Executive Communications & Media Relations Specialist

Residing in Silicon Valley, Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) has built a global reputation based on its immersive and innovative management degree programs. We provide students with a transformative leadership experience, push the boundaries of knowledge with faculty research, and offer a portfolio of entrepreneurial and non-degree programs that deliver global impact like no other. We invite you to be part of our mission of developing innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change lives, change organizations, and change the world.  

Success at the GSB is defined by The GSB Way - a commitment to shared purpose, community, and excellence in all that we do. We seek individuals who elevate themselves and those around them through the practice of academic candor, generous collaboration, and bringing curiosity and rigor to solving meaningful problems. At the GSB, impact means taking ownership, and contributing to a purpose-driven, collaborative, and high-performing community in service to the institution’s mission. 

The Dean’s Office Communications department at the GSB seeks an Executive Communications and Media Relations Specialist to support the planning, coordination, and execution of executive communications and media relations efforts supporting key priorities across the school. This department contributes to projects that highlight groundbreaking faculty research, student and alumni impact, institutional priorities, and thought leadership that support effective communications across the GSB. This role will work closely with the team to help manage media relations, outreach efforts, speaking opportunities and executive visibility programs that elevate the GSB’s visibility, reputation, and thought leadership.

The Specialist will play a key communications role in contributing to proactive publicity campaigns, leader communications, rankings-related communications, and institutional news. The role requires strong organizational and project management skills, excellent writing, judgement, collaboration and attention to detail. This Specialist will work closely with other departments throughout the GSB and collaborate on school news and announcements. Additionally this role will support the executive visibility efforts, including presentation development, writing, proofreading, and brainstorming creative ways to bring GSB stories to life. 

This role is perfect for a storyteller who is passionate about staying abreast of research, topics and trends in higher education that would resonate with the media. This individual also has the desire to build strong relationships across teams and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders including faculty, students, alumni, communications teams, vendors, and senior leaders.

The Specialist will have the opportunity to help shape and support high-impact storytelling and communications initiatives for one of the world’s leading business schools. 

Duties unique to the role:

• Media relations: Seek creative ways to promote the GSB through proactive outreach and relationship building with reporters who may be inclined to cover GSB news, attend events, and speak with faculty about a range of topics and initiatives as well as produce metrics reporters
• Writing / editing: Create written materials including communications plans, media pitches, speeches, and executives on social media 
• Presentation support: Draft visual materials for internal and executive communications programs
• Research: Stay abreast of trends and timely topics in higher education and identify opportunities for the GSB to offer its thought leadership point of view
• Reputation management: Support the team in navigating topics that may impact the GSB’s reputation, assist with crafting response and delivering messages

The budgeted salary for this position is $102,961 to $113,067 annualized.

Core Duties:

• Participate in development of communication deliverables in an area of expertise for a program.

• Develop communications of moderate complexity for various content delivery channels.

• Produce materials according to defined requirements using software applications and mediums.

• Work with vendors to obtain information to evaluate quality, process, and costs to support vendor selection.

• Maintain knowledge by attending webinars, conferences, networking etc. to remain at the forefront of current industry standards, trends and technology.

• May compile data, illustrations, photos, and pictures for assignments.

• Work in collaboration with Institutional Communicators on media relations content and other areas.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Ability to work collaboratively with internal communications groups across campus.

• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills.

• Capacity to synthesize materials and communicate information in a manner easily understood.

• Experience with managing projects to specifications and to meet expected deadlines.

• Ability to perform detailed work with high level of accuracy and attention to detail.