Senior Writer/Editor

Why Work at BYU   

As the flagship higher education institution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University (BYU) strives to be among the exceptional universities in the world. At BYU, we are devoted to our faith and to our students. We take an active role in the University's Mission: "To assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life.” 

Our unique mission, deeply rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, provides countless ways to serve and make an impact. This, along with our remarkable culture of belonging, weekly devotionals, and endless opportunities for learning and growth—all situated within a beautiful and historic campus—make it hard to imagine a more inspiring place to work. 

Brigham Young University strongly prefers to hire faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Job Description

Senior Writer/Editor (part-time/20 hrs per week)

Do you love to write? Are you passionate about the arts? Are you looking for a fun, supportive office culture where you can build your professional portfolio? This job is ideal for a writer/editor who wants to gain experience writing in public relations and journalistic style.

The Senior Writer/Editorwill work on releases and features for BYU OnStage and the six academic units within the college (Art, Communications, Dance, Design, Music, Theatre & Media Arts). Articles will focus on events and student and faculty experiences. These articles are posted on the college and BYU OnStage websites. Recent examples can be found on cfac.byu.edu/news and onstage.byu.edu/newsroom. This position is ideal for journalism, PR, English or editing majors.

The award-winning College of Fine Arts and Communications’ External Relations team writes all of the event news releases, assists in marketing production, creates and supports all websites, works on campaigns relating to the college and university and assists the college’s dean. The team also manages and oversees the college’s social media pages, as well as the School of Communications, Department of Dance, Department of Theatre and Media Arts and the School of Music social media accounts.

Hours: 20 hours/week | Note: Our office is open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, and all employees are required to choose work hours within that time frame each day (Monday-Friday).

Application Instructions: Include a cover letter, resume and three writing samples (at least two of the samples should be written in a journalistic style) with your application when you apply online. Applications without these items included will not be considered. 

What you’ll do in this position:

• Help with creating monthly reports to track analytics (often on posted articles)
• Write news releases and features for the college and school/department websites
• Write short form copies for newsletters, campaigns and social media
• Create monthly reports for assigned beats
• Attend and report on college-sponsored events
• Interview college faculty, students and alumni
• Verify accuracy of facts, dates and statistics
• Work with supervisor on editing and preparing articles for publication
• Pitch story ideas for internal and external publication
• Upload articles and images onto the college and school/department websites
• Attend and participate in weekly meetings
• Collaborate on strategic projects
• Assist with other promotional items and college events as needed

What qualifies you for this role:

• A firm commitment to the mission of BYU
• Ability to adapt quickly to new challenges
• Strong writing, editing and communication skills
• Aptitude for learning new things and self-directing
• College experience in public relations, journalism or a related field is preferred
• Experience with Microsoft Outlook and AP style preferred
• Experience in the arts is a plus
• Longevity preferred - commitment of at least two semesters (8-12 months)

What we offer in return:

This position comes with fantastic benefits, including:

• Employee assistance program, available to the employee and all members of their household
• Access to the library
• Free on-campus parking
• Free UTA pass
• Discounts at the BYU Store and for many events at BYU

Required Documents:

All Staff positions require a resume.

Refer to the Job Posting for any additional required documents.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must hold and be worthy to hold a current temple recommend.

Brigham Young University is an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

Brigham Young University (BYU) is widely recognized not just for its world-class education, but for its deep commitment to inspired religious values. Gathered together in a Christ-centered atmosphere, BYU employees are a vital part of a community of belonging, where we value the experiences, perspectives, and talents of each individual. If you share in our devotion to faith and to excellence, we have a place for you here at BYU!