Director of Public Relations

This position is no longer open.

The Marketing and Communications Department is looking for a Director of Public Relations.  This position reports to the Assistant Vice-President for Marketing & Communications. It is a central position based in Beirut Campus with required commutes to Byblos Campus.

Summary

The Director of PR is responsible for increasing LAU’s reputation and presence in the media and in social media, promoting its thought leadership, its programs, people, and alumni. The Director of Public Relations will build effective relationships with public opinion leaders and with the campus community, and will develop strategic communications plans to engage with our target audiences and promote the institution’s mission.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Pitch and promote stories about LAU (academic achievements, people, programs, civic engagement), its fundraising initiatives, alumni success stories to the media & social media.                     
• Manage the team of editorial staff to produce key publications (University magazines, annual reports, other flagship publications).                                                  
• Coordinate the communications of crisis/emergency situations.                                     
• Review ranks and positions of visiting officials, and dignitaries, ensure the protocols, relationships and ranks are well respected in invitations and in visits.                             
• Plan high level media relations strategies, initiate and cultivate media relations, effectively responding to media inquiries, and build a goodwill trust with media and influencers to promote LAU.                                  
• Supervise the engagement and growth of LAU’s social media community by directly managing the social media team to review growth and engagement of the community.   
• Train the team to provide direct support for the media in campus visits, events and receptions.   
• Manage the team to oversee the LAU media & social media presence, ensure synergies across all channel.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with the entire campus community, identify opportunities to disseminate stories and achievements of LAU.                                    
• Disseminate internally new trends in public relations, in media relations and in social media.       
• Generate reports on cost and resource utilization, identify opportunities for cost containment.       
• Facilitate media interviews and connect key faculty and executives with the media.                                                                               
• Track the reputation of LAU in the media and in social media, track reputation across external audiences.
• Chair a social media committee to ensure the integration of the reputational efforts.     
• Manage the yearly Media Event, manage the visibility of key initiatives namely with the commencement ceremonies. 
• Create and update a social media and an earned media calendar integrating all institutional messaging, with the messaging for divisions, schools, institutes, programs…          
• Chair a crisis communication committee to ensure readiness and integration of crisis communications.
• Oversee owned and earned media: oversee their planning, integration and execution.
• Write and/or supervise the writing and preparations of press kits with press releases, Q&As, Fact Sheets, and track the dissemination and the publishing of press kits/releases.         
• Manage and maintain media lists (media and influencers).

Minimum Qualifications & Skills

• Holder of a BA degree in Public relations, Communication/Media & Advertising, Journalism, or related field. Master’s degree preferable
• Minimum 15 years of experience, with 4 years of supervisory experience
• Strong abilities in writing/pitching stories, articles, op-eds                     
• Robust network of media relationships in Lebanon, M.E.
• Strong network of public relations (opinion leaders, industry, governmental)                                         
• Strong skills in social media strategies                                                             
• Good event planning and management skills
• Strong skills in writing press releases in Arabic                                             
• Good knowledge of Protocol                                                     
• Strong presentation abilities                                                                                
• Strong knowledge of B2B and B2C communications    
• Good computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite, People 365…)
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to lead a diversified team and foster a spirit of cooperation and integrity
• Strong ability to handle stressful situations and to multitask                 
• Strong creative traits and leadership                                                                

CVs should be emailed to vacancy1@lau.edu.lb, specifying the job title in the subject line.

Closing date for applications is Sunday April 2^nd, 2017.

No applications will be accepted after this date, and only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

The Lebanese American University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity