Director, Media Relations

California State University, Fullerton•Fullerton, CA

About The Position

Strategic Communications and Brand Management plays an integral role in helping to shape and strengthen the institutions brand and advance in a wide range of institutional effectiveness. We are a team of creative, thoughtful, and empathetic storytellers that take pride in representing the university’s image and reputation through inspiring and motivating stories of our exceptional faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors. We seek an exceptional individual to join our Strategic Communications team as the Director, Media Relations (Administrator II). The ideal candidate in this role should have a positive attitude, an active, energetic mind, and a leadership style that is characterized by highly ethical practices and a commitment to inclusivity, openness, flexibility, integrity, and kindness. The Director of Media Relations manages the university’s external strategic media relations under the guidance of the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications and the Chief Communication Officer. This role is critical in supporting the President’s Office and extended cabinet by coordinating media outreach that safeguards and strengthens the university’s public reputation through external and earned media, ensuring all practices align with public relations and higher‑education industry standards. The Director oversees a team responsible for the university’s reputational management and development, primarily through earned media and news coverage, and serves as a key adviser on issues management. In collaboration with university leadership, the Director leads the creation, implementation, and oversight of a comprehensive strategic media plan that reflects the university mission and values, establishes clear media objectives, reports regularly on progress through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), modernizes media engagement practices, and prepares leadership and faculty for media interviews and public engagement. The Director leads and advises on media outreach efforts that elevate the university’s educational and research priorities, campus services, and community. The Director’s strategic guidance reflects an understanding of public higher education, CSUF’s mission and audiences, its role within the California State University system, and its relationships with agencies, business partners, and community organizations in Southern California. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing from an accredited four-year college or university, or a related field is required.
The candidate should have seven to ten years of public relations experience and demonstrate strong interpersonal and soft skills.
The position requires excellent writing abilities, including providing three to five examples of successful news pitches or news releases.
The candidate must also have the ability to translate technical or scientific language into consumer-friendly messaging that resonates with journalists.
Experience working with a collaborative team that relies on coordinated workflows to achieve owned and earned media goals for an institution or organization is essential.
Additionally, the candidate should have successfully led media outreach campaigns that enhanced institutional reputation and be able to provide three to five examples of such work.
A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment.
A valid California driver’s license and/or reliable source of transportation.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred.
Experience working in higher education.
The candidate should demonstrate a strong news sense and seasoned judgment regarding sensitivities.
The position requires a model communicator and public relations professional with experience leading and coaching staff.
The candidate should be accustomed to working closely with peers and leadership to determine appropriate responses or promotional outreach strategies that support public engagement and reputational objectives, while achieving media mentions and audience outreach goals at the campuswide, local, regional, national, and international levels.
Established strong personal relationships with reporters and media outlets, including maintaining regular calls, meetings, and check-ins.
Experience with innovative media collaborations that highlight thought leadership—such as administrator and faculty expertise, as well as student experiences—is desirable.
The candidate should be proficient with journalist engagement and media analytics tools (e.g., Meltwater, Muck Rack, Cision) and reporting.
Experience pitching and managing stories with ethnic media outlets and tailoring messaging for diverse audiences is also preferred.

Responsibilities

Manages the university’s external strategic media relations
Coordinates media outreach that safeguards and strengthens the university’s public reputation through external and earned media
Oversees a team responsible for the university’s reputational management and development
Serves as a key adviser on issues management
Leads the creation, implementation, and oversight of a comprehensive strategic media plan
Leads and advises on media outreach efforts that elevate the university’s educational and research priorities, campus services, and community