Stony Brook University College of Business
Riverside, California
San Mateo, California
St. Louis, Missouri
New York, New York
Fullerton, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Posted: 01-Nov-25
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Categories:
Internal Number: 270465
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
The Senior Writer/Editor plays a pivotal role in shaping and elevating the institution's voice through clear, compelling, and strategically aligned storytelling. Reporting to the Content Director, this individual develops and edits high-impact content that advances the school's reputation, supports recruitment and fundraising, and deepens engagement among students, faculty, alumni, and external audiences.
The ideal candidate is a versatile communicator who can translate complex ideas into accessible narratives, guide other writers, and uphold the highest editorial standards across print and digital platforms.
Writing and Story Development
- Research, write, and produce feature stories, news articles, profiles, and marketing copy that showcase Michigan Law's strengths and priorities.
- Translate institutional initiatives, student experiences, and alumni impact into engaging, audience-appropriate stories.
- Develop content for multiple channels including the website, alumni magazine, newsletters, and brochures.
- Pitch story ideas that advance strategic priorities and reinforce brand messaging.
- Ensure accuracy, clarity, and tone consistent with institutional voice.
Editing and Quality Assurance
- Edit content produced by staff, freelancers, and campus partners for style, tone, clarity, and factual accuracy.
- Maintain and evolve editorial style guidelines to ensure consistency across all platforms.
- Provide developmental and line editing for long-form features, institutional brochures and reports, and faculty website profiles.
- Serve as a final editorial check for key publications, ensuring polish and professionalism.
Strategic and Collaborative Engagement
- Collaborate with the Content Director to align editorial priorities with broader communications and marketing strategies.
- Partner with colleagues in design, multimedia, and digital/social media to deliver cohesive, visually and narratively integrated stories.
- Work closely with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to identify strong story angles and represent their work with accuracy and nuance.
- Contribute to editorial planning meetings and help manage the content calendar.
Performance and Optimization
- Maintain storytelling project tracking database.
- Track and assess content performance using analytics and feedback to refine future storytelling approaches.
- Stay informed on trends in higher education, the legal profession/current events, journalism, and digital media to keep institutional content current and competitive.
- Bachelor's degree in English, journalism, communications, or a related field (advanced degree preferred).
- 7-10 years of professional writing and editing experience, ideally in higher education, journalism, or strategic communications.
- Exceptional command of language and editorial judgment.
- Proven ability to write for diverse audiences and across multiple formats.
- Strong interviewing, research, and fact-checking skills.
- Experience managing or mentoring other writers.
- Experience collaborating with designers, photographers, videographers, and digital strategists.
- Knowledge of AP and Chicago style, grammar, spelling, proofreading, and other writing conventions.
- Distills complex academic or legal topics into compelling, human-centered narratives and storytelling excellence.
- Exercises editorial judgment to identify, shape, and position stories selecting the most effective formats and media to advance institutional priorities and deepen audience engagement.
- Ensures editorial consistency, clarity, and quality across all written outputs.
- Understands how content strategically supports institutional goals and adapts tone and approach accordingly.
- Produces outstanding marketing copy that creatively sparkles and is rooted in strategy.
- Demonstrates outstanding communication skills; superb attention to detail; and excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.
- Has a confident, congenial interviewing style and subsequent ability to craft short, snappy, on-message profiles of students, faculty, and alumni.
- Easily changes writing styles to fit the audience and voice of the piece.
- Works independently, and reliably and consistently meets deadlines.
- Believes in the transformative value of higher education and creates content that engages current and prospective students and enhances their experience with Michigan Law.
- Seamlessly manages several projects simultaneously; prioritizes and plans work.
- Demonstrates an exceptional attention to detail in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy.
- Exhibits a positive attitude, a proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations, and a demonstrated commitment to promote and enhance diversity and inclusion.
- Engages with high-level administrators and the Law School's donors, alumni, faculty, and students in a professional yet personable manner that builds trust and rapport.
- Demonstrates intellectual engagement and a passion for learning about diverse disciplines and ideas.
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.
