Public Relations Specialist

Posting Details

Vacancy Number
S01316
Position Title
Public Communication Spec
Working Title
Public Relations Specialist
Competency Level
Journey
Dept/School
Office of University Relations - 25800
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The mission of the Office of University Relations ( OUR ) is to strengthen brand identity and increase local, regional and national awareness of the UNCW brand; enhance internal communications between administration and faculty/staff/students and among cross-departmental colleagues; and create and implement more effective communications processes for OUR support requests, media relations, campus and crisis communications, etc.

College
Chancellor - 25000 College
College/School Information

University Information

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to- BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

Location of Workplace
Main UNCW Campus
Brief Summary of Work for this Position

Responsibilities include: researching, conceptualizing, writing and distributing press pitches, news stories and releases; informing local, regional and national media about university achievements, including faculty, staff and student achievements; coordinating news conferences and special events; managing emerging media issues with potential impact to the university; constructing and disseminating messages to campus and media during emergency incidents; and supporting the web-based crisis communication system for campus; collaborating with Office of University Relations ( OUR ) staff to plan promotional photography, video and multimedia projects; creating content for web platforms and contributing to social media platforms on an as-needed basis; may supervise student interns.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be
received from appropriately accredited institutions.

• Applicants will be considered only if qualifications include specific and direct experience in a media relations/publicist role at an agency, non-profit or for-profit institution
  
  
• Must be able to use a variety of technologies (web design, social media, web content management)
  
  
• Must be able to work with faculty, staff and campus administrators to develop media stories and communicate strategic messages to media as well as to the campus and local community
  
  
• Must be able to identify and cultivate interview subjects and experts for media
  
  
• Must be able to proactively manage sensitive and confidential issues with potential impact to the university and address related media inquiries appropriately
  
  
• Must demonstrate significant knowledge of professional public relations standards
  
  
• Must possess sense of discretion and professional demeanor
  
  
• At least three years of progressive experience in media relations, specifically, with an agency or large public or private organization
  Preferred education, professional skills and experience
  
• Bachelor’s degree in communication, creative writing, English, journalism, professional writing or a discipline related to the area of assignment
  
  
• Experience supervising students and interns a plus
  
  
• Media training (of executive leadership) experience a plus
  Required Certifications or licensure
  
  Recruitment Range
  $44,000 - $50,217
  FTE
  1.0 (40 hours per week)
  Months Per Year
  12 Months
  Work Days
  Monday - Friday
  Work Hours
  8:00AM - 5:00PM
  Type of Position
  Permanent
  Anticipated Ending Date if Time-Limited
  
  Position Number
  1215
  Job Posting Date
  02/08/2021
  Posting Close Date
  02/22/2021
  Special Notes to Applicants
  
  PLEASE NOTE : This posting will close at 11:59PM on the posted closing date. To receive full consideration, please be sure you have fully completed the entire application before you apply for this position. Failure to answer all required questions will cause the system to disqualify your application.
  
  For more info/to apply visit http://jobs.uncw.edu. Applications must be submitted through the online application system to be considered.
  
  You will be required to attach a cover letter and resume to successfully apply for this position. To receive full consideration, please be sure you have completed the ‘Work History’ section of the application before you apply for this position.
  
  This position is being recruited at the Journey level. If no applicants apply who meet the required competency and training & experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations.
  
  EEO Statement
  
  At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington ( UNCW ), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.
  
  External Link to Posting
  https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/19861
  Applicant Documents
  Required Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume
3. List of 3 Professional References
4. Writing Sample
5. Work Sample - News Story
6. Work Sample - Human Interest Story

Optional Documents Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * Describe your experience in media training.
   
   (Open Ended Question)
   
   
2. * Describe your experience in writing news stories/media releases or pitches.
   
   (Open Ended Question)
   
   
3. * Discuss any experience you have handling crisis communications.
   
   (Open Ended Question)
   
   
4. * How did you learn of this opportunity with UNC Wilmington (2021)?
   • UNCW Website
   • UNCW Facebook Page
   • UNCW Linkedin Page
   • UNCW Twitter Account
   • UNCW Employee Referral
   • Chronicle of Higher Education
   • Craigslist
   • Diverse Issues in Higher Education
   • Glassdoor
   • Higher Ed Jobs
   • Hispanic Outlook
   • Indeed
   • Inside Higher Ed
   • North Carolina Job Network
   • Women In Higher Education
   • Other