Job Description

Director of Media Relations

Development Office, Lincoln Center

Fordham University

Fordham University has an excellent reputation as a dynamic institution located in New York City. Founded in 1841, Fordham enrolls more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students in its 9 Colleges and Schools.

• Fordham University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to its employees, which includes medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• We offer tuition remission for employees and their dependents
• A generous immediate employer match towards a 403(b) retirement plan.
• As a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Fordham is considered a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, a federal program designed to forgive student loan debt for employees of certain public and certain nonprofit employers.
• As part of its work-life balance program, the University provides generous PTO including 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 2 personal days, 6 summer Fridays, and holidays that include paid time off between Christmas and New year.
• University employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP provides no-cost, professional, and confidential services, to help employees and family members address a variety of personal, family, life, and work-related issues.

Position Summary

The Development and University Relations (DAUR) at Fordham is comprised of many talented and high performing individuals who work across a range of functions from our leadership, to fundraising, marketing and communications, analytics, alumni relations, athletics, special events, stewardship, gifts processing, and WFUV. The division serves the entire University in a variety of different capacities. We are a team of 141 full-time employees.

The Director of Media Relations reports to the Senior Director of Communications/Editor, Fordham News.

Essential Functions

• Pitches local and national media stories about Fordham.
• Serves as primary contact for media relations; responsible for day-to-day media relations pitches and media requests.
• Helps promote the University via a comprehensive media relations program in print, broadcast, online, and social media.
• Develops and coordinates public media placements/pitches with senior director of communications.
• Supervises the assistant director of media relations.
• Keeps senior director and AVP informed of potentially controversial subject matter in the media.
• Oversees production of and edits weekly media mentions report (Rams in the News) to the University community.
• Supervises contract and internal public relations staff and assigns pitching responsibilities.
• Serves as liaison to television and film production crews.
• Works with the senior director and outside Public Relations counsel to create and execute media relations plan.
• Maintains a database of earned media mentions and produces annual media mentions summary by school and the Faculty of Arts & Sciences.
• Participates as a senior member of crisis communications team requiring on-call emergency status.
• Develops and maintains relationships with media contacts and internal clients. Identifies and cultivates targeted media contacts; contributes to and maintains media contact database.
• Attends University events and facilitates media access to campus events and facilities.
• Travels inter-campus as needed.
• Support’s faculty members in writing byliners and op-eds with editorial and media relations guidance
• Oversees faculty expert database.
• Advises academic departments of relevant news opportunities; keeps departmental webmasters advised of relevant content.
• Support’s development and alumni relations with story ideas and placements that reach prospective donors and DMAs with significant concentrations of alumni

Required Qualifications

• Baccalaureate Degree in journalism, communications, or other related field.
• Minimum 10 years media and/or media relations experience.
• Demonstrated media placement ability.
• Strong news writing and pitching skills.
• Working knowledge of MAC platform Microsoft Word.
• No candidate will be considered without media placement clips.
• Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with Web-based media and promotion.

FLSA CATEGORY: Exempt

START DATE: ASAP

APPLY HERE: https://careers.fordham.edu/postings/3278

ABOUT FORDHAM

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its 9 colleges and schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom.

Fordham University is committed to excellence through diversity and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.

Fordham is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories

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