Responsibilities

• The copywriter creates, develops, plans, writes, and edits various marketing communications that may be instructional, informational, narrative, or promotional in nature.
• Responsibilities include working with editors to deliver creative copy with effective messaging; ensuring that communications are on brand, strategically focused, and factually accurate; and contributing to creative ideation for all KU Marketing endeavors.
• The copywriter works both independently and collaboratively with internal teams and partners (clients) to imagine new concepts and copy in support of branding initiatives and partner or university goals.
• Projects include print, digital, broadcast, and social media tactics, and assignments include original, creative work for a variety of media: advertising copy; headlines; features, cutlines, and blurbs for multipage booklets; concise and targeted email messages and subject lines; Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, and TikTok content; longform reported articles or blogs; scripts for video and for radio and TV ads; and informative, interactive text for websites.
• The copywriter participates in and relies on marketing research, focus groups, and surveys to inform their work. However, much of the copywriter’s work comes from independent research and expertise in marketing copywriting best practices for multiple platforms.
• The copywriter interviews sources, consults experts across the university enterprise, and relies on their own experience and/or partner/colleague knowledge to devise original concepts and copy.
• The copywriter gives presentations in small and large group settings and receives feedback constructively. Deadlines vary from long-term and annual projects to short-term and immediate projects.
• The ideal person for this role enjoys finding the exact right words to communicate on-brand messages clearly, creatively, efficiently, and stylishly. This person likely has strong opinions about adverbs and a deep appreciation for clever wordplay.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college, university, or school in advertising, public relations, strategic communications, journalism, English, communications, or a closely related field
• Three (3) years’ professional copywriting experience in an advertising, public relations, or marketing agency or similar in-house unit; magazine; publishing house; newspaper or related entity
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar as evidenced by application materials
• This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations.

Preferred

• Portfolio that demonstrates a clear mastery of marketing copywriting, ideally with a range of projects and styles
• Experience writing across a variety of topics and formats and create compelling copy
• Experience writing copy for websites and social media platforms
• Experience creating copy/concepts for higher education clients, understanding a university’s brand, and editing copy and concepts to better support a university’s strategic long-term branding goals
• Experience using AP Style or following another style guide
• Experience translating instructions, rules, and regulations into clear, engaging copy containing a call to action
• Experience that required the ability to quickly respond to creative brief requests and effectively address copy needs as evidenced by application materials
• Experience working collaboratively within a team and taking the initiative to work independently when necessary
• Experience working with InDesign or InCopy, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and other production software and project-management software
• Interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills as evidenced by application materials