Associate VC for News & Media Relations

Principle Responsibility

Serves as a member of the University’s senior communications team. Creates and implements data informed strategies to promote the University’s achievements, distinctions and leadership to local, regional, national, and international news media; plays a collaborative role in crisis and issues management and acts as university spokesperson; directs emergency management communications; manages internal campus communications; oversees creation and distribution of digital content of news 
and events, including material for university-level social media channels.

Supports communications initiatives for multiple offices, including Research and Engagement, Equity, and Inclusion, and more; exercises sole judgment in representing the campus in the media during fast breaking events and consults directly with the Chancellor as needed; helps direct related social media. Handles special assignments for the Vice Chancellor including collaborations with members of the Campus Leadership Council. The job requires being available outside normal business hours, including evening and weekends.

Specific Duties

Innovate

  • Progresses the state of the News and Media Relations Office – evolving the approach to further increase proactive engagement with media while continuing to meet the needs of the key constituents across the university.
  • Leverages group of Subject Matter Experts to turn to for media relations needs and to further establish UMass Amherst as a thought leader within the Commonwealth and higher education at large.
  • Stays abreast of the industry trends, best practices and emerging technologies in media relations and news dissemination, leveraging new opportunities to enhance the university’s media presence and engagement. Have a pulse on the evolving ways the audiences consume media and how their interests align with the subject matter.
  • Defines and supports the role of social media as a powerful tool in telling authentic institutional stories and connecting with critical audiences.
  • Evolves how the News and Media Relations team collaborates with colleagues across the university to better serve the needs of the institution and reduce duplicative efforts, especially with regards to content creation and social media.

Lead

  • Develops and implements a media communications strategy that promotes UMass Amherst as the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, highlighting the achievements and distinctions of the campus community, including faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Focuses locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally at times.
  • Develops strong relationships of mutual trust and information sharing with media leaders.
  • Leads and mentors a team of media relations and news professionals, providing mentorship, guidance, and strategic direction to achieve the departmental and University-wide goals and objectives. Helps the team understand the “why” behind initiatives. Motivates the team to work more collaboratively and efficiently across all stakeholders.
  • Oversees the operation of the Office of News and Media Relations, including management of news writers and editors, social media, video production, photography, live-shot TV studio to showcase UMass on national networks, and campus-wide internal communications, with an emphasis on the Inside UMass website and weekly newsletter as well as broadcast e-mail for the Chancellor and other top officials.
  • Supervises daily selection of news stories and calendar items for the university home page. Helps direct campus spirit and student engagement initiatives through social media.
  • Guides administrators and faculty with media communications, including acting as a liaison on their behalf and offering educational programming. Works regularly with staff in UMass President’s Office.

Partner

  • Plays a lead role in crisis and issues management, working closely with the Vice Chancellor for University Relations, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Issues Management, the Chancellor, and other members of the Campus Leadership Council. Serves as spokesperson for the campus on all matters affecting the university’s reputation that generate media interest. This includes positive and negative news stories, public records requests, events, and occurrences during times of crisis, and all other newsworthy events. Exercises discretion and judgment in issuing all responses.
  • Helps shape University-wide communications strategy in collaboration with colleagues in marketing, web management, publications, events, community relations and research communications.
  • Partners across the university to identify newsworthy stories, research initiatives, and accomplishments worthy of media attention.
  • Develop/gain trust with subject matter experts within the university to be able to leverage/call on as spokespersons and media resources on various topics and issues

Serve

  • Serves as senior communications officer for emergency management operations, on call 24/7. Develops, tests, and implements emergency communications, employing a range of technologies to gather and transmit prompt, accurate and coordinated messages to internal and external audiences. Acts as official University spokesperson to news media and for all public 
    information purposes during an emergency and its aftermath. Participates in ongoing training exercises with senior university officials and outside agencies.
  • Serves the university’s primary spokesperson and media liaison, cultivating relationships with journalists, editors, and key media outlets to secure positive coverage of the UMass community.
  • Formulates media and social media strategies for the Chancellor and the campus. Also prepares background materials and talking points for the Chancellor for interviews, speeches, video shoots, personal visits, small-groups, and campus-wide audiences, including institutional points of pride, reports to the Trustees and website content.
  • Guide the student journalists – triaging to SMEs/spokespersons, educating students on how to approach stories, overall taking on a mentoring role to budding journalists.

Read the full description here.

UMass Amherst has retained the Executive Search Firm, The Ward Group, to lead the search efforts. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: info [at] wardgroup [dot] com (info[at]wardgroup[dot]com) and reference "UMass Amherst" in the subject line.