Senior Communications Lead

Position Summary

Responsible for leading the communications work in the Division and coordination of communication activities with other departments of the university.

Major Responsibilities

Lead the Division's communication operations and oversee the implementation of the communication strategy.

Supervise staff contributing to Division’s communications in their daily activities, to plan and assign tasks, and to oversee the implementation timelines.

Oversee the production of media releases, and coordinate the development of customized content for in-kingdom and international communications.

To oversee the editorial work in the Division and to coordinate the editorial initiatives with other departments and publications of the university (e.g. Global Branding, KAUST Discovery, KAUST Impact).

Ensure the editorial alignment and consistency with the University’s communication policies and practices.

To define and update the Division’s communication guidelines.

Provide training and instructions to Division’s communication contributors as required. Communications’ strategy and advice

To develop the Division’s general communication strategy for addressing general public, scientific community, potential students, and stakeholders such as policy makers and relevant industries, both at national and international level.

Provide the Division’s leadership with expert advice on communication strategy, including analyzing information pertaining to the Division (students, alumni, projects, publications, etc.) and preparation of presentations.

Provide the Division’s faculty with advice and solutions for outreach and dissemination. Coordination and implementation

Lead the ongoing content development and review for the Division’s website and other digital communication channels.

To prepare press releases and articles on the Division’s achievements for national and international mass media and social media.

Develop and promote the Division's brand identity. 

Develop and coordinate the implementation of media plans of major events organized by the Division.

Assess the landscape of major national and international events and establish a plan for Division’s presence in those events.

Analyze the science communications landscape, identifying the most efficient channels for outreach towards students and scientists in the academic disciplines of the Division, general public, and stakeholders such as policy makers, relevant industries, and funding bodies. Relations and outreach

Act as the Division’s first point of contact for media inquiries.

Lead the PR work of the division, establishing working relationship with national and international media and other relevant stakeholders.

Liaise with the University’s Marketing and Communications Department helping define priorities in line with the university’s overall strategy and objectives.

Serve as the Divisional representative for in-Kingdom and international outreach programs and activities.

Manage tracking of Alumni and the related outreach, including updates about the Division.

Oversee the implementation of outreach via e-mail distribution lists, newsfeeds and newsletters. Competencies Technical Skills Framework

Expertise in science writing and communications via written and visual media.

English proficiency, particularly as related to the requirements of journalism.

Knowledge of terminology used in exact sciences and engineering.

Experience in directing video production.

Well-developed computer literacy, including sovereign use of Microsoft Office suite and media editing software.

Desirably, proficiency in use of research databases (e.g., Scopus, Web of Science, etc.)

Desirably, familiarity with methods of statistical data analysis. Non-Technical Skills Framework

Demonstrated maturity and excellence in communications.

Experience in liaising with outside stakeholders, including publishers, mass media, governmental and academic organizations, science funding bodies, industry, etc.

Professional attitude towards work, with well-developed sense of integrity and discretion.

Highly developed interpersonal competence and intercultural sensitivity.

Strong organizational skills and ability to conceive, design, plan, implement, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

High attention to detail, accuracy in work organization, analytical skills, and creativity.

Qualifications.

Minimum: A Master's degree in journalism or communications and a minimum of seven years of work experience related to communication and outreach on scientific topics, or Master’s degree in natural sciences or engineering with at least seven years of communication and/or public relations’ work experience;

Preferred: A PhD degree in social sciences, with at least five years of work experience in journalism and/or public relations or a PhD degree in natural sciences with at least five years of work experience in the area of communications.

Experience in media/PR work in an academic environment.