Sr. Communications and Media Relations Specialist

Remote eligibility: Yes
Reports to: Sr. Communications Manager

Job Description

The Senior Communications and Media Relations Specialist will lead communications, media outreach, and public relations initiatives primarily for School for International Training (SIT), a global university that encompasses SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute. The role will also occasionally support communications and media outreach for SIT's parent organization World Learning, a global exchange and development nonprofit.

The Senior Communications and Media Relations Specialist will create compelling and on-brand communications and informational website content, serve as the lead media liaison for SIT, and manage community engagement and outreach in southern Vermont.

The person in this position will be expected to create a regular schedule of written materials, including feature stories, press releases, blogs, program copy, staff and faculty bios, talking points, and external statements. The position will also manage earned media efforts by conducting media outreach, managing press inquiries, and cultivating working relationships with SIT faculty and staff, media contacts, and other external stakeholders.

The Senior Communications and Media Relations Specialist will work closely with all other members of the Marketing & Communications (Marcom) team, as well as other program units at SIT and World Learning, including Admissions, University Relations, and Philanthropy. This position must develop a strong understanding of the SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute brand identities to help support marketing strategies through communications.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Create well-written feature stories, press releases, and other content as needed for different external audiences, including prospective students, alumni, partner institutions, and the media;
• Write, proofread, edit, and update content for the SIT, SIT Study Abroad, and SIT Graduate Institute websites, including integrating SEO into webpages and publishing content in a content management system used for websites and digital newsletters;
• Manage an editorial calendar for SIT;

• Lead as media liaison for SIT, inclusive of maintaining media contacts, pitching stories, publishing press releases, responding to media inquiries, and conducting interviews with internal and external sources;
• Maintain best practice knowledge of key trends in communications/marketing, specifically as they relate to outreach, information, and the study abroad and higher education sectors;
• Perform other duties as required or assigned, including supporting the creation of World Learning Inc.'s annual report.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 8-10 years of professional writing/editorial and media relations experience, preferably in higher education or for an internationally focused nonprofit;
• Experience/background working in higher education strongly preferred;
• Working knowledge of editorial style guides (AP style preferred);
• Working knowledge of a content management system used for websites (e.g., Word Press or similar platform);
• Excellent overall written and verbal communication skills;
• Proven ability to manage workflow involving multiple projects in a team environment while staying on deadline;
• Willingness to occasionally travel domestically or internationally.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public or media relations or other related concentration
• Media contacts at the local Vermont level and/or nationally within higher education;
• Experience working in collaboration with a social media team and knowledge of writing content for various social media platforms and informational/promotional videos.

We are eager to meet people who believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in a variety of ways. We therefore encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet all the requirements that are listed within this job description.

Instructions to Applicants:
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and information of three references by June 7, 2024, to ensure consideration. The posting will stay open until the position is filled.

Benefits

World Learning provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, FSA/HRA, Life/AD&D, Short Term/Long Term Disability, EAP, Parking and Transit, 403 (b) retirement plan for full-time and eligibile part-time employees.

The World Learning Inc. Family

For more than 90 years, World Learning Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of The Experiment in International Living, the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students; School for International Training, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad and internationally focused master's degrees through SIT Graduate Institute; and World Learning, a global development and exchange nonprofit organization.

World Learning | worldlearning.org

World Learning has worked to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world. World Learning's education, development, and exchange programs help people find their voices, connect with their communities, strengthen the institutions that form the backbone of a democratic society, and build relationships across cultures. With World Learning's support, these emerging leaders tackle critical global issues like poverty, conflict, and inequality.

The Experiment in International Living | experiment.org

The Experiment in International Living is the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students. For more than 90 years, The Experiment has empowered young people to step off the beaten path, experience the world as a classroom, immerse themselves fully in another culture, and build the knowledge and skills needed to confront critical global issues.

SIT | sit.edu

School for International Training (SIT) was founded in the early 1960s as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. For nearly 60 years, SIT has prepared students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world's most critical global issues. SIT Study Abroad offers accredited summer and semester undergraduate programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs on multiple continents. SIT Graduate Institute offers global and hybrid certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees.

An organizational commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

We are a globally diverse community of staff, faculty, board members, alumni, students, and participants who believe that inclusive and equitable practices are at the heart of a peaceful and just world. Each of us strives to honor diverse voices and lived experiences, examine our own biases and privileges, actively work to address inequities in our structures, and foster a community of open dialogue. We are committed to acting with accountability, transparency, reciprocity, authenticity, and empathy.

World Learning is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/veterans/ADA employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.