Responsibilities

• Meet with appropriate creative teams and partners (clients) to review project briefs. Write, review, refine, and finalize copy for a variety of projects that conforms to KU’s key messaging platform and branding objectives. Conduct independent research to determine the best approach/content to achieve each project’s desired outcome. Work both independently and in collaboration with editors and other creative team members. Review work of self and others with a critical eye to strategic communication best practices and branding objectives. Strive to create work that is original and inventive while meeting KU brand standards and stated marketing goals. Work closely with project teams to ensure the timely flow of copy.
• Bring copywriting expertise to bear on the development of strategic concepts and content for a variety of partners and objectives. Collaborate with the marketing strategy and creative teams to develop ideas for a variety of marketing tactics that support strategic branding goals. Research appropriate topics or approaches. When needed, participate in photo or video shoots, design brainstorming sessions, partner presentations, or other related activities. Write and refine a variety of copy to support concept-stage presentations or other spec work.
• Regularly confirm university statistics and facts for use in marketing copy. Review final versions or printer proofs of projects produced by the department.
• Attend staff and partner meetings. Work collegially with staff and partners in a team environment. Track tasks, documents, and deadlines in a project management system. Maintain project and payroll hours and record them accurately and consistently. As needed, prepare and present research, work, or recommendations to internal and/or partner teams.

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

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
• Experience that required the ability to meet tight deadlines under pressure as evidenced by application materials
• Previous experience that required strong organization skills and attention to detail as evidenced by application materials
• Experience that required the ability to respond to direction and adapt to frequent changes in project tactics, creative strategy, and/or deadline as evidenced by application materials