position also works with other campus communicators to help disseminate press releases and coordinate relevant media events. The successful incumbent will exemplify Yale’s mission and its President’s vision for the university.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Metrics-driven/results-oriented
2. Excellent grasp of all primary media channels, including broadcast, digital, social, and print.
3. Demonstrated ability to take initiative, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects under time pressure to produce outstanding results on deadline.
4. Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
5. Experience with digital communications and social media.
6. Ability to work effectively with media representatives and stakeholders at all levels of the organization, and build relationships externally and internally.

Preferred Education and Experience

1. Experience in media relations, print and broadcast journalism.
2. Experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, or state agencies.
3. Experience managing crisis issues.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Develop and maintain relationships with local, national, and international media outlets and individual journalists poised to tell various aspects of Yale’s story. 
2. Facilitate the connection between key Yale faculty and relevant journalists.
3. Write compelling pitches and prepare Yale experts for broadcast, print, and radio interviews, including through on-camera media training. 
4. Coordinate press conferences for major announcements, e.g., Nobel Prizes.
5. Coordinate with documentary and media film crews wishing to film on campus.
6. Coordinate with writers to execute communications plans for campus initiatives and academic work. 
7. Work closely with multimedia content creators to present multimedia stories to media representatives across all channels.
8. Provide communications support for special programs or projects as assigned, such as commencement, reunions, fundraising, symposia, and official campus visits.
9. Coordinate with campus communicators around the university.
10. Perform related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a related field and five years of media/public relations experience or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Salary Range

$68,000.00 - $120,500.00

Location

2 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut