| The Public Relations Consultant works for the University Relations PR Team (URPR) in the Office of University Relations. URPR is the central public relations office for the University of Minnesota system and the primary office for its Twin Cities campus. URPR serves as an initial point of access for local, national and international media, as well as a central office for promoting University initiatives, research and community engagement. URPR also manages system- and campus-level internal communications needs, and issues and crisis response, in collaboration with unit/college/campus communicators.
The Public Relations Consultant is responsible for building relationships and providing strategic counsel, specifically with designated colleges and units within the University. This position will contribute to comprehensive public relations strategies by helping to develop and place news stories, identify and train spokespeople, and assist with other communications efforts, as needed.
URPR is dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Diverse ideas, perspectives and backgrounds are necessary to create a strong and creative team that communicates effectively to our many communities, on campus and beyond.
The University of Minnesota is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+, women and members of historically underrepresented communities are highly encouraged to apply.
Duties for this position include:
Work with all University partners - particularly those in designated colleges and units across the system’s five campuses - to proactively identify and publicize University news, research findings, accomplishments and achievements;
Create, develop and implement measurable communications strategies with University partners, bringing into account all relevant University channels (e.g., social media, newsletters, marketing integration);
Respond and/or coordinate response to incoming media inquires, including those made through central University channels and University partners;
Amplify successful PR efforts through internal/external communications vehicles in collaboration with UR and University partners;
Provide additional PR and media relations support and counsel, such as: coordinating/staffing media interviews, spokesperson training, interview prep materials (e.g., background briefings, FAQ), etc.;
Engage with faculty and University partners to translate complex research topics into everyday language for general audience consumption;
Create and maintain professional, productive relationships with the media;
Work with the Public Relations Director, URPR teammates, and system colleagues to proactively build, strengthen and account for relationships with media outlets covering diverse and/or underrepresented populations;
Consider proactive media strategies for URPR and system colleagues to better serve those covering diverse and/or underrepresented populations;
Follow regional issues and coverage relevant to diverse and/or underrepresented populations and the media outlets covering these communities, particularly those with potential impact on the University or its stakeholders, to consider any strategic communications needs or opportunities for the University;
Work with other members of the URPR team to support/maintain internal processes and practices, as well as develop new approaches to improve efficiency, responsiveness and strategic public relations.
Relationships:
Reports to the Director of Public Relations
URPR is the PR component of University Relations, the central public relations, marketing and government relations department of the University of Minnesota
Develop and maintain strong, positive working relationships with University staff, senior leaders and administrators, college communicators, and members of the media
Salary range: $50,465 - $53,000 annually This is a full-time 100%, 12 month appointment with benefits.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
The University of Minnesota is a world-class research university and one of the largest in the United States. Founded in 1851 as a land-grant university, the school now encompasses more than 60,000 students from 130 countries enrolled on our campuses, thousands of study abroad students, nearly 26,000 employees on five campuses across Minnesota, and half a million alumni living around the world.
The University consistently has advanced its mission with exceptional vigor—distinguished by a comprehensive commitment to integrating public engagement deeply into teaching and learning, research and discovery. The University also strongly embraces equity and diversity as foundational values and has made both engagement and diversity central to strategic planning across the system and for the institution as a whole. Students on the Twin Cities campus include 22% students of color, 12% international students and 25% first generation students. The University ranks ninth nationally for students learning abroad and offers programs in more than 70 countries. In 2017, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity for the seventh year in a row. The University is ranked by Forbes as one of the country’s 20 best educational employers.
ABOUT THE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS
The University’s Twin Cities campus is in the heart of a dynamic metro area that is a global economic leader, a hub for education and culture, and renowned for its abundant cultural and natural resources. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro is home to the fourth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country, as well as thriving entrepreneurial and small business sectors. Ranked as one of the country’s leading “creative economy” communities, the Twin Cities is renowned for its arts and nonprofit sectors, as well as its many lakes and parks and wealth of recreational and entertainment opportunities. Spanning locations in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, the UMN Twin Cities straddles the Mississippi River and adjoins a national park.
The University is an anchor institution for a globally competitive region and state with notable strengths in areas critical to today’s knowledge economy—including biosciences, medical devices, and agriculture and food production. The campus is also located in an increasingly diverse region at the heart of an increasingly global Midwest, with 11 federally-recognized tribal nations, the largest urban Native American population in the country and growing African American, Latino and Chicano and Asian American populations.
The Twin Cities campus is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. The University resides on Dakota land ceded in the Treaties of 1837 and 1851. The University acknowledges this place has a complex and layered history and is committed to ongoing efforts to recognize, support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples. |
