PR AI Associate

INTRODUCTION: University of the People (UoPeople) is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited, 100% online university. Today, UoPeople has over 270,000 students enrolled from more than 200 countries and territories, including 50,000 students who are refugees. UoPeople is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). We believe that higher education is a basic human right and that it can transform not only the lives of students, but also their families' lives, their communities, their nations, and, by extension, the world. See President Reshef’s TED talk when he announced the founding of the University. [ TED talk ] UoPeople is an innovative university, and we welcome team members who bring creativity and innovation to their roles. We’re a fast-paced organization with remote teams all around the globe. If you’re a self-starter who wants to succeed alongside a passionate team, we’d love to hear from you! UoPeople is supported by the generosity of individuals and foundations, including the Gates, Hewlett, Ford Foundations, Fondation Hoffmann, and others. The University has been covered by the New York Times, BBC, NPR, Times Higher Education, US News and World Report, and more. President Reshef’s TED Talk and Nas Daily interview about the University have 30 million views combined. General purpose The Public Relations AI Associate will lead the evolution of UoPeople's public relations function through the strategic application of AI. Working closely with the President, this role will design and deploy AI-powered tools, agents, and workflows that enhance media relations, content development. The role will combine PR expertise with advanced AI capabilities to identify emerging stories, trends, media opportunities, journalists, influencers, and communication channels that can strengthen UoPeople's global visibility and reputation. Beyond promoting accessible education, this leader will leverage AI to uncover broader conversations, social impact narratives, higher education trends, workforce developments, technology topics, and other strategically relevant opportunities where UoPeople can contribute a meaningful voice. Success in this role will be measured not only by media coverage and brand visibility, but also by the ability to build scalable AI-enabled communications systems that improve the effectiveness, reach, speed, and intelligence of the University's public relations efforts. Key responsibilities: Support UoPeople’s public relations and strategic communications initiatives using AI-powered tools to strengthen media engagement, content development, and global visibility. Conduct AI-enabled research to identify emerging stories, media opportunities, journalists, influencers, trends, and relevant conversations across higher education, technology, workforce development, and social impact. Assist in developing press releases, media pitches, articles, thought leadership content, executive communications, and compelling narratives aligned with UoPeople’s mission. Support media outreach, journalist identification, media monitoring, reputation management, and PR campaign performance tracking. Apply AI tools, prompt engineering, automation, and emerging technologies to improve research, content creation, communications workflows, audience engagement, and PR effectiveness. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, AI, Data Science, or a related field; students currently pursuing their degree and recent graduates are encouraged to apply. 0–2 years of experience in public relations, strategic communications, journalism, media relations, content development, or related fields; internship experience and academic projects are acceptable. Completed coursework, certifications, academic projects, or practical training in generative AI, prompt engineering, AI automation, AI agents, or emerging technologies. Demonstrated interest in AI-powered communications, media relations, storytelling, content strategy, and reputation management, with strong written and verbal English communication skills. Ability to apply AI knowledge through practical projects or assignments; experience in higher education, EdTech, nonprofit, technology, or mission-driven organizations is an advantage. Expertise AI & Prompt Engineering: Familiarity with generative AI, prompt design, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and AI-powered research and content creation tools. AI-Enabled Communications: Ability to use AI for content drafting, storytelling, media pitches, press releases, audience targeting, content optimization, and personalization. AI Research & Automation: Understanding of AI-powered workflows, automation, AI agents, media intelligence, trend analysis, social listening, and journalist discovery, gained through coursework or practical projects. PR & Media Relations: Understanding of media landscapes, journalist engagement, media outreach, reputation management, thought leadership, and strategic communications. Analytical & Creative Thinking: Ability to translate trends, data, and media insights into communication opportunities, measure campaign performance, explore emerging technologies, and continuously improve communications effectiveness.