Communications Manager

Position Summary:

The Editorial Writer will bring the college’s mission to life through storytelling and content creation. This position will utilize writer’s creativity to communicate the work and impact of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Editorial Writer will be expected to work in partnership with the Division of Enrollment Management, Marketing, and Communications toward mutual goals.

The Editorial Writer position is one of the primary content-producers for the College. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, has a demonstrated track record of high performance and is a strong collaborator, with an ability to connect with internal and external stakeholders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Writing and Editing

• Author short- or long-form stories for use across various media channels, including NIU Today. 
• Create compelling content for use on social media. 
• Create content for websites. 
• Write messaging (inquiry to yield) for degree programs for use in Slate, our recruitment CRM. 
• Create other content for recruitment and internal communications including fliers, fact sheets, brochures, and digital signage. 
• Provide editing support for content produced by others and for departmental newsletters. 
• Double-check details throughout content to ensure accuracy. 
• Establish proficiency in AP Style, NIU Style Guide and Web Standards to ensure edited and content follows University style.

Social Media Channel Management

• Maintains the college’s social media accounts and listing of departmental accounts and admins. 
• Creates a monthly social media analytics report for all college social media accounts.

Research

• Conduct research for potential stories featuring students, faculty and alumni. 
• Collaborate with partners in and outside of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to produce content.

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service):

1. Bachelor’s Degree in communications, public relations, journalism, English, or a closely related field 
2. Two (2) years (24 months)of experience writing for a newspaper, magazine, trade publication, news organization or writing in a public relations, research, or business communications environment

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service):

Classification-Specific KSAs

1. Knowledge of Associated Press Style and Chicago Manual of Style guidelines (American Psychological Association and Modern Language Association knowledge acceptable)
2. Knowledge of basic copyright and intellectual property best practices for media and digital content 
3. Thorough knowledge of the structure of the English language, including pronunciation, sentence structure, the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar 
4. Thorough knowledge of editorial symbols 
5. Knowledge of media and digital communication and dissemination techniques (oral, written, and/or visual media) 
6. Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures, such as word processing, organizing/managing files and records, transcription, and other office procedures 
7. Demonstrated ability to interpret educational and scientific material in written language that would be normally acceptable to editors of the appropriate media 
8. Skill in using office suite software (e.g., word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program)
9. Skill in using desktop publishing software 
10. Skill in using Internet and social media websites
11. Skill in verbally communicating information and ideas so others can understand 
12. Skill in organizing, planning, and prioritizing work, including time management 
13. Skill in developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time 
14. Ability to accurately notice and attend to small details in written communications, in order to make improvements or take corrective actions 
15. Ability to communicate effectively through writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience 
16. Ability to work independently without supervision

Position-Specific KSAs:

1. Ability to coordinate effectively with other communication specialists on campus. 
2. Ability to work under tight deadlines. 
3. Strong written and oral communication skills.