Content Writer - College of Emerging & Collaborative Studies - UTK

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is seeking a talented Content Writer to help tell the story of one of the university’s fastest-growing and most innovative colleges, with a focus on emerging disciplines, transdisciplinary education, future technology, workforce development, innovation, and collaboration.

The Content Writer will report to the Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing. This position will be responsible for developing clear, accurate, and compelling content that communicates complex technical, academic, and industry-related topics to a variety of audiences. Working closely with CECS leadership, faculty, staff, students, subject-matter experts, and external partners, this position will translate specialized information into accessible and engaging stories, reports, web content, presentations, publications, and other communications.

The Content Writer plays an important role in accelerating the already growing visibility and reputation of CECS by communicating the significance and impact of the college’s work. Through compelling, audience-focused storytelling, the position will showcase how CECS connects disciplines, emerging technologies, academic innovation, workforce development, and external partnerships to address evolving societal and industry needs. The position will ensure communications are accurate, engaging, and consistent with university and college messaging, standards, and brand.

This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled writer who enjoys learning about emerging technologies and evolving fields, collaborating with experts, and making complex information understandable and meaningful. The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious, highly collaborative, and skilled at adapting specialized content for students, faculty, university leadership, industry and research partners, funding organizations, and the broader community.

Responsibilities

Content Writing, Research, and Content Development – 60%

• Researches, develops, and writes clear, accurate, and compelling content related to CECS academic programs, emerging technologies, innovation, workforce development, and industry and community partnerships.
• Identifies and translates technical, academic, and specialized subject matter into accessible and engaging content tailored to technical, academic, executive, student, industry, and public audiences.
• Develops feature stories, news articles, program descriptions, technical summaries, reports, executive communications, web content, newsletters, fact sheets, talking points, presentations, and other materials.
• Conducts interviews with faculty, students, staff, industry partners, and other subject-matter experts to develop stories showcasing CECS programs, accomplishments, expertise, and impact.
• Conducts background research and fact-checking to ensure accuracy, credibility, and consistency across college communications.
• Proactively identifies opportunities to highlight and showcase CECS achievements, faculty expertise, student success, innovation, partnerships, and external impact.
• Develops and writes communications involving external organizations, including industry partners, government agencies, educational partners, research organizations, national laboratories, and community partners.

Editing, Quality Assurance, and Publication Management – 20%

• Performs substantive editing, rewriting, copyediting, and proofreading of technical and nontechnical materials produced throughout the college.
• Reviews content for accuracy, clarity, organization, readability, consistency, grammar, tone, and alignment with university and college standards.
• Works with subject-matter experts to verify technical content while ensuring materials remain accessible to their intended audiences.
• Develops consistent terminology, messaging, style, and documentation standards for CECS programs and initiatives.
• Reviews reports, proposals, presentations, program materials, web content, and other high-profile documents for consistency and quality.
• Maintains appropriate documentation, source information, approvals, and version control for communications projects.
• Ensures published information appropriately represents CECS and maintains the integrity of the university's brand and reputation.

Strategic Communications and Content Planning – 20%

• Collaborates with CECS communications and marketing staff and college leadership to identify content priorities and develop communications supporting the college's strategic goals.
• Develops and maintains professional working relationships with CECS faculty, staff, academic leadership, researchers, and program directors to identify significant developments and communications opportunities.
• Collaborates with university communications, research, academic, and external engagement units as appropriate to coordinate high-profile stories and initiatives.
• Contributes to integrated communications campaigns by developing written content that can be adapted across web, digital, print, social media, presentations, events, and other channels.
• Monitors trends in emerging technologies, higher education, research, workforce development, and relevant industries to identify potential content and thought-leadership opportunities.
• Assists with the development of infographics, diagrams, fact sheets, reports, presentations, and other visual or digital materials that communicate technical information.
• Provides writing and communications support for major college initiatives, announcements, research activities, industry engagements, conferences, events, and special projects.
• Collaborates with all of CECS’s teams to ensure written and visual materials communicate complex information effectively and consistently.
• Assists with photography, video, multimedia, and digital storytelling projects by developing scripts, interview questions, storyboards, captions, descriptions, and supporting content.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Education

Bachelor's degree in professional writing, journalism, communications, English, marketing, public relations, or a related field required.

Required Experience

• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in content writing, journalism, or communications.
• Demonstrated experience writing, analyzing, and editing complex information for both technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Experience conducting interviews, performing background research, and working with subject-matter experts.
• Demonstrated experience producing content for multiple communication formats and audiences.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional professional writing, editing, proofreading, research, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex technical or specialized subject matter and translate it into clear, concise, audience-appropriate language.
• Strong interviewing skills and the ability to work effectively with faculty, subject-matter experts, administrators, students, and external partners.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, particularly when communicating technical or data-driven information.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, competing priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced and rapidly evolving environment.
• Ability to independently research unfamiliar technical topics and quickly develop sufficient subject-matter knowledge to communicate them accurately.
• Strong judgment regarding tone, audience, messaging, confidentiality, and appropriate levels of technical detail.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and build productive relationships with individuals who possess varying levels of technical expertise.
• Proficiency with standard office productivity, web content management, and digital communications tools.
• Commitment to collaboration, professionalism, inclusion, and service.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in communications, professional writing, journalism, English, marketing, public relations, or a related field preferred.
• More than 5 years of experience writing about science, technology, engineering, computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, emerging technologies, or interdisciplinary research.
• Experience working in higher education, research, government, a national laboratory, technology organization, or other technically focused environment.
• Experience developing communications, technical reports, executive-level materials, grant-related content, or externally facing institutional publications.
• Experience with web content management systems, Adobe Creative Cloud, digital publishing platforms, or similar communications tools.
• Experience developing visual representations of complex information, including infographics, diagrams, data visualizations, or presentation materials.
• Familiarity with UT’s written content guidelines and accessibility and digital-content best practices.

Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN, UTK Campus
• Onsite, Hybrid, or Remote – Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR10
• Anticipated hiring range:
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• 2 Examples of Written Work

About the College:

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is at the forefront of changing the future of higher education. It is a first-of-its-kind college created to meet the needs of students seeking a customizable degree path in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data science that leads to rewarding careers upon graduation. CECS offers timely, innovative, student-centric degrees, minors, and stackable certificates at both undergraduate and graduate levels that address the future talent gap and expose students to experts and disciplines from across campus through a cross-cutting curriculum. CECS utilizes strong industry partnerships to ensure students gain relevant skills and real-world experience, offering for-credit internships and multi-disciplinary projects. CECS emphasizes the cohort experience where students learn and interact with fellow students from across campus and disciplines, allowing them to learn from one another and work together to solve real-world problems.

Who We Are:

We are a small team of energetic, adaptable, and hardworking individuals committed to educational initiatives that will lead to meaningful careers for our students and a positive impact on society. Every member of our team is a valuable collaborator, driven entrepreneur, and proficient multi-tasker dedicated to working together to find innovative approaches to achieving our shared goals. We are fast-moving and growing. Our work is constantly evolving to meet changing needs.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!