Communications Lead/Communications Associate - Kasiska Division of Health Sciences (2885)

Idaho State University

2d•$49,750 - $60,000•Onsite

About The Position

This announcement will be used to fill either a Communications Lead or Communications Associate role for the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences (KDHS), dependent upon the successful candidate's skills and experience. The Kasiska Division of Health Sciences (KDHS) Communications Lead is responsible for oversight and coordination of all public relations and communications efforts for the KDHS, which includes division-level initiatives along with the College of Pharmacy (COP), College of Health (COH), School of Nursing (SON), health clinics at both the Pocatello and Meridian campuses and pharmacies across the state. Working closely with the KDHS Marketing Lead and KDHS Clinics Business Promotions Specialist, the Communications Lead will guide the creation of a multi-faceted and cohesive communications strategy for all KDHS units and priorities with a focus on storytelling, public and media relations. The Kasiska Division of Health Sciences (KDHS) Communications Associate is responsible for coordination of public relations and communications efforts for the KDHS. Working closely with the Office of Marketing and Communications and KDHS leadership, the Communications Associate will guide the creation of communications deliverables with a focus on storytelling, public and media relations. This position is not eligible for new visa sponsorship at this time. Candidates who already hold valid U.S. work authorization may be considered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or related field. In lieu of a bachelor's degree, a minimum six years combined education, training, and experience may be considered.
At least two (2) years professional experience writing news or feature stories, engaging with the news media, and using social media to support business or organizational goals.
In addition to the required qualifications, in order to qualify for the Lead role candidates must demonstrate strong time-management skills, and the ability to work both collaboratively and independently on complex projects in high throughput, timeline-intensive work environments often with tight deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business, marketing or relevant field.
Professional experience working in a higher education setting.
Experience with producing and editing video content.
Experience with photography and photo editing.

Responsibilities

Build awareness of & engagement with programs to advance public, media & legislative relations objectives
Understand the nuances and challenges faced by each department or program in order to provide direction for internal & external communications, news stories, recruitment goals & other priorities
Maintain & grow ISU’s standing as Idaho’s leader in health sciences education
Create & implement an annual communication strategic plan - prioritize planning, implementation, development & tracking of success metrics
Evaluate the return on investment of current communications & media efforts through research, focus groups, & other methods to provide strategic direction for improvements
Continually identify new opportunities to deliver key university messages to target audiences
Research background data & interview sources to write and distribute routine news releases covering research endeavors, student success stories, faculty appointments, program updates, meetings & events
Write feature stories & in-depth articles, human interest stories, etc. on a wide variety of topics
Post stories & news releases to the ISU website & submit for distribution to media outlets across the state & region
Provide support to senior administrators for communications & presentations
Prepare electronic newsletters for KDHS & assist division units with outreach communications
Capture or coordinate photographs & videos for print & electronic media
Serve as media liaison to arrange KDHS personnel to make media appearances or interviews
Serve on the ISU Content Creation Team
Oversee the strategic operation & content development of KDHS social media accounts with focus on growing & enhancing social media presence, reach & engagement
Update website content using a Content Management System; provide training for others within the KDHS charged with updating web content
Develop & present reports that share research, communications & media performance, & tactic effectiveness
Provide communications support for large events (such as the ISU Health Fair, Geriatric Symposium, Health Science Experience Night, grand openings, dedications, etc.)
Collaborate with KDHS Development Officers, along with the ISU Office of Alumni & Advancement to align communications efforts with major fundraising initiatives annually
Position requires occasional availability for after-hours & weekend events, including occasional travel to & from the ISU Meridian campus
Work with unit leaders and Office of Marketing and Communications to prioritize communication needs for the unit
Identify new opportunities to deliver key university messages to target audiences
Write and distribute routine news releases, feature stories and in-depth articles, human interest stories, etc. on a wide variety of topics covering research endeavors, student success stories, faculty appointments, program updates, meetings, and events
Post stories and news releases to the ISU website and submit to the Office of Marketing and Communications for distribution to media outlets across the state and region
Oversee content development for social media accounts with focus on growing and enhancing social media presence, reach and engagement
Position requires availability for after-hours and weekend events and communications