Regional PR and Communications Manager - Northeast

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

About the Role:

As a PR and Communications Manager for WGU in the Northeast Region, you’ll work across WGU communications — including School of Business, School of Education, Leavitt School of Health, and School of Technology — to think big, develop, and execute communications programs that are designed to bolster WGU’s reputation as a leader in accredited, affordable, accelerated, and applicable higher education.

This position will promote a positive image of WGU to the media, general public, specialized communities, employers, educators, students, and prospective students through effective use of media. This role works closely with the Communications, PR, Marketing, Partnerships, and Alumni teams at WGU to ensure consistency in brand and message.

The major responsibilities of the position include securing positive ongoing press coverage, identifying and developing owned content stories for WGU’s internal and external channels, driving daily messaging for various leaders, potentially managing a PR agency, serving as university spokesperson as well as constantly writing and generating content for news, social media, op-eds, blogs, and WGU online presence.

Location: This position requires you to be located in the Northeast region, specifically in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, or Philadelphia, PA.

What You’ll Do:

• Work across WGU to collaboratively source, develop, and place feature stories on how WGU is powering the future of higher education.
• Build brand communications programs that demonstrate the university’s ability to have an impact at scale, giving students the opportunity to get accredited, accelerated, affordable, and applicable degrees that improve economic mobility and opportunity.
• Develop owned content; pitch and secure earned media.
• Develop and strengthen relationships with key media and engage with external PR agencies.
• Provide strategic counsel to university leaders.
• Develop strategic communications for the organization, with emphasis on media relations.
• Create opportunities for placement and pitching of press releases to keep the presence of WGU constantly before the public in a positive manner.
• Conduct interviews, research, and write web content as well as copy for earned media articles, print, radio and TV, social media updates, newsletters, or working with WGU departments to obtain such.
• Utilize the Meltwater platform for engaging with media reporters, monitoring media coverage, following regional media accounts/reporters/social for story ideas and pitching, and responding to media queries for information.
• Oversee the coordination of events for media including providing messaging for students and alumni and representing WGU at media events.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities You’ll Need to be Successful:

• Bias for action and ability to work effectively with all external audiences as well as WGU staff at all levels.
• Outstanding writing skills and ability to write effectively for different audiences.
• Understanding of and ability to develop relationships with media.
• Ability to conceptualize projects and manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to perform creative writing and related activities such as conducting interviews, research, and editing.
• Ability to work calmly and maintain good judgement in a past-paced, dynamic, and entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to understand and interpret information accurately, communicate accurately and concisely, influence others positively, and initiate creative and innovative promotional ideas.
• Demonstrated skill and ability in the effective use of equipment, computers, and other resources for completion of projects such as posters, displays, PowerPoints, etc.
• Self-direction and reliability.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or related field.
• 5 years of experience in public relations, marketing or related field including internships.
• Knowledge of