Pennsylvania State University - State College, PA
posted 2 months ago
Penn State's Office of Strategic Communications, the University's central public relations and marketing division, is seeking a public relations professional to develop and execute strategic communications plans and collateral primarily focused on messaging related to Penn State Human Resources (HR) programs, initiatives, and policies. This position plays a significant role in communicating with over 36,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff members across Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. It presents an excellent opportunity for a communications professional eager to influence change, progress, and continued success at a major public university. This hybrid position combines remote and on-campus work, reporting to the senior manager for public relations within Strategic Communications. The successful candidate will collaborate with various teams, including social media, proactive media, design, and visual content, as well as senior leadership and other stakeholders across the University. While the primary focus will be on HR-related communications, the role will also support communication needs for other University priorities and initiatives. The responsibilities include developing comprehensive communications plans for diverse audiences, including faculty, staff, retirees, senior leaders, and external stakeholders such as prospective employees and news media. The individual will support Penn State HR's strategic mission to attract, develop, engage, and retain a diverse workforce while promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They will create communications materials to encourage employee engagement in benefits open enrollment, annual goal setting, performance evaluations, health and wellness programs, and other HR-related activities. Additionally, the role involves identifying storytelling avenues to promote Penn State as a desired employer and monitoring key performance indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies. The candidate will collaborate closely with colleagues to ensure consistency in messaging and assist in maintaining various Penn State HR digital platforms. They will also provide communication recommendations to HR leaders and support other aspects of Penn State Strategic Communications beyond HR, including planning and writing for presidential and institutional priorities, as well as editorial review of relevant work. The ideal candidate will be an excellent writer and communicator, capable of understanding the needs of target audiences and crafting appropriate communications. They should be able to translate complex topics into understandable prose, possess strong verbal and interpersonal skills, and be comfortable advising on communications for major strategic initiatives. Proficiency in developing and executing large-scale communications plans, a self-starter attitude, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment are essential. A bachelor's degree or higher plus three or more years of related experience is required, with experience in human resources communications being a plus.