Web Writer (Hybrid Opportunity)

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

Job Summary

The Marketing & Communications (Marcom) group leads and coordinates strategic marketing efforts for UMass Amherst to raise the institution’s global visibility and deepen its reputation as one of the nation’s great public research universities. It tells the university’s stories across a wide array of platforms and builds strong relationships with important audiences through a variety of traditional and new marketing tactics. Additionally, the Marcom group provides leadership, consultation, partnership, and coordination for marketers and communicators across campus, collaborating with all colleges, schools, and units.

The university is in the process of bringing all the main forward facing website properties onto a unified technical platform that is supported by a robust content management system (Drupal) and clear web governance. As a result, we are looking for several key positions to round out our existing team.

UMass Amherst is looking for an experienced content writer to join our digital team. In this role, you’ll help drive search traffic and awareness through editorial content and website copy. You’ll create engaging content based on university goals and high search volume topics. The ideal candidate has some technical proficiency, digital marketing experience, web writing, an understanding of SEO, and an appreciation for results measurement. Along with writing for the main institutional sites, you’ll be working directly with university partners to write and edit content for their sites. UMass is a fast-paced environment that always demands excellence and efficiency, while making room for autonomy, innovation, and creativity.

Essential Functions

• Work with university partners (schools, colleges, and units) to revise existing pages and create new web content, ensuring that all information posted is accurate and conforms to university editorial standards and brand guidelines.
• Working with university partners and Marcom team members, write or edit long- and short-form content that is on brand in voice and tone.
• Produce engaging content titles, meta descriptions, and content structure ideas with SEO best practices in mind.
• Translate print and electronic documents into formats suitable for web-based presentation.
• Edit existing evergreen website copy with new keywords or topics following the brand messaging strategy and UMass voice.
• Ensure overall consistency of voice and identity aligned with the university’s established brand guidelines.
• Ensure all content is grammatically correct and reflects the appropriate tone and objectives for the university.
• Stay up-to-date on best practices and overall web content trends to bring new ideas forth to position UMass as a leader in web content.
• Demonstrate a multicultural awareness and contribute to cultivating an inclusive, diverse and respectful university community.

Other Functions:

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, English, communications, or other relevant field.
• 3+ years' experience in content writing.
• Experience with entering content into content management systems (Drupal, WordPress, etc.).
• Ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time with adherence to deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently or in a group setting.
• Ability to collaborate with others, including incorporating constructive feedback.
• Outstanding creative ability and positive problem-solving approach.
• Experience with modern collaborative tools such as MS Teams, SharePoint, Wrike, or Basecamp.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• A solid mix of public/private industry, higher-education, and nonprofit experience.
• Exceptional editing skills.
• Strong proofreading skills.
• Strong commitment to working collaboratively with campus colleagues and external constituencies to advance the overall strategic goals of the University.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical Office Environment

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5 PM
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement

Salary Information

Level 26

PSU Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume, and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.