West Virginia University Looking for (Hybrid) Communications Specialist – Statler College of Engineering & Mineral Re at Morgantown, WV  Full Time

West Virginia University Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources is currently accepting applications for a Communications Specialist.

As a key member of the marketing and communications team for the WVU Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, the communications specialist will serve as the lead writer for the college. The incumbents responsibilities will include high-level writing, in-depth research, and strong editorial capabilities to produce news releases, statements, media advisories, marketing materials, internal/external communications, feature articles, social media campaigns/ posts, advertising to both internal and external audiences, including state, national and international print, broadcast and electronic media outlets and in-house communications. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in storytelling strategies and adept at producing effective multimedia content, including text, video and photography. the incumbent will be expected to work independently and as a part of a team in a collaborative and deadline-driven environment.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays ()
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year
• 18 sick days per year
  • (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of (this position is a benefits-eligible non-classified staff position)
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for ? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
• Wellness programs

What you’ll do:

• Work with the Statler Colleges Director of Marketing and Communications to develop and implement overall strategic communications plan consistent with the goals of the College and West Virginia University.
• Maintain frequent and regular contact with administrators, faculty, researchers, staff, students and alumni from the Statler College to identify newsworthy content for internal/external communications.
• Research, writes and edits high quality content that promotes and illustrates the achievements of those in our College and Engineering community for press releases that will be shared on the College’s webpages, and social media accounts.
• Reformat content from press releases to the College’s magazine EngineeringWV, department e-newsletters, recruiting materials and other communication/marketing deliverables.
• Participate in strategy sessions with director and enrollment office to determine needs and modes of recruitment messages and assists in writing when needed and edits supplied content.
• Assist with initial drafts of dean’s speeches, comments, scripts and presentations geared toward target audiences on a wide variety of topics. Provides support in the production of leadership releases and announcements.
• Work closely with WVU University Relations-News to ensure timely placement of Statler College press releases.
• Work independently to produce reliable, high-quality editorial content with minimal supervision or editing.
• Provide advice/support to administrators/faculty/staff regarding effective communications
• Manage multiple projects with time sensitive deadlines.
• Work as integral member with the Statler College Marketing and Communications team and University Relations departments to ensure policies and protocols are followed and remain in the University brand
• Research other news outlets ranging at the University level, regional and national news that are of interest to the college and shares information with the director.
• Oversee student writers content and edits for accuracy and professionalism before publishing over various media platforms.
• Build the College’s visibility and reputation through innovative usage of social media channels. Acts as one of the managers of the social media platforms and creates daily posts to generate public interest and promote the College.
• Work with director, designer and graduate assistant to create and execute social media calendar, including daily posts and data-driven social media campaigns. Monitors current trends in marketing and social media to evolve social media presence. Engages with audiences on all social platforms.
• Coordinate posts with WVU UR Marketing/Social Media
• Work with director and web developer to populate monthly Wired e-news content.
• Coordinate with web developer to review website content for updates or timely removal of outdated information.
• Assist the director of marketing and communications with special projects and other tasks as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree is required in journalism, communications, public relations, English or a related field.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in the following:
  • A journalism, communication or public relations position in higher education, science, news media, government agency, business or other knowledge-based organization.
  • Interviewing, writing, editing and proofreading – Conducting social media for an organization.
• Demonstrated excellent interviewing, writing, editing and speaking skills, including the ability to distill and clarify ideas under a deadline.
• Associated Press and Chicago Style writing ability.
• Exceptional oral/written communication (grammar, composition, spelling) and presentation skills with superior language skills.
• Demonstrated skill in analyzing situations and providing sound professional judgement on problems dealing with sensitive and sometimes confidential issues.
• Demonstrated experience working with photography and/or videography and /or social media.
• Demonstrated general knowledge of electronic, print, interpersonal and marketing communications, in service to complex organizations.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively communicate with administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni and other executives/staff at the University levels and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Skill in identifying the optimum messages to be communicated, the appropriate audience, the method of communication and the timing the communication.
• Skill in organizing tasks, documents and materials with efficiency and accuracy.
• Ability to work under continuous time constraints and multiple deadline pressures manage priorities effectively –
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of community and diversity.
• Ability to operate the necessary computer software, web-based and other high tech equipment to perform various communication duties; broad knowledge of web and various publishing/design programs.
• Willingness to learn techniques within other platforms such as: web, video, audio, social media to tell stories.
• Ability to uncover the essence of technical information and explain it correctly to specific range of audiences.

At West Virginia University, we leverage our talents and resources to create a better future for our state and the world. As West Virginia’s land-grant university, WVU has three campuses that touch each corner of the state. The WVU System includes 518 buildings on 15,880 acres, Extension Service offices in all 55 counties, ten experimental farms and four forests.

From the groundbreaking R1 research of our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs of WVU Potomac State in Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley – the contributions of WVU employees directly impact the 1.8 million people of West Virginia every day, no matter their role or position.

Service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation are the core values that unite Mountaineers, inspiring one another to work tirelessly and support others as they seek to reach new heights. After all, when you’re a Mountaineer, impossible is just another mountain to climb.

Creating an inclusive, engaged, and dynamic learning environment is core to WVU’s academic mission. We welcome candidates who can contribute a range of ideas, approaches and experiences.

To learn more about West Virginia University, visit . View current career opportunities at

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer and is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The University values diversity among its faculty, staff, and students, and invites applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.