The Assistant Director, Editorial, develops news stories and other editorial content about Harvard Graduate School of Design faculty and students, their respective research initiatives and practices, and the School’s programs more generally. In addition, the Assistant Director creates and executes a public relations strategy to promote press-worthy news about the School to both external media and Harvard University communications channels. The Assistant Director supports the overall mission of the Communications office to showcase the GSD’s success, innovation, and impact in the context of the wider field of design and through its contributions to other fields including economics, public policy, engineering, governance, medicine and public health, art, and the humanities.
Seeking stories from within the GSD community and beyond, the Assistant Director maintains a deep awareness of the research and practice undertaken by students, faculty, and affiliates across the School’s many departments, degree programs, labs, and initiatives. With a strategic understanding of communication priorities, the Assistant Director conceptualizes and produces innovative editorial content. A critical component of this position is the capacity to generate and express an original narrative point of view—and to do so in a way that reflects an awareness of the field of design. It is essential that the Assistant Director possess the knowledge and creative agility to realize and articulate engaging, as-yet unreported storylines that underscore how the work of the GSD community is relevant to broader public discourses. The Assistant Director will collaborate closely with the Editorial Director and his team to produce and pursue story ideas, and to decide the most effective format for communicating about them. Potential formats for these communications include, but are not limited to, digital features for the GSD’s website, print publications, email newsletters, video, and social media.
In collaboration with the GSD’s external PR partners, the Assistant Director will also produce announcements, press releases, and other campaign communications with input from stakeholders from across the School, and will actively support the University’s communications priorities in making regular pitches for university coverage of relevant stories featuring the School. The ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with media partners is essential for this position. The Assistant Director will also assist in drafting a steady rhythm of important public announcements and other communications on behalf of the School’s leadership.
Successful candidates for this role possess strong writing skills and news judgement. They will also have the ability to work independently, juggling competing priorities and deadlines while moving an agenda forward in an organized and timely fashion.
The Assistant Director reports to the Editorial Director. Applicants must submit a selection of writing samples and other work demonstrating their writing and editing skills, and ability to position, frame, contextualize, or otherwise present in narrative form a story or activity to media and/or public audiences.