Director Of Media Relations, FAS

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required. Minimum 10 years significant experience and proven success at the highest levels of media and communications work, including serving as a spokesperson during times of institutional crisis, and working with highly sensitive information in a complex environment with many stakeholders.

Additional Information

This position has a 180-day orientation and review period.

Position Description

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Issues Management: Provides support for issues management, including crisis communications, to the Associate Dean of Communications for FAS, and in close coordination with HPAC. Provides crisis communications and media relations support to the communications leads across the major units of the FAS.

• Proactive and Responsive Media Relations: Serves as a spokesperson for the FAS.
  
  Manages a large day-to-day volume of media inquiries, working directly with reporters to manage stories. Initiates, cultivates, and maintains relationships with campus, local, regional, national, and international news media to actively pitch stories from within the FAS. Works with the Harvard Public Affairs and Communications (HPAC) team and FAS communication leads to ensure alignment with University media relations efforts.
  
  Manages incoming film requests for external groups wishing to conduct interviews and capture photos and videos on campus. Develops and maintains an editorial calendar of storytelling that highlights the work of the FAS with the news media. Given the nature of the 24/7 news cycle, this role requires availability outside of traditional work hours.

• Team Leadership: Assists in the development and maintenance of FAS-wide crisis communications plans and participates in training exercises with planning teams to develop external messaging for the FAS. Ensures coordination across internal and external messages and communications efforts and leads directly by influence.

• Strategic Communications Planning: Directly supports academic and administrative leaders across the FAS, in developing strategic communications plans in support of established internal and external FAS priorities. Provides media training and supports proactive story and op-ed placement for FAS senior leaders and faculty.

• Message Development: Writes and edits external messages, public statements, talking points, FAQs, media briefings, press releases, news, and feature stories, and more in support of the FAS. Works with the Director of Internal Communications to ensure internal and external messaging is in alignment with the FAS and HPAC priorities.

Job Summary

The Director of Media Relations, Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) leads media relations and issues management for the FAS as a member of, and in close coordination with, the Harvard Public Affairs and Communications (HPAC) team. The Director provides strategic guidance and media relations to the communication leads and support to senior leaders across the major units of the FAS, including Harvard College, the John A.

Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), and the Division of Continuing Education (DCE). Serves as a spokesperson for the FAS.

The Director of Media Relations, FAS reports to the Associate Dean for Communications and Marketing, FAS and Harvard Public Affairs and Communication (HPAC).