Corporate Relations Writer

Corporate Relations Writer

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Corporate Relations Writer at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

Job Purpose

Lead efforts to create fundraising and communication materials during the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship processes for corporations and corporate foundations. Provide creative support to partnership plans developed by corporate giving officers and leadership. Support fundraising activities and strengthen communications within the division to promote the mission, priorities and values of Wayne State University. This position reports to the Senior Director, Corporate Relations.


Essential Functions

(Essential functions are the primary duties/major job responsibilities that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential functions are listed in order of importance.)

Create well-written and visually compelling proposals, presentations, videos, impact reports and other donor-centric materials that focus on fundraising and stewardship objectives. Collaborate with corporate giving officers, the development communications team and other development professionals to ensure efficient production of materials.

Write case statements and general fundraising one-sheets and other materials regarding projects and programs with corporate partners to enable the division to reach its fundraising goals and engagement initiatives. Support corporate gift officers with written proposals, impact reports and other donor-centric materials.

Research corporate cultures and priorities and incorporate in the creation of materials to inform design, photo selection and language. Conduct interviews and research with faculty, students, alumni and donors to gather relevant information.

Act as liaison with corporate communications contacts, Corporate Relations team and WSU's central marketing department to ensure accurate and timely distribution of recognition materials; including media releases, signage, social media posts and promotional videos.

Prepare communication materials such as correspondence, letters of inquiry and concept papers for corporate donors and partners to keep them informed, updated and engaged in Wayne State's mission, programs and projects of interest.

Assist in the planning and creation of communications materials for meetings and events with corporate partners and Wayne State-corporate alumni groups. These will include campus tours, meetings and social gatherings, as well as travel to external corporate offices for meetings and presentations.

Other duties as assigned.

WORK CONTEXT

Job Reports to: Senior Director

Customer Accountability: Interfaces with customers outside the S/C/D

Freedom to Act: Operates with significant autonomy

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduation from an accredited college of university with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field.

Knowledge and understanding of university policies and procedures.

Experience

Specialist (minimum 5 years of job-related experience)

Additional experience information:

• At least three years professional writing experience within advancement or fundraising communications for a college, university or nonprofit preferred.

• Strong PowerPoint and presentation skills

• Experience with other elements of communication such as graphic design, video production and editing, social media, etc. is highly preferred.

• Strong research, interviewing, writing and editing skills with demonstrated proofreading skills.

• Strong knowledge and understanding of fundraising and stewardship processes and communications.

• Experience in a higher education fundraising environment preferred.

• Direct experience preparing proposals and participating in cultivation/solicitation preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and professionally both orally and in writing. Strong interpersonal skills are critical. Ability to work successfully with persons from diverse backgrounds. Ability to evaluate and interpret information regarding programs and gift handling.


WRITING AND EDITING SKILLS: Outstanding writing and editing skills with limited turnaround times. Strong vocabulary; editing and proofreading experience. Knowledge of AP Style preferred.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION: Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting deadlines. Strong organizational and time-management skills required. Demonstrated ability to manage and execute multiple writing assignments. Maturity, sound judgment and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.

ANALYTICAL AND PRESENTATION SKILLS: Must possess a demonstrated attention to detail in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy.

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Teams. Some experience in Adobe Creative Suite and/or CMS is helpful.

LEARNING AGILITY: Adaptable self-starter who learns quickly and can effectively prioritize projects by deadline and contribution to division goals. Experience researching topics to gain knowledge and understanding when information gaps exist.

TEAMWORK: Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues within the division and other units to gain full understanding of the project and desired outcome; ability to produce high quality and consistent results with assistance of team members; provide support to teammates when tackling complex projects.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION: Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors and proactively managing implicit bias.

School/College/Division:

H86 - Development & Alumni Affairs

Primary department:

H8605 Development Office

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Staff/Administrative

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary
  
• Salary minimum: $55,000
• Salary hire maximum: $58,000

Working conditions:

Office environment. Adhere to confidentiality and data usage policy for the division. This position requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. It will require periodic extended hours to support division objectives and time-sensitive projects.

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
  

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.

Equal employment opportunity statement:

Wayne State University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. The university encourages applications from women, people of color and other underrepresented people. Wayne State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.