Content and Media Strategist

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Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world’s brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

Caltech’s Office of Strategic Communications (OSC) works to define, promote, and protect Caltech’s image, reputation, and brand. We create a wide range of content across multiple formats and platforms to tell the story of Caltech’s impact on science and on the world to key internal and external audiences.

Reporting to the Director of Research Communications and Media Relations, the Content and Media Strategist will work with specific division beats and other research/campus areas to identify, research, develop, write, and obtain approvals of content for direct distribution to Caltech audiences through Caltech-owned channels and publications, and for the purpose of generating and informing external media coverage of Caltech. Work products may include press releases, news stories, features, news briefs that contextualize the importance of research developments in relation to the news cycle, media pitches, web content, photo captions, and other materials for the Caltech website, social channels, and/or print publications.

This content primarily will focus on research findings, projects, and thematic research areas, which will include engineering and applied sciences, medical technologies and their applications, fundamental sciences, and sustainability-related developments. Emphasis will be placed on coverage of assigned beats and research developments, publications, and discoveries within identified thematic areas, as well as on cultivating relationships with Caltech faculty, students, staff, alumni, and members of other core groups, and identifying and sharing stories about and with these audiences.

Overarching goals include the amplification of Caltech’s research achievements while making the news understandable to a targeted audience, and highlighting the priorities, significant themes, and the distinction and character of the Institute. A primary goal will be to highlight Caltech’s advantage and “why it matters” through strategic coverage of the Institute’s research themes.

Essential Job Duties

The Content and Media Strategist’s core responsibilities are to:

• Identify, research, develop, write, and obtain approvals of content, including press releases, news stories, feature stories for the web and other publications, news briefs that contextualize the importance of research developments in relation to the news cycle, photo captions, and other materials. This work is conducted in collaboration with assigned divisions, campus beats, and colleagues in OSC, for the
• Caltech website and/or print publications across multiple formats and platforms, and/or for direct distribution to the media.
• Seek, suggest, and/or develop content about Caltech faculty, students, staff, alumni, and members of other core groups, and about the Institute and its educational mission.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the research activities and priorities of specific division beats as well as of world events and potential connections with Caltech.
• Cultivate and maintain role as a strategic communications consultant to division leadership and lead for research priorities while developing a keen understanding of their target audiences and goals, to create, inform, and manage communications plans and messaging points, and identify opportunities for external media engagement.
• Analyze content across platforms and across mediums including but not limited to written stories, multimedia elements, social media campaigns, internal and external promotion, and past and forthcoming events.
• Develop strong relationships with faculty, staff, and students working in assigned beats, and also grow an external network of media contacts and communications colleagues at funding agencies, foundations, and other external entities who have a shared interest in the covered topic areas and can help to amplify awareness of Caltech’s contributions and impact in that space.
• Work with and advise the Director of Research Communications and Media Relations and the News Team on:
  • Media tracking, metrics, and reports (including the development and/or refinement of new processes and procedures).
  • The creation of media reports on a weekly/quarterly/yearly basis.
  • The development, tracking, and analysis of other indices of OSC’s performance with regard to media to better inform our media relations strategy and future opportunities.

The Content and Media Strategist also will:

• Demonstrate active involvement with OSC’s “Conversations” webinar series, assisting with planning, serving as interviewer/host for individual events as appropriate, and writing/editing post-event content as necessary, and participate in the creation of material for Caltech’s Science Exchange website.
• Participate in regular editorial/content meetings for the website and OSC-managed publications, including Caltech magazine.
• Work closely with faculty, administration, staff, and students to deliver factual and appropriate content that also adheres to the Caltech style and promotes Caltech’s interests and priorities.
• Serve as the primary liaison or quality-control check for all content originating in or out of OSC that relates to divisions or topic areas within assigned beat(s). This may include advising colleagues on the appropriateness of a particular topic, identifying experts or speakers in an area of interest, and facilitate the pre- and final-approval of research stories related to people or projects within their beat(s)
• Maintain a high level of quality control through reviewing, editing, and proofing of their work.
• Monitor and track projects and assignments to assure quality production and conformance to technical standards and production deadlines, and to move documents through the institutional review process.
• Ensure that sound editorial judgment, professional principles, and ethics are reflected in all work products.
• Assist with the development and continued maintenance of an Experts Guide.
• Provide breaking news support and media assistance, including but potentially not limited to helping to facilitate earthquake experts’ engagement and response to media in the event of an earthquake.

Basic Qualifications

• The Content and Media Strategist should have the ability to multitask and to and work well under deadline pressure with high energy and a positive attitude. He/she must bring a commitment to continual improvement and a commitment to diversity and inclusion of varying views, including the ability to interface with people at all levels within the organization.
• A bachelor’s degree in a science-related discipline or in journalism, communications, English, or a related field.
• A minimum of five years of science writing experience.
• Familiarity with scientific/technical terms and the ability to comprehend research and academic writing and “translate” it for different audiences, including the media and the public.
• Excellent writing, interviewing, and organizational skills; ability to handle simultaneously several projects at different levels of completion and to work as a member of a creative team; computer experience required (Macintosh OS X); ability to write under tight deadlines essential.
• Some evening and weekend work may be required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a higher education news or media relations office, particularly an organization or environment with a strong research program.
• Demonstrated ability to clearly and effectively convey a story through words, pictures, moving images, and/or multimedia. The Content and Media Strategist is not expected to bring all of these skills, but the individual must demonstrate the ability to select the medium that will best tell the story, especially in media in addition to words/print.
• Strategic thinking and actions.
• The ability to work well in a team environment.
• The ability to be proactive and professional as well as responsible with fiscal and human resources.
• The ability to learn from experience and take appropriate initiative, and have the desire and ability to not only learn about Caltech but to integrate into its culture and become one of its standard bearers.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

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