Senior Writer (post level 9) (Contract appointment: 1 year) (Job ID: 5527) at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities:

• Provide writing support through focused specialist corporate writing, e.g., opinion articles and thought-leadership articles aligned with institutional themes and objectives.
• Gather information, expert input, and other material to write content for various channels. 
• Research, analyse and write articles for targeted communication platforms and campaigns. 
• Provide support for digital communication through focused specialist corporate writing for the UFS website and social media.
• Provide writing support for corporate brand identity activities through focused specialist public relations content.
• Participate in the Department of Communication and Marketing’s Content Hub and curate content for the communication platforms. 
• Ensure that all content is presented timeously and in a multimedia format to optimise its use on the various communication platforms.

Inherent requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree or an advanced diploma/BTech degree/postgraduate certificate on NQF Level 7 in Journalism/ Media Studies/ Communication or a related field.  
• A minimum of two (2) years relevant working experience relating to the duties and responsibilities.

Recommendations:

• Valid driver’s licence.
• Proof of extensive research, writing and media production experience at a senior level.
• Demonstrative experience in a media/corporate communication environment.
• Proof of writing about a diverse range of topics.
• Proof of experience as a speech writer.
• Proof of multimedia production experience.
• Experience in a Public Relations environment.
• Work experience in the higher education environment.
• Proven proficiency in business writing and experience in writing relevant content for digital and print channels/publications.
• Knowledge of industry best practices.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Word and PowerPoint.