Senior Media Relations Specialist

Position Summary

• The Senior Media Relations Specialist is part of the Media Relations team at Vanderbilt University
• and
• is
• responsible
• for
• developing
• and
• implementing
• media
• relations
• plans
• and
• tactics to enhance Vanderbilt University’s reputation, and to advance the university’s mission as a premier academic research institution. This position will conduct proactive and reactive media relations, including monitoring news developments, developing messaging, and building productive relationships with local, national, and international news media.
• In addition, the Senior Media Relations Specialist will support the Division of Communications’ executive
• communications
• strategy
• and
• will
• be
• responsible
• for
• sourcing
• speaking
• engagements and contributed content opportunities on behalf of university leadership, including the Chancellor. This includes coordination and placement of bylined articles and op-eds. Reporting
• to
• the

Media

Relations

Manager,

the

Senior

Media

Relations

Specialist

• will
• interact with university leadership, faculty, staff, students, and internal/external stakeholders.
• The Media Relations team within the Division of Communications designs and executes integrated communications strategies to protect and enhance Vanderbilt’s local, national and international reputation, and positions the university as one of the world’s leading academic research
• institutions
• through
• the
• distribution
• of
• compelling
• content
• across
• a
• variety
• of
• digital
• and traditional channels.

About the Work Unit

• The Communications and Marketing team at Vanderbilt University is a dynamic and deeply collaborative group. The division, with all of its departments and sub-teams, serves as the institution-wide center of excellence for communications and marketing, developing and executing strategies that inform, engage and inspire others to participate in Vanderbilt University’s global academic and research mission. The division is a key strategic adviser and partner for other divisions in the university, providing comprehensive plans and thoughtful analysis
• on
• messaging
• opportunities
• and
• constraints.

The

Communications

and

Marketing

team continuously seeks innovative solutions to new and emerging challenges in order to deliver results at scale to advance the larger mission, values and priorities of the university.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop

• and
• execute
• media
• relations
• plans
• and
• tactics
• that
• reflect
• and support
• the university's overall communications goals. Measurably
• raise
• the
• profile
• of
• university
• leadership,
• including
• the
• Chancellor,
• in
• key media outlets and with key stakeholders. Arrange,
• facilitate
• and
• attend
• media
• interviews
• with
• faculty,
• university
• leadership
• and
• the chancellor. Conduct
• media
• trainings
• for
• faculty,
• staff,
• coaches
• and
• student-athletes
• on
• best
• practices for external engagement. Develop
• and
• maintain
• relationships
• with
• local,
• regional,
• national,
• and
• international
• media outlets. Pitch
• stories
• to
• news
• media,
• prioritizing
• national,
• high
• priority
• and
• international
• media outlets. Coordinate news interviews. Write
• and
• edit
• news
• releases,
• rapid
• response
• statements,
• media
• advisories,
• messaging, talking points, fact sheets, op-eds, and other media relations materials. Follow
• industry-related
• news
• and
• generate
• ideas
• around
• trending
• topics
• to
• inform
• angles for media pitches and outreach to reporters and producers, connecting Vanderbilt expertise to current events. Attend
• key
• events
• as
• needed,
• both
• on
• and
• off-campus,
• involving

Vanderbilt

• faculty
• and leadership where members of the media might be present. Monitor
• for
• media
• coverage
• of

Vanderbilt

• faculty
• experts,
• institutional
• projects
• and Vanderbilt leadership and report to internal stakeholders as appropriate. Maintain
• and
• keep current
• internal
• media
• lists
• to
• be
• used
• for
• media
• outreach
• on
• a
• variety of topics. Works
• closely
• with
• partners
• across
• the

Division

of

Communications

• to
• coordinate communications efforts and ensure consistent cross-channel messaging. Demonstrate
• excellent
• news
• judgment,
• excellent
• written
• communications
• skills
• and
• an excellent sense of what is appropriate for the Vanderbilt brand. Demonstrate
• and
• communicate
• about
• the
• role
• media
• relations
• plays
• in
• the
• broader communications plan for a department, school, and/or the university as a whole. Execute
• independently
• on
• communications
• priorities
• and
• demonstrate
• an
• understanding of the evolving media landscape. Assist
• in
• media
• training
• and
• interview
• preparation
• for
• the

Chancellor

• and
• others,
• as necessary. Provide
• overall
• support
• as
• needed
• and
• assigned
• for
• department
• priorities. Demonstrate
• understanding
• of
• the
• university's
• mission,
• values,
• goals
• and
• priorities
• and an ability to ensure that all are considered in developing communications strategies. Communicate
• and
• collaborate
• effectively
• with
• a
• wide
• range
• of
• audiences—including faculty, students, leadership, staff, alumni, suppliers and agencies. Demonstrated
• ability
• to
• adopt
• and
• effectively
• use
• emerging
• technologies,
• including
• AI-enabled tools, to improve productivity, workflow and quality of work. Efficiently
• and
• effectively
• manage
• multiple,
• complex
• and
• results-oriented
• projects
• with quick turn-around requirements. Adhere
• to
• confidentiality
• and
• business
• ethics;
• demonstrate
• outstanding
• judgment
• and discretion. Work
• outside
• regular
• business
• hours
• (including
• nights
• and
• weekends)
• as
• needed
• in
• order to perform job responsibilities, including being officially on-call. Perform
• other
• relevant
• duties
• as

assigned.
Supervisory Responsibility:
This

position

does

not

have

supervisory

responsibility.
Education and Certifications:
A

Bachelor’s

• degree
• from
• an
• accredited
• institution
• of
• higher
• education
• is
• necessary. A

Master’s

• degree
• from
• an
• accredited
• institution
• of
• higher
• education
• is

preferred.
Qualifications:
At

least

5-7

• years
• of
• experience
• in
• communications,
• journalism or
• related
• field,
• and
• a track record of success in media relations is necessary. Prior
• experience
• with
• executive
• communications,
• reputation
• management
• and
• marketing is preferred. Experience
• in
• media
• relations
• and
• a
• full
• understanding
• of
• how
• to
• navigate
• social
• media tools and audiences is necessary.