Job Summary

The Spokesperson is a full-time position in the Office of Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC), handling day-to-day issues that necessitate a media response or could require public messaging later. This position reports to the Director of Issues Management and Spokesperson and assists the Director in carrying out key media communications plans and media responses for the entire campus, with a focus on Campus Operations, Infrastructure and Resilience, Local Government and Community Engagement, Sustainability and other areas of campus as assigned.

The Spokesperson will be involved with campus emergency communications and will serve as the university’s Public Information Officer (PIO) on-call rotation. This position will also be a member of the Emergency Services Public Information Officers of Colorado (ESPIOC) to stay abreast of current standards and develop relationships with other regional PIOs.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Coordinate and deliver timely and clear responses to the student, local, state, national and global media that cover the University of Colorado Boulder.
• Develop quick media strategies, response plans, talking points, official statements and social media messages, and serve as spokesperson to advance them.
• Proactively identify potential crises/issues before they arise and create strategic plans on how to address them.
• Handle day-to-day contacts, along with the Associate Director, for media requests in assigned beat areas and as assigned by the Director.
• Gather facts, data and background information in support of developing communication plans and strategies, presentations, editorials and other communication deliverables.
• Develop relationships with campus partners to understand the media relations aspects of major initiatives, announcements, issues and other matters of public interest.
• Coordinate media strategies for the university, including identifying story ideas, noting trends in higher education news, and promoting the university’s profile.
• Write news releases, media advisories, CU Boulder Today newsletter stories, social media and other strategic messages for dissemination across a variety of media platforms.
• Support emergency/crisis communication and response.
• Develop university communications and responses to media inquiries in emergency/crisis situations.
• In coordination with the Director, Associate Director and Public Information Officer, manage the university’s communications response to emergencies as needed.
• Receive training in emergency response communications standards.
• Serve in regular rotation as on-call weekend campus PIO.
• Perform other writing, editing and strategizing responsibilities as assigned.

What You Should Know

This is a hybrid work opportunity that may require some nights and weekends.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this position is $92,000-$110,000.

What We Require

• 5+ years in media/public relations role or a combination of reporting/editing for a media organization and/or institutional communications for a college, university or public agency/entity, or in the private or non-profit sectors.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, public relations/advertising or in a related discipline.

What You Will Need

• Ability to think quickly, employ standard processes in both institutional and crisis communications.
• Ability to present a calm and focused presence in print and broadcast interviews and to articulate complicated policies and positions in clear and careful common language.
• Ability to listen to others, quickly synthesize complex information and build consensus on public messages.
• Proficient knowledge of Associated Press style.
• Experience in monitoring media channels that include: social media, broadcast, print, wire service, independent and emerging media.
• Experience in creating communications plans, strategy documents, talking points and issues primers for key executives and messengers.
• Excellent writing skills that require little editing.
• High emotional intelligence; ability to remain calm and in control during stressful/emergency situations.

What We Would Like You to Have

• 7+ years in media/public relations role or a combination of reporting/editing for a media organization and/or institutional communications for a college, university or public agency/entity, or in the private or non-profit sectors.