We are seeking a highly skilled professional who cares deeply about the pursuit of innovative solutions to the challenges of racism and the pursuit of racial justice to lead our efforts to produce compelling and user-friendly content to advance our goals to democratize knowledge, promote public education about the effects of racism, and build a national network of trusted relationships with the Center and the University.
Who We Are
The Stanford Center for Racial Justice (SCRJ) was created in June 2020 in the wake of our country’s deep reflection about our racial divisions. We are based in the Law School, and serve the entire University. Our overarching goal is to address some of the most challenging problems in our country resulting from the history and persistence of racism.
The Center works with Stanford researchers and scholars across the university to develop and identify new research and ideas. Our approach is to collaborate broadly and to democratize knowledge. We want to bridge the gap between academic research and all of the stakeholders and communities who desire access to information and ideas in user-friendly ways.
The individual we seek for this position will become an important thought partner with the Executive Director and with the Faculty Director to help the Center implement its strategic goals.
Desired Skills and Qualifications
We are looking for a dynamic and skilled individual with an accomplished background in writing, producing and editing along with excellent academic credentials. In this position, you will report to the Executive Director of the Center.
The successful candidate will develop and produce educational content and news about innovative ideas and research. This will also include coordinating and collaborating with our Law School Communications Team to distribute that content to target constituencies and audiences and to advance SCRJ’s ongoing strategic goals and communication planning efforts. The Producer-Editor will attend monthly Communications Team meetings to stay connected with other communications staff on communications best practices, to leverage tools/resources, and to coordinate/collaborate where appropriate.
The position will require you to interact with Stanford faculty, researchers, and Center staff to develop ideas and plan, write, produce and edit accessible user-friendly content for distribution. Deliverables include generating articles, blog posts, newsletters, YouTube videos, and online and social media content. You will also develop materials for public authorship by faculty and others affiliated with the Center.
In collaboration with the Executive Director and Faculty Director, you will prepare position statements for the Center or occasionally university officials or faculty regarding emerging public events that intersect with racial equity and the Center’s mission and develop a strategy for communicating those positions.
The position is responsible for reviewing and editing all Center publications and public communications.
In addition, you will be responsible for helping the Center create a national network of trusted relationships and followers and producing content to keep them engaged.
The successful candidate should have knowledge of and familiarity with the history of racism in the US and its consequences, including income and wealth disparities, housing and education segregation and disparities, mass incarceration, violence, and the history of tension and violence between police and Black communities and other marginalized groups, and contemporary debates about racial equity and solutions.
Core Duties:
• Research, plan, write, produce and edit original/complex publications for style and substance.
• Develop and publish sensitive policy statements and publications for internal and/or external audiences.
• Ensure adherence of editorial content to guidelines and oversee the work of other editorial staff or freelancers.
• Update web platforms and create content for social media.
• Recommend changes and amendments to communications or publications.
• Work within deadlines and cost constraints of clients.
• Advise and collaborate with clients on editorial and publication methods.
• Communicate with writers, editors, photographers, vendors, and contractors, and review the publication process.
• Serve as a resource in developing strategies that promote effective delivery of publications/editorials to target audiences.
*Note: The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Education and Experience Required:
Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant work experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
• Demonstrated understanding of the principles, terminology, procedures, and best practices of communications, public relations, and editorial content.
• Extensive experience in planning and implementing complex publications/editorial projects.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize and coordinate materials from multiple resources.
• Demonstrated ability to edit complex stories for both style and substance.
• Exceptional attention to detail and thorough command of editorial and proofreading skills.
• Experience with content publishing for websites (WordPress) and newsletters (Campaign Monitor).
• Experience with social media content creation and distribution techniques.
• Experience producing highly effective work within the deadline and cost constraints of clients.
• Demonstrated ability to apply ingenuity and creativity in solving complex problems.
• Demonstrated ability to apply discretion and judgment in evaluating implications of information released to internal and external audiences.
Additional Preferred Skills:
• Collaborative work style, and experience working with teams.
• Experience working with complex ideas and research and ability to translate ideas for different audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with a wide range of constituencies including scholars, researchers, policymakers, community groups, nonprofit leaders and government officials.
• Experience with producing video content.
Working Conditions:
• Occasional work on evenings and weekends
Work Standards
• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide https://adminguide.stanford.edu/
About Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is one of the nation’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education. Its alumni are among the most influential decision makers in law, politics, business and high technology. Faculty members argue before the Supreme Court, testify before Congress, produce outstanding legal scholarship and empirical analysis, and contribute regularly to the nation’s press as legal and policy experts. Stanford Law School has established a new model for legal education that provides rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and focus on public service, spearheading a movement for change.
*Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.
*The expected pay range for this position is $86,000 to $116,000 per annum.
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.
*Stanford Law School seeks to hire the best talent and to promote a safe and secure environment for all members of the university community and its property. To that end, new staff hires must successfully pass a background check prior to starting work at Stanford University.
* Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.