Creative Storytelling Strategist

Belmont University • Belmont, CA

3d

About The Position

We are now accepting applications for a qualified Creative Storytelling Strategist at Belmont University. This is a part-time, six-month position reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer. The Creative Storytelling Strategist leads the creative and editorial strategy through which Belmont tells the story of its Christ-centered formation-and-enterprise model. This involves catalyzing partnerships, solutions, research, workforce development, and enterprise that help Nashville, Middle Tennessee, and beyond thrive. The role discerns, creates, and amplifies stories across three strategic domains: Health & Healthcare; Entertainment, Arts & Culture; and Community & Regional Thriving. The work is invitational, aiming to help partners, funders, collaborators, and practitioners see consequential issues in new ways and choose to participate. This role complements, rather than replaces, University Marketing & Communications and the President's communications platform.

Requirements

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and the ability to respond to high-pressure situations.
• Ability to thrive in an environment of hard work.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to identify issues, obtain relevant information, relate and compare data from different sources, and identify alternative solutions.
• Interprets and seeks information, uses independent reasoning to diagnose the root cause of situations or issues, identifies and tests solutions and thinks beyond what is typical or customary.
• Uses information to determine benefits and impact in making decision and/or recommendations.
• Ability to coordinate and administer programs/project activities and protocols.
• Ability to manage resources, monitor activities, and assess risks and quality issues associated with the program/project.
• Ability to present information to individuals or groups; ability to deliver presentations suited to the characteristics and needs of the audience.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely to groups or individuals either verbally or in writing to ensure that they understand the information and the message.
• Ability to listen and respond appropriately to others.
• Ability to impact and influence others to further the institution’s strategic objectives.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and basic databases and software.
• Recognize what is genuinely interesting, human, distinctive, and consequential; fluent across visual, written, and multimedia storytelling formats.
• Work effectively with senior leaders, faculty, and community voices; use networks and partnerships to extend the reach of important work.
• Bachelor's degree with extensive course work in related field; Master's degree strongly preferred. Applicable fields of study could includes but are not limited to Journalism, Communications, Film/Media, etc.
• Seven to nine years of experience required with 10-15 preferred in storytelling, journalism, media production, or creative direction.
• The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check satisfactory to the University.
• Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Produce and direct flagship strategic storytelling products and supporting assets across film, writing, audio, photography, live experiences, and digital formats; develop story concepts, editorial treatments, and creative briefs; produce directly where appropriate and commission, guide, and manage freelancers, agencies, and production partners when specialized production is needed.
• Develop and steward the creative and editorial vision for Belmont's strategic storytelling portfolio, including a written Strategic Storytelling Framework: the overarching editorial thesis, narrative territories, editorial principles, story-selection criteria, creative standards, and a practical process for moving a story from identification to publication or activation.
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize the highest-value stories across OSI's portfolio; audit existing content and assets; and build a coherent, prioritized story inventory and pipeline across Health & Healthcare; Entertainment, Arts & Culture; and Community & Regional Thriving.
• Define priority audiences and the invitation associated with each; create audience, distribution, and activation plans; and identify regional and national amplification opportunities through owned channels, earned media, partner channels, external platforms, and relevant networks.
• Collaborate with University Marketing & Communications, the President's communications team, enterprise ecosystem leaders, the Chief Creative Officer, Innovation Labs, Belmont Ventures, faculty, students, and external partners; clarify collaboration and handoff points and coordinate closely where stories touch Belmont's public standing.
• Establish and apply a concise measurement framework focused on leading indicators of understanding, engagement, participation, partnership, and strategic traction rather than visibility alone; capture lessons from pilot stories in a learning memo.
• Develop a 24+ month Strategic Storytelling Roadmap recommending editorial priorities, major story arcs, recurring series and formats, channel strategy, operating model, governance and decision rights, and indicative resource and investment requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level