Senior Director of News & Media Strategy Job at Trinity University in San Antoni

Job Duties

Strategic Media Relations

• Develops and executes a comprehensive media and public relations strategy aligned with the University’s brand, mission, and strategic goals.
• Cultivates strong relationships with national, regional, and local media, as well as higher education and trade outlets.
• Proactively pitches expert sources and compelling story ideas that highlight Trinity’s faculty, students, alumni, and institutional achievements.
• Assists faculty, staff, and leadership with developing and placing op-eds that highlight their expertise and thought leadership.
• Provides strategic counsel, talking points, and training to leadership and others on media engagement and crisis communications.
• Serves as a University spokesperson and primary liaison and manager of engagements with all media.

Content Leadership

• Identifies, shapes, and elevates key narratives that distinguish Trinity in the national higher education landscape.
• Partners with faculty, staff, and administrators to surface media-worthy stories and research.
• Oversees the Trinity news site as a timely and impactful tool for disseminating and tracking appropriate news and information.
• As a senior member of the SCM editorial staff, develops, researches, and writes timely stories and other content for the website, magazine, and other platforms.
• Partners with other SCM leaders to develop and manage content for admissions and development campaigns.
• Ensures accuracy, consistency, and brand alignment in all media-facing content.
• Coaches other writers and editors to develop and enhance storytelling and writing skills.

Issues and Crisis Communication

• Collaborates with the Vice President and other University leaders to direct media and public relations and messaging during crisis and emergency situations.
• Provides crisis communication and media training and support for campus leadership and other spokespeople.

Team Management and Collaboration

• Supervises a media and public relations specialist/writer (currently the Public Relations Manager) and coordinates efforts across the SCM team to ensure cohesive messaging and effective storytelling.
• Works closely with colleagues in SCM, Alumni Relations and Development, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and other divisions to amplify Trinity news across channels.

Additional Duties

• Assists the Vice President with planning, writing, and editing executive communications.
• Cooperates and collaborates with other employees in the spirit of teamwork and collegiality and interacts with confidence, patience and integrity to provide professional leadership during emergencies.
• Complies with all Trinity University policies and guidelines.
• Performs other duties as required.

Education

• Required: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in journalism, public relations, or related field.

Experience

• Required: Eight years of progressively responsible experience in media relations, journalism, or strategic communications.
• Demonstrated success securing national media coverage, particularly for complex organizations such as universities, nonprofits, or mission-driven enterprises.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Strong news judgment and understanding of the media landscape across platforms (print, broadcast, digital, social).
• Deep experience with issues and crisis communications.
• Preferred: Experience working in or with higher education institutions.
• Existing relationships with national media contacts.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Required: Exceptional writing and editing skills, with a demonstrated ability to craft compelling, accurate, and strategic content across a variety of formats and platforms.
• Strong background in media relations, including experience developing story pitches, cultivating journalist relationships, and managing media inquiries and crises.
• Proven ability to mentor and coach writers and editors, fostering a collaborative environment that elevates storytelling quality and consistency.
• Strategic thinker with a keen understanding of news value, audience engagement, and alignment with institutional brand and voice.
• Preferred: Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or mission-driven communications environments.
• Familiarity with web editing tools to update the news site and with media monitoring platforms to assess impact and inform strategy