Communication Specialist

Arizona State University•Phoenix, AZ

1d•$51,500 - $55,000•Hybrid

About The Position

ASU Health at Arizona State University seeks a motivated and skilled Communications Specialist to strategically and creatively develop content that advances the reputation of ASU Health and its academic units, the College of Health Solutions, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, and the School of Technology for Public Health. A strong writer and storyteller, the Communications Specialist will seek out and develop newsworthy stories, coordinate social media content in partnership with the social media manager, create email content, and ensure that content is leveraged across multiple channels and in both digital and print formats. The person in this role must become familiar with ASU Health, the academic units, programs, research and people, and proactively seek opportunities to share their stories with key audiences. Under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Communications, this position will develop and maintain an editorial calendar, pitch story ideas and seek out leads, write and create content. The Communications Specialist will work closely with other ASU Health Strategic Marketing and Events team members, as well as with faculty and staff throughout the enterprise. The position will serve as a liaison with ASU Media Relations and Strategic Communications to plan and pitch stories to reporters, generate positive media coverage, and provide faculty experts for interviews, as well as update and maintain faculty directory across ASU Health units. Other key responsibilities include developing internal communications for college events and writing copy for various email newsletters. The position may supervise freelance writers and student workers. Candidates who move to the final interview round will be asked to provide 3-5 writing samples (as individual links, PDF files, or an online portfolio).

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and three (3) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
Ability to clearly communicate to perform essential functions
Experience planning, developing and producing creative, high-quality communications content for multiple audiences and channels.
Experience translating complicated or technical subjects into common language.
Experience interviewing subject matter experts.
Experience working as or with members of the news media.
Experience reviewing and editing the written work of others.
Experience in planning and maintaining a regular editorial schedule and pitching stories to editors or supervisors.
Experience working in a team environment and collaborating with multiple stakeholders.
Experience in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students, alumni and development teams and community partners.
Evidence of strategic thinking, proactively making recommendations, and the ability to develop creative solutions to meet organizational goals.
Evidence of effective written and verbal communication skills.
Experience writing feature stories for general audiences.
Strong ability to collaborate across teams and establish effective working relationships with faculty, staff, and community members.
Demonstrated knowledge of Associated Press style.
Demonstrated skill in project management, strategic communication planning, and media placement.

Nice To Haves

Skilled in multimedia storytelling, such as the ability to take quality photos and produce videos.
Experience with social media platforms for journalistic or marketing uses.
Demonstrated knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud applications (such as Premiere) is a plus.

Responsibilities

Plans, develops and writes high-quality feature stories showcasing ASU Health enterprise faculty, staff, students, research and programs.
Plans and writes content for external email newsletters.
Plans, writes and edits copy for email communications such as research conferences, event invitations and confirmations.
Leverages all communication channels (print, web, email, video, social media, events, etc.) to generate interest in and advance the reputation of ASU Health and its academic units.
Develops content tailored for diverse audiences across channels to enhance the visibility of ASU Health and its academic units’ initiatives.
Enhances storytelling with visuals such as photos and videos, or coordinates with other team members/vendors to obtain visuals.
Liaises with ASU Media Relations and Strategic Communications to generate media coverage and coordinate reporter interviews with subject matter experts.
Coaches and edits the work of others, such as student workers and contractors.
Ensures all copy meets university brand standards and Associated Press style.
Advises on communication strategies and participates in strategic planning to advance the reputation and reach of ASU Health and the academic units.
Assists with special projects, events and other duties as assigned.
Regular activities require ability to quickly change priorities, which may include and/or are subject to resolution of conflicts
Use critical thinking to make decisions and/or analyze and report data/results of tests conducted
Use office equipment
Use an ASU or personal vehicle to travel to different campuses