Assistant Director, Editorial – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Position Description:
Job Summary:
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) educates design, research, and scholarship leaders to make a resilient, just, and beautiful world. The GSD offers degree programs across a range of design disciplines—architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, urban design, design engineering, and real estate—as well as advanced research programs that cut across these disciplines and a robust public program of lectures, exhibitions, and publications. The immense variety of people, programs, and ideas at the School sustains a vibrant and rich environment for learning, inquiry, and collaboration, unlike any other design school.
The Assistant Director, Editorial, develops news stories and other editorial content about Harvard Graduate School of Design faculty and students, their respective research initiatives and practices, and the School’s programs more generally. In addition, the Assistant Director creates and executes a public relations strategy to promote press-worthy news about the School to both external media and Harvard University communications channels. The Assistant Director supports the overall mission of the Communications office to showcase the GSD’s success, innovation, and impact in the context of the wider field of design and through its contributions to other fields including economics, public policy, engineering, governance, medicine and public health, art, and the humanities.
Seeking stories from within the GSD community and beyond, the Assistant Director maintains a deep awareness of the research and practice undertaken by students, faculty, and affiliates across the School’s many departments, degree programs, labs, and initiatives. With a strategic understanding of communication priorities, the Assistant Director conceptualizes and produces innovative editorial content. A critical component of this position is the capacity to generate and express an original narrative point of view—and to do so in a way that reflects an awareness of the field of design. It is essential that the Assistant Director possess the knowledge and creative agility to realize and articulate engaging, as-yet unreported storylines that underscore how the work of the GSD community is relevant to broader public discourses. The Assistant Director will collaborate closely with the Editorial Director and his team to produce and pursue story ideas, and to decide the most effective format for communicating about them. Potential formats for these communications include, but are not limited to, digital features for the GSD’s website, print publications, email newsletters, video, and social media.
In collaboration with the GSD’s external PR partners, the Assistant Director will also produce announcements, press releases, and other campaign communications with input from stakeholders from across the School, and will actively support the University’s communications priorities in making regular pitches for university coverage of relevant stories featuring the School. The ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with media partners is essential for this position. The Assistant Director will also assist in drafting a steady rhythm of important public announcements and other communications on behalf of the School’s leadership.
Successful candidates for this role possess strong writing skills and news judgement. They will also have the ability to work independently, juggling competing priorities and deadlines while moving an agenda forward in an organized and timely fashion.
The Assistant Director reports to the Editorial Director. Applicants must submit a selection of writing samples and other work demonstrating their writing and editing skills, and ability to position, frame, contextualize, or otherwise present in narrative form a story or activity to media and/or public audiences.
Position Description:
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Develop and produce editorial content about GSD research initiatives and practices, and the School’s programs more generally
-Actively engage faculty and students from across the School’s departments, degree programs, and research initiatives to maintain a deep and rapid awareness of newsworthy developments as they occur across the GSD community
-Develop and execute a media plan in accordance with the GSD’s long-term mission and near-term priorities and communications goals, and in collaboration with the GSD’s external PR partners
-Produce announcements, press releases, and other campaign communications with input from stakeholders from across the School
-Actively support the University’s communications priorities in making regular pitches for university coverage of relevant stories featuring the School
-Collaborate closely with the Editorial Director and his team to produce and pursue story ideas, and contribute regularly to the School’s digital editorial channels
-Attend and contribute ideas to regular team-wide editorial meetings, and coordinate publications, both and print, with other editorial and communications colleagues
-Assist in drafting important public announcements and other communications on behalf of the School’s leadership
-Perform other duties as assigned, as part of a team that manages a wide portfolio of projects related to external communications, public programs, exhibitions, and publications
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
-There are no supervisory responsibilities associated with this position.
Basic Qualifications :
-Bachelor’s degree required, with 6+ years’ experience as an editor, writer, public relations professional, or similar.
-Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality writing and review others’ writing with a keen copyeditor’s eye.
Additional Qualifications and Skills :
-Bachelor’s degree in a design-related field, architectural or art history, journalism, English, communications, or the humanities. Master’s degree preferred
-Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to cultivate relationships with design and media professions
-Must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-pressured environment and be self-motivated to bring projects to completion at agreed upon deadlines
-Must be able to work independently and be enthusiastic about engaging with and across groups of highly ambitious individuals operating near or at the tops of their professions
-Ability to synthesize complex information into exciting and persuasive communications
-Ability to prioritize and manage multiple and disparate projects simultaneously
-Must be able to exercise discretion and sound judgment with sensitive and confidential information
Physical Requirements:
-There are no known physical requirements related to this position. Work is mainly performed in an office setting.
Working Conditions:
-This position will be based in Cambridge, MA. The work is mainly performed in an office setting. Flexible work options for this role will be discussed during the interview process.
-This position is hybrid and open to candidates residing in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. However, it is expected that the Assistant Director will spend a significant amount of time on campus in Cambridge to engage with the school community. During the academic year, it is essential for the Assistant Director to be present at the GSD on a weekly basis.
Additional Information :
Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.
[Full-Time (Salaried)] Salary Range: 80000-90000
Schedule Requirements:
Minimum Requirements:
Physical Requirements :
There are no known physical requirements related to this position. Work is mainly performed in an office setting.
Working Conditions :
This position will be based in Cambridge, MA. The work is mainly performed in an office setting. Flexible work options for this role will be discussed during the interview process.
This position is hybrid and open to candidates residing in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. However, it is expected that the Assistant Director will spend a significant amount of time on campus in Cambridge to engage with the school community. During the academic year, it is essential for the Assistant Director to be present at the GSD on a weekly basis.
Level of English Required: Advanced/Fluent
How to Apply:
Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, and selection of writing samples and/or other work demonstrating their writing and editing skills and ability to position, frame, contextualize, or otherwise present in narrative form a story or activity to media and/or public audiences.