Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Public Relations & Digital Content Creation

Wayne State University • Detroit, MI

6d • Onsite

About The Position

Wayne State University seeks a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Public Relations and Digital Content Creation in its Department of Communication, beginning August 18, 2027. The successful candidate will bring teaching and research expertise in public relations and strategic communication, along with experience creating digital content for multimedia communication, such as brand storytelling. The role calls for an active research agenda in areas such as digital public relations, marketing communication, social media, organizational communication, or measurement and analytics. Additional professional experience in public relations and strategic communication is preferred.

The faculty member will teach undergraduate courses in the Digital Content Production major and graduate courses in public relations and organizational communication. Other responsibilities include advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in public relations, strategic communication, mass communication, journalism, digital media, and content creation, and contributing to curriculum development at both levels.

The Department of Communication has approximately 350 undergraduate majors and 60 graduate students, with programs in communication studies, media arts and studies, film, journalism, and public relations. Its facilities include a broadcast-quality video studio, specialized student computer labs, and digital film and video editing suites. The department has 26 full-time faculty members and more than 20 part-time faculty members. Wayne State University is a public urban research university in Detroit and a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) institution.

Requirements

• A PhD in Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related discipline.
• Experience with visual content creation, audio podcasting, broadcasting, and post-production.
• Ability to teach students the technical use of multimedia tools and guide them through content production from pre-production to post-production and editing.
• At least two years of university teaching experience.
• An active record of research at the national level.
• Clear evidence of potential to establish a national reputation through peer-reviewed scholarship and an interest in applying for extramural funds.
• Interest in working with students from diverse backgrounds and willingness to mentor graduate students.

Nice To Haves

• Additional professional experience in public relations and strategic communication.
• Professional experience producing strategic communication video, audio, or social media content.
• Research collaboration experience across disciplines or with community or external partners.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in the Digital Content Production major, including Fundamentals of New Media Production, Digital Writing and Research Methods, Visual Communication & Content Creation, Data Analysis and Research, and Social Media for Strategic Communication.
• Teach graduate courses such as PR Theory, Organizational Communication, and PR Campaigns and Issues Management.
• Mentor and advise graduate and undergraduate students pursuing careers in public relations, strategic communication, mass communication, journalism, digital media, and content creation.
• Contribute to curriculum development initiatives at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Maintain an active program of peer-reviewed research and pursue research funding opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree