Public Relations Professional 2 – HigherEdJobs

UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center (UVACCC), an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and part of the UVA School of Medicine, seeks a Public Relations Professional to serve on its Research Operations and Strategic Planning Operations communications team. This position’s main focus is to develop and manage a new, multi-platform social media presence communicating UVACCC’s leadership in cancer research, cancer prevention and population health, education and training, and diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as Cancer Center partnerships and events, to targeted audiences.

The position would also support ongoing Cancer Center internal and research communications projects including authorship of articles for internal and external distribution, as well as photography and basic graphic design, plus, as-needed, website maintenance and official email distribution.

The successful candidate will demonstrate experience overseeing an organization’s social media presence including planning, independent content creation, and use of metrics and analytics. They must also have strong proficiency in writing and editing, including sharp attention to detail, and ability to communicate scientific subject matter understandably to lay readers, and to shift tone based on medium, content and audience. Journalism study and/or practical experience newswriting, including familiarity with AP Style and feature writing are preferred, as is experience with digital SLR photography, Canva, Adobe Create Cloud apps, WordPress and Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

Job duties include:

• Develop and manage a new UVACCC social media presence on multiple platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn)
• Work closely with UVACCC leadership, member researchers, the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, Cancer Programs Development, the Events Manager and others on strategy, planning and content
• Coordinate with the communications team on strategy, planning and alignment of efforts
• Provide guidance for social media goals and objectives and implement metrics to measure effectiveness of efforts
• Monitor social media channels to engage and assist users, and to respond to positive and negative comments as-appropriate
• Keep current with trends in social media and online marketing
• Identify stories and draft news and feature articles and other content for distribution internally and externally
• Take and edit photographs and complete basic graphic design projects, both for social media and for other communications projects as-needed
• Manage the Cancer Center’s photo archive
• Support Cancer Center official email distribution and Web development and editing as-needed
• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.
• While this position entails normal work hours Monday through Friday, responsibilities including special event coverage will occasionally require work on-site nights and weekends.

Minimum Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in English or Communications
Experience: One year of experience

Physical Demands
This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Application Instructions: Apply Now. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0056310. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

• A CV/resume
• A cover letter
• Work Samples

All documents can be loaded into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Please note that this is a restricted position and continuation is dependent upon the availability of the position, funding, and satisfactory performance.  This position cannot offer sponsorship.
For questions about the application process, please contact Margaret Weeks, Academic Recruiter. Before a formal offer of employment is extended, the selected candidate will undergo a background check per university policy.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person’s perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.