Senior Writer

Arizona State University•Tempe, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Under general direction of the ASU News editors, the Senior Writer researches and writes high-level content for university channels, primarily the ASU News website. The role represents ASU News and Arizona State University to members of the university community and outside constituencies. The position creates compelling long-form and day-turn journalism about the university’s people, programs, issues, and developments, translating complicated topics into clear, accessible prose under deadline pressure. The writer develops a reporting beat, builds relationships with sources, and creates story arcs and narratives for internal and external audiences. The position is based in the ASU News office on the Tempe campus and is performed in and around ASU’s four metro Phoenix campuses. It is an in-office role, with team members permitted up to two work-from-home days each week. Typical hours are 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. weekdays, with occasional evening and weekend coverage. The salary range is $70,000–$82,000 per year, DOE.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and five years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment or field, or an equivalent combination of experience and/or training providing comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Demonstrated knowledge of English-language structure and content, including word meanings and spelling, composition, grammar, and AP style.
Ability to organize work and meet multiple deadlines.
Experience using computers, software programs, and various applications.
Ability to pick up high-level concepts quickly and accurately.
Ability to manage multiple ongoing reporting efforts simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

Experience writing multiple news stories per week, including day-turn and enterprise or longer-form reporting.
Experience building sources and developing and covering a beat.
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination methods, including alternative ways to inform and entertain through written, oral, and visual media.
Knowledge of social media resources and their use in finding stories and distributing work.
Experience working on interdisciplinary teams with other journalists.
Experience creating new and informative storytelling approaches.

Responsibilities

Report, research, and produce long-form and day-turn journalism for ASU News about important university people, programs, issues, and developments.
Maintain composure, creativity, and productivity in a fast-paced environment.
Translate complex topics, including science, technology, engineering, energy, heat, and enterprise-level subjects, into clear, accessible prose under deadline pressure.
Develop and cover a beat, maintain regular contact with sources inside and outside university schools and departments, and generate story ideas for ongoing reporting.
Develop story arcs and narratives that tell the story of the New American University to internal and external audiences.
Execute pitched or assigned stories to generate media coverage and external awareness.
Organize material, determine emphasis, and produce stories across media with advanced journalistic style and writing ability.
Work with editors during editing to clarify storytelling and align presentation with university priorities.
Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with colleagues, faculty, and outside constituencies.
Manage multiple complex reporting efforts simultaneously with close attention to detail.
Create new ways to tell stories across print, video, audio, slideshows, informational graphics, and social media.
Work with media relations officers to balance university priorities with compelling storytelling.
Occasionally pitch stories directly to outside media.
Collaborate with senior editors, photojournalists, the visuals team, media relations, the social media team, and the ASU News director.
Represent ASU News and Arizona State University to university leadership, deans, faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, applicants, and other constituencies.
Cover events such as speeches, lectures, concerts, performances, and sporting events as needed.