We have been retained by Tulane University to assist their search for a full-time, senior-level speechwriter to support their president, Michael Fitts.
This is a great opportunity for an accomplished speech pro with prior experience working in higher education.
Below is the full job description for the position, Senior Advisor to the President, Executive Communications. Please note that this is a full-time job based in New Orleans.
If you are interested in being considered for the position, please send a cover letter, full resume, and at least three relevant writing samples to me at:
dan@gothamghostwriters.com.
TULANE UNIVERSITY JOB POSTING:
Senior Advisor to the President,
Executive Communications
POSITION SUMMARY: The Senior Advisor to the President, Executive Communications will serve as an integral member of the staff of the President of Tulane University. The incumbent must be an artful writer and skilled strategic communicator who can translate complicated concepts into clear, compelling language for delivery by the president. He or she will conceive, create, and edit a high volume of executive-level speeches, lectures, columns, essays, articles, presentations, correspondence, and related communications in a clear and consistent voice to many diverse constituencies. He or she will serve as the President’s office liaison on collaborative writing projects with other university offices and ensure the accurate, appropriate, and prompt flow of information to and from the President’s office in support of recurring and special projects.
COMPENSATION: Market competitive
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
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• Bachelor’s degree • 7-10 years professional experience in the fields of communications, journalism, or publishing |
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES TYPICALLY NEEDED TO PERFORM THIS JOB SUCCESSFULLY:
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• Ability to write well-researched, well-organized, and occasion-specific prose • Strong writing, editing, oral communication, and interpersonal skills • Project management skills, including the ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment • Mastery of speechwriting and presentations |
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
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• Experience as high-level speechwriter • Institutional knowledge of higher education, particularly research universities |
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Written Communications (60 percent)
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• Prepares compelling speeches, lectures, columns, presentations, correspondence, and other written communications of the highest quality for the university president • Tailors each communication for maximum audience appeal and impact, conducting research on audience expectations, event agenda, topics or remarks of other speakers, and physical space and audio/visual set-up • Provides counsel and feedback to the president on style and delivery of remarks • Performs content research and develops detailed speech outlines for executive approval • Ensures all executive communications projects are delivered on time • Debriefs with the president and/or senior staff and communications leadership following each presentation in order to achieve continuous improvement • Coordinates efforts to enhance the overall quality of all presidential communications |
Strategic Messaging (35 percent)
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• Synergizes written communications with an overall messaging strategy for the president and university, utilizing internal and external communication platforms to articulate goals and initiatives in a clear manner, reaching as wide an audience as possible • Works with other senior staff and university communications as requested with crafting messages for complex communication issues • Maintains current knowledge of peer institutions, current events, industry issues and trends, policy proposals, and changes in legislation in order to incorporate relevant information into presidential communications |
Other Tasks (5 percent)
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• Performs other duties as requested or required, whether or not specifically mentioned in this job description |
