Job Description

Associate Director of Public Relations [JRP-06295]

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research aims to improve lives through data, research, engagement, and action. The institute is currently working to build out five research centers focused on critical aspects shaping the social and cultural landscape of the Houston area. The five centers will research housing, education, community and public health, economic mobility and inequality, and population dynamics. Each center will investigate its topic area and will work across centers. To achieve this, each center is building interdisciplinary teams specializing in solutions-oriented research while using a partnership model of research.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is currently seeking to hire a full-time Associate Director of Public Relations. In this role, you will supervise the institute’s day-to-day public relations and work closely with internal teams. In addition, you will support public programs and be part of the External Affairs Division at the Kinder Institute.

The ideal candidate has experience managing across communication functions, including media relations, branding, and digital media, as well as leading and managing public programs. This is a hands-on role, and you must be comfortable performing tactical responsibilities, taking part in strategic planning, collaborating with diverse teams, and be results-oriented.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervise the day-to-day public/media relations functions to meet organizational objectives
• Develop and execute strategies to increase and deepen awareness of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research
• Coordinate and collaborate with internal teams, including research centers and the university’s Office of Public Affairs
• Support strategic long-range plans/programs to meet the institute’s objectives
• Write, design, and coordinate the production of communication materials
• Participate in organization-wide initiatives and cross-functional teams to continue to position the institute as a strategic partner and thought leader
• Support and lead public programs and events
• Work closely with the Executive Director to set and monitor budgets for broad-based projects
• Perform all other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3+ years of related experience creating communication/media campaigns and managing team members, as well as leading public programs and events
• Ability to work collaboratively and take initiative on sensitive and high-pressure situations
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including experience writing persuasive and marketing communication
• Ability to listen, understand substantive research, communicate effectively, write clearly, and execute effectively in a timely manner
• Able to supervise, provide guidance, and is comfortable supporting staff development
• Adaptable to change and accustomed to working in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to set priorities and follow through on multiple tasks to meet deadlines

Preferences:

• Master’s degree in journalism, public relations, communication, or a related field is preferred
• 5+ or more years of experience successfully managing communication projects and teams is preferred
• Prior experience creating and implementing strategic media plans and leading public programs from beginning to end is preferred
• Experience supervising 3 or more people is preferred
• Ability to translate and summarize technical writing for a general audience is preferred

Special Note to Applicants: When applying for this role, please be sure to submit your cover letter and resume in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities.

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