Associate Director of News and Media Relations

Title: Associate Director of News and Media Relations

locations

San Marino

time type

Full time

job requisition id

R0001207

About Us

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

The Huntington

Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

The Culture

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond.  Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. 

At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.

• Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.

• Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.

• Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.

• Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.

• Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

Job Description

About the Role

The Associate Director of News and Media Relations is a versatile writer and strategic communicator with a proven record of developing strategies that achieve measurable results. The Associate Director advances The Huntington’s visibility through compelling, mission-driven stories adapted for earned, owned, and digital channels. The role provides strategic oversight for media outreach in partnership with the Director of News and Media Relations and leads the creation of high-quality editorial content that reflects institutional priorities and strengthens audience engagement across all platforms.

Reporting to the Director of News and Media Relations, this position is part of the Office of Communications and Marketing, which includes the Creative, Digital and Social Media Content Strategy, and News and Media Relations teams. The division develops and amplifies The Huntington’s stories across multiple channels—ensuring the institution’s work is accessible, relevant, and widely shared. The Associate Director collaborates across the communications team and with internal stakeholders to surface, shape, and publish stories that reflect The Huntington’s mission and impact.

The position supervises a Communications Specialist responsible for implementing media outreach, responding to press inquiries, and tracking media analytics.

This is a limited-term position, currently budgeted for one year.

Essential Duties

Writing & Editorial Leadership

• Research, report, and write original long-form and short-form content aligned with institutional priorities and the editorial calendar.

• Develop high-impact stories that not only reflect institutional priorities but also resonate with journalists and public audiences, contributing directly to earned media outcomes.

• Translate complex scholarly or scientific material into accessible, compelling narratives for public and media audiences.

• Work closely with curators, researchers, educators, and other content leads to develop stories that reflect The Huntington’s collections, mission, and impact.

• Enterprise story ideas in collaboration with Communications colleagues and subject matter experts to maintain a robust pipeline of publishable content.

• Edit and refine content for clarity, voice, tone, and adherence to AP style; contribute to proofreading and quality control across communications products.

Media Relations Strategy & Oversight

• Partner with the Director to shape and implement proactive media engagement strategies that support institutional goals.

• Provide thoughtful recommendations, constructive feedback, and proactive guidance to the Director to strengthen decision-making and alignment with institutional priorities.

• Provide direction on story angles, outlet targeting, and press materials to ensure consistency of message and alignment with brand standards.

• Manage the Communications Specialist, who handles day-to-day pitching, coordinates interviews, facilitates press visits, and monitors analytics.

• Support the Director in developing and implementing messaging, media guidance, and coordinated outreach during issues and crisis situations.

• Develop and maintain efficient, documented systems and processes for handling press requests, media credentialing, and press pass distribution—including intake, review, approval, fulfillment, and follow-up—to ensure timely, consistent, and professional interactions with journalists and other media representatives.

Cross-Platform Story Packaging

• Adapt stories for multiple platforms, including the institutional website and landing pages, in collaboration with Creative and Digital teams.

• Align timelines and deliverables to support exhibitions, research announcements, and institutional initiatives.

Measurement & Strategy Refinement

• Interpret media coverage reports and results to identify trends, assess the effectiveness of story placement and messaging, and inform future strategies.

• Maintain records and analytics for all press requests and credentialing activity to identify trends, improve efficiency, and strengthen relationships with media outlets.

• Serve as a thought partner to the Director by providing strategic recommendations, surfacing potential challenges, and identifying opportunities that enhance media engagement and institutional visibility.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Build strong relationships across institutional divisions to surface stories and ensure accuracy and alignment.

• Maintain professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment when navigating sensitive topics.

• Exhibit strong upward management skills by fostering open communication with the Director, ensuring alignment of strategies, and anticipating emerging needs.

• Mentor and support the Communications Specialist, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.

• Serve as the point of contact for cross-department coordination on press access protocols, ensuring consistency across curatorial, events, and visitor services teams.

• Serve as backup Senior Editor, as needed.

• Other duties as assigned.

Candidate Requirements and Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations, or a related field.

• 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in editorial writing and media relations, preferably in a museum, higher education, research, or cultural institution.

• Demonstrated excellence in long-form and short-form writing, with a portfolio showing published work across multiple formats.

• Command of AP style and strong interviewing/reporting skills.

• Proven ability to develop and guide media strategies, and to lead others in executing those strategies.

• Proven success building and maintaining operational systems that streamline media relations processes and enhance institutional efficiency.

• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic vision with tactical execution, moving fluidly between big-picture planning and detailed implementation.

• Demonstrated ability to serve in an advisory capacity, providing thoughtful recommendations and exercising sound judgment in support of senior leadership.

• Experience contributing to crisis communications and issue management.

• Proven skill in building relationships and fostering collaboration across diverse teams and stakeholder groups.

• Growth mindset with a track record of adaptability, openness to feedback, and continuous learning.

Preferred

• Familiarity with CMS platforms, SEO best practices, and digital publishing workflows.

• Background in narrative journalism or long-form digital storytelling.

Physical Requirements & Working Environment

• Must be able to sit and perform computer-related functions for long periods of time.

• Occasional lifting of office supplies may be required, typically up to 15lbs.

• The work is typically performed in a standard office setting. The employee may need to stand, walk, or occasionally reach, stoop, kneel, or crouch.

• Finger dexterity is needed for data entry and computer use.

• While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus.

• Works in an office environment with moderate noise.

• This is a full-time position expected to be onsite at least three days a week at The Huntington in San Marino.

• Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required.

Compensation & Benefits 

We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including: 

• Pay Range: $90,000.00- $100,000.00 annually. Commensurate on experience.

• Medical, Dental, Vision  

• 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match 

• Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions 

• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays 

• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants 

• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions 

• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds 

The Application Process 

Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, and 4–6 writing samples demonstrating range (at least one press release, one long-form feature, and one explainer piece).  

You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.