Special Assistant for Executive Communications

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Posting Details

Position Information Posting Number S05264P Position Title Special Assistant for Executive Communications Department President Location Arlington Job Family Communications/Public Affairs Position Status Full-time Work Hours Standard Work Schedule Monday through Friday; 8:00am - 5:00pm Occasional nights and weekends. Open to External and Internal Salary Salary is commensurate based on qualifications and relevant experience. Duration Funding expected to continue Pay Basis Monthly Benefits Eligible Yes Benefits at UTA We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees at the University. To help you understand the full value of these benefits, we have created a tool that calculates the total worth of your compensation package. This tool takes into account all of the benefits that you are eligible for, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. To access this tool and learn more about the total value of your benefits, please click on the following link: University Information The University of Texas at Arlington is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area that is home to over 7 million people, one of the fastest-growing tech economies in the United States, and a wide array of arts, entertainment, and cultural activities. UTA is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. The University is committed to providing access and ensuring student success, and to a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization of discoveries by our community of scholars. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students, UTA is the second largest in the University of Texas System. As a result of its combination of rigorous academics and innovative research, UTA is designated as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution. UTA ranks No. 4 nationally in Military Times' annual “Best for Vets: Colleges” list and is among the top 30 performers nationwide for promoting social mobility of its graduates (U.S. News & World Report, 2025). UTA is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and it has one of the top 5 most ethnically diverse undergraduate student bodies in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2025). Its approximately 270,000 alumni, including some who occupy leadership positions at many of the 24 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas, contribute to UTA's $22.2 billion annual economic impact on Texas. Furthermore, UTA is poised to experience widespread growth in the near future. The university recently launched the first phase of its RISE 100 initiative aimed at recruiting 100 new tenure-system faculty to amplify research standing and position UTA as a leader in key scholarly areas; more details are available at . The successful candidate for this position will have the opportunity to join UTA during an exciting period of growth and contribute as the university broadens its impact. Job Summary The primary responsibility of this role is to create and nurture opportunities that amplify the president and provost's voice, thereby enhancing the institution's stature and market position. This position will collaborate closely with the President and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost. This role will develop a messaging strategy to enhance leadership image, brand, and leadership positioning as a thought leader within higher education. The role will focus on enhancing leadership voices by emphasizing the leadership vision and expertise, collectively boosting the visibility and impact of the university leadership and the university. This position will work with the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, and Marketing, Messaging and Engagement, to ensure alignment between communication plans - across strategic communication and university marketing and special projects. Additionally, this position will coordinate messaging among university leaders to reinforce the institution's voice and strengthen the brand, image, position, and impact of the institution. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Strategy Development:

• Strategically maximize the image, brand, and positioning of the university's leadership.
• Develop and execute a roadmap to accelerate reputational gains and leadership positioning.
• Develop the annual communication goals and metrics for the president and provost.
• Develop thought leadership strategies to position university leaders on emerging trends and best practices in higher education.
• Address issues and devise solutions to proactively and reactively preserve and promote the image and brand of the university's leadership.

Content Creation:

• Develop executive-level communications including university speeches, editorial content and other strategic communications, engaging with key stakeholders to cultivate compelling UTA stories.
• Create engaging content to drive strategic messages for targeted audiences on appropriate platforms, in collaboration with other communicators.

Collaboration:

• Collaborate with Messaging, Marketing and Engagement to identify opportunities and develop content for the President and Provost to elevate professional presence locally, regionally and nationally in respective areas of expertise.
• Work closely with internal cross-functional teams to ensure consistent messaging and quality of communications.

Other duties as assigned Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communication, public relations, or related fields with a combination of 10 years of experience in strategic communications and project management.
• Excellent writing skills with an innovative approach and creative execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in communications strategy.
• Experience at, or extensive familiarity with, institutions of higher education.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Effective strategy, planning and delivery skills for presentations, thought leadership pieces and events.
• Ability to develop and implement messaging strategies
• Ability to plan big-picture initiatives that enhance institutional vision, goals and mission
• Ability to analyze and interpret issues and prepare leaders to respond, while upholding the reputation of the institution.
• Ability to communicate and interact with University leadership and key stakeholders
• Demonstrated aptitude for understanding complex issues, and the ability to translate and simplify them for key audiences.
• Ability and willingness to meet leadership expectations for written style and content, and to accept and respond to revisions and advice rapidly and effectively.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Professional experience in computer skills and ability to utilize a variety of programs, including Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, etc.), social media platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.) and other presentation tools.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently.
• Ability to work in collaborative and cross functional teams.
• Work discreetly and with confidentiality on sensitive or delicate assignments.
• Exercise sound editorial judgement.
• Exceptional organizational skills and proven ability to keep track of and meet numerous deadlines; ability to handle multiple tasks in a timely manner and effectively re-prioritize responsibilities.

Other Requirements Occasional nights and weekends. Working Conditions Special Conditions for Eligibility CBC Requirement It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington to conduct a criminal background check on any applicant who is under final consideration for employment with the University. EEO Statement It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or The University) to provide an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. The University also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally-protected expression will not be considered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is the responsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure the University's compliance with this policy. ADA Accommodations The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to 817-272-5554 or email [email protected] . Posting Detail Information Number of Vacancies 1 Open Until Filled Yes Minimum Number of References Required 3 Maximum Number of References Accepted 3 Special Instructions to Applicants Applicants must include in their online resume the following information: 1) Employment history: name of company, period employed (from month/year to month/year), job title, summary of job duties and 2) Education: school name, degree type, and major.

Requirement Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * What is the highest level of education attained?
  • GED
  • High School Diploma
  • Associate's Degree
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree
  • PhD or equivalent

• * How many years of experience do you have in Strategic Communication and Project Management?
  • Less than 2 years
  • 2 to 5 years
  • 6 to 10 years
  • 10+ years

Documents Needed To Apply

Required Documents

• Resume or CV

• Cover/Interest Letter

Optional Documents