Senior News Specialist, Communications and Community Engagement

Description

The Media, Issues and Outreach unit of Communications and Community Engagement is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Senior News Specialist.

The unit publishes daily editions of the UToday newsletter for the campus and external communities and also produces and maintains online news content for the UCalgary News website. Reporting to the Managing Editor, the Senior News Specialist is responsible for the calendaring, editing, and digital production oversight of news content submitted by communicators across campus. While acting as a knowledge resource and mentor in best practices in university news across areas of campus, the Senior News Specialist also advises content contributors including communication leaders in reputation management and has a strong working knowledge of aligning content with an organization's brand and strategic goals.

This position works a 35-hour work week, is part of the AUPE Collective Bargaining Unit, and is a full-time permanent position. In a hybrid role, the successful candidate will work three days/week onsite and two days/week remotely.

The Senior News Specialist amplifies the strategic goals of the division of Communications and Community Engagement, positioning UCalgary as a vital contributing member of the community, a driving force for innovation and economic progress, and as an important voice in scientific, cultural, and economic conversations. The news channels promote UCalgary's entrepreneurial brand, sharing stories about research progress and discoveries, key institutional announcements and events, programs and policies affecting employees, the impact of university research and programming on the wider community, and the successes of students, faculty and staff.

The Senior News Specialist is a creative, critical thinker and life-long learner who possesses advanced multidisciplinary knowledge of strategic communications. The successful candidate will be a seasoned veteran in editing written news content for accuracy, editorial quality, Canadian Press style, and adherence to best practices in publication process and deadlines. The role juggles multiple creative and technical operational tasks in a fluid and fast-paced environment while providing complex, conceptual, and practical expertise in the handling of all content.

The successful candidate brings a sense of accountability and ownership to the work, nurturing collaborative relationships with storytellers across a wide spectrum of experience in news and brand communications.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Independently monitor and manage the unit's group inbox for incoming content submissions and general queries about the news team's processes and deadlines.
• Track and manage a range of fluid pre-publication details and requests.
• Schedule content requests using the unit's content calendar, oversee production, and plan a daily newsletter lineup, in consultation with the Managing Editor, other content managers within Communications and Community Engagement, and communicators from other faculties and units.
• Collaborating with the Managing Editor, analyze questions and recommend resolutions in strategic areas of the operation such as editorial policy, interdepartmental navigation, website/network performance, and other channel issues.
• Refer inbox questions to relevant team members such as the Digital Specialist - Media, the Creative Services Specialist (photographer), or other specialists in Communications team.
• Edit articles for alignment with Canadian Press and in-house style, accuracy, grammar, and strategic alignment with past content and university priorities.
• Publish article packages within the digital Drupal 8 environment with channel-aligned headlines, photos, and captions, in collaboration with the Managing Editor.
• Add related content, topic tags, and other multimedia elements, demonstrating broad knowledge of the UCalgary News content catalogue.
• Recommend photo treatments for reader impact and reputation optimization.
• Give the final direction to publish each day's newsletter after obtaining signoff from the Managing Editor and the Director.
• Vet and publish links to external media articles quoting UCalgary academic topic experts.
• Recommend additions or deletions to the news channel's Style Guide and approved Topic Tag list.
• Provide encouragement, guidance and editorial support to writers in the development of news article content, collaborating with the Managing Editor or Digital Specialist as required.
• Serve as a trusted, self-motivated expert in online news editing and publishing while facilitating cross-department communication and approvals in a complex workplace.
• Possess and share a strong working knowledge of the university's key institutional priorities and entrepreneurial brand.
• Help fellow communicators focus on and amplify the strategic communication objectives of the office of Communications and Community Engagement via news channels, while supporting the communication priorities of 13 faculties and various administrative units.

Temporary news publication lead

• In the absence of the Managing Editor, act autonomously as the news unit's publication lead in areas affecting operations:
  • Final signoff decisions on all news content including the news lineup, headlines and other online packaging elements.
  • Provide oversight and delegate tasks to other members of the news team, integrating the news sites' operations with related communication activities and priorities.
  • Independently identify emerging reputational, editorial policy, and operational issues and questions. Resolve the issues in consultation with the unit's Director and other relevant team members or communication managers.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor or master's degree in a relevant area.
• Minimum five years' experience managing or co-managing an online news or public affairs publication, which includes navigating a complex institutional or corporate environment,  working directly in a digital Content Management System, navigating and troubleshooting in a multi-platform web environment, producing audience-ready online article packages on challenging deadlines, Web and SEO best practices, and enforcing legal and copyright standards.
• Experience writing news and feature copy in a digital journalism or public affairs environment for five-plus years is considered an asset.
• Deep knowledge of Canadian Press style. Advanced level of experience applying CP and in-house style guides to incoming copy in a complex workplace.
• Superior ability to analyze and edit content submitted from across the organization for reputational risk, flagging potential issues as they arise and recommending solutions. Edit and shape copy for consistency of style and voice, and to eliminate grammatical errors, enhancing the reputation of the university as a knowledgeable and trusted source.
• Possesses advanced interpersonal skills, working to build relationships while collaborating with communication partners across the institution.
• Flair for writing diverse and engaging news headlines, making the complex simple, and shaping copy to reflect our channels' voice and purpose.
• Demonstrates flexibility, embraces new skills and workplace tools, self-manages multiple and shifting priorities, and advises the unit on improvements to policies and procedures.
• Proficient in Word, Outlook, Sharepoint, Photoshop, Microsoft Teams, and Drupal or similar website CMS. Working familiarity with Google Analytics and an email/ e-marketing platform such as Marketo.

Application Deadline:  October 17, 2024.

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist / Advisor Job Family, Phase 3.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.