Assistant Professor, Media and Communication

ETSU•Jonesborough, TN

12h•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Media and Communication in the College of Business and Technology at East Tennessee State University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Media and Communication with expertise in Public Relations, Social Media Management, and Strategic Communication. This is a nine-month, tenure-track position beginning August 2026. The successful candidate will support undergraduate and graduate instruction in the Media and Communication (BA/BS) program, specifically in the Public Relations and Social Media Management concentration, and the Brand and Media Strategy (MA) program, with particular emphasis on audience analytics, brand insight and analytics, public relations, and social media strategy. The position includes teaching, research, and service responsibilities consistent with ETSU’s expectations for tenure-track faculty (60% teaching, 20% research, 20% service).

Requirements

Commitment to student mentorship and academic advising
Commitment to service to the department, college, university, and professional community
Ability to contribute to community-engaged and experiential learning initiatives
Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in public relations, social media management, and strategic communication
Demonstrated potential to develop and sustain an independent, high-quality research agenda
Ph.D. in Advertising, Public Relations, Strategic Communication, Media and Communication, Marketing, Mass Communication, or a closely related field from an accredited institution (ABD considered, but Ph.D. must be completed by the time of appointment)
Evidence of effective teaching or strong potential for teaching excellence

Nice To Haves

Teaching experience at the university level
Experience teaching both skills-based practical courses and theory courses in public relations, social media, and other related media and communication topics
Ability to teach audience analytics and brand insight and analytics
Experience teaching graduate courses and supervising theses or capstone projects
Professional experience in public relations, social media management, or strategic communication
Evidence of scholarly publications or conference presentations
Experience with industry partnerships, applied learning, or community-engaged projects
Experience with analytics tools, digital media platforms, and brand strategy
Graduate faculty eligibility

Responsibilities

Maintain an active and productive research agenda in brand communication, audience analytics, media and marketing analytics, or strategic communication
Publish in peer-reviewed academic journals and professional outlets
Contribute to scholarly collaboration within the department and college
Support the research mission of the Brand and Media Strategy graduate program
Pursue external funding and applied research opportunities when appropriate
Serve on departmental, college, and university committees
Participate in graduate faculty responsibilities and tenure and promotion processes
Support student recruitment and retention initiatives
Contribute to curriculum development and program assessment
Build partnerships with business, nonprofit, and community organizations
Support experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration across the college
Support the development of the Public Relations and Social Media Management concentration
Teach a 3/3 course load (nine credit hours per semester) in undergraduate and graduate Media and Communication courses
Teach courses such as Brand and Social Media Production (PUBR 3770), Media and Society (MCOM 3070), Media and You (MCOM 1030), Seminar in Mass Communication (MCOM 5040), and other public relations, social media management, and strategic communication courses
Teach audience analytics and brand insight/analytics at the graduate and undergraduate levels
Chair and serve on graduate theses and capstone projects
Advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students