Assistant Director for Marketing, Communications & Engagement

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director for Marketing, Communication & Engagement leads the development and execution of integrated marketing, visual communications, digital media, events, and outreach strategies for the Michael L. Jeffries, Sr. Center for Access & Academic Success (TJC). The position serves as a creative and strategic communications leader responsible for strengthening TJC's brand presence, developing compelling visual and promotional materials, managing digital content and campaigns, and increasing awareness and engagement among current and prospective students, families, staff, faculty, alumni, donors, and community partners. The position also coordinates signature events and outreach initiatives that advance TJC's student success, engagement, and visibility goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field.
Two (2) years of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing marketing campaigns.
Experience managing digital content, social media, web content, and/or multimedia communications.
Experience producing graphic design materials for print and digital platforms and web design.
Experience supervising interns, student employees, or early-career staff.
Excellent communication skills, including proficiency in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, with the ability to create clear, accurate, and compelling content for all audiences.
Detail-oriented, excellent organizational skills, and ability to work independently and exercise good judgement.
Ability to analyze and derive insight from data to inform decisions.
Proficiency in graphic design, including typography, layout, composition, visual hierarchy, color, branding, and production for print and digital media, and creative production tools, with an ability to develop materials from concept to final production.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize competing demands, adapt to changing priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
Commitment to inclusion and student success.
Understanding of accessibility and inclusive communication principles, with the ability to apply them alongside institutional brand standards across print and digital communications.
Strong understanding of marketing strategy, audience segmentation, campaign development, brand management, and integrated communications.
Strong digital media skills, including social media, web content, email communications, multimedia storytelling, and digital campaign management.

Nice To Haves

Masters degree in Marketing, Communications, Design, Digital Media, or a related field.
Three or more years of professional experience in marketing, graphic design, visual communications, brand management, digital media, or related field.
Professional portfolio demonstrating strength in graphic design, branding, campaign development, digital media, and/or visual storytelling.
Experience developing marketing strategies and creative campaigns within higher education, nonprofit, public-sector, or similarly complex organizations.
Experience with photography, video production, motion graphics, web content management, email marketing, or digital analytics.
Experience supporting and/or executing events for varied constituent groups.
Experience with various project management, productivity and design software such as Zephyr, Notion, Buffer, Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, Slate, Litmus, Drupal, Korbyt and other relevant digital design, communication, and content creation platforms, or comparable platforms.
Experience directly supervising multiple undergraduate interns, student employees, or early-career staff, including responsibility for work assignments, project coordination, performance feedback, and professional development.

Responsibilities

Leads the development and implementation of an integrated marketing and visual communications strategy for TJC in alignment with Student Affairs, SSIB, and University of Illinois priorities.
Develops creative concepts and produces high-quality print and digital marketing materials, including campaign graphics, brochures, flyers, posters, invitations, presentations, signage, social media graphics, digital displays, promotional materials, and event collateral.
Establishes and maintains a consistent visual identity for TJC and ensures all materials adhere to University of Illinois, Student Affairs, SSIB, and TJC brand standards.
Develops marketing campaigns to promote TJC programs, services, events, student achievements, scholarships, recruitment, and engagement opportunities.
Translates complex programs, initiatives, data, and student success outcomes into clear, compelling, and visually engaging communications for diverse audiences.
Works with TJC leadership and subunit directors to identify marketing priorities, develop campaign calendars, establish project timelines, and coordinate production from concept through completion.
Coordinates with printers, vendors, photographers, designers, and other external partners to ensure quality, specifications, timelines, and budgets are met.
Maintains current knowledge of graphic design, branding, marketing, accessibility, and creative industry practices and technologies.
Supervise and develop three undergraduate marketing and communications interns who support the Center’s marketing, graphic design, communications, events, outreach, and engagement efforts.
Provide direction, establish priorities and project timelines, assign and monitor work, and provide ongoing coaching and feedback to ensure high-quality deliverables.
Coordinate interns’ activities across digital and print communications, promotional materials, social media, event support, outreach initiatives, and engagement campaigns.
Create meaningful experiential learning opportunities that build students’ professional skills in marketing, communications, graphic design, event planning, and community engagement while ensuring their work advances the Center’s strategic goals and strengthens its visibility and connection with students and campus partners.
Develops and manages digital media strategies that increase TJC visibility, engagement, and awareness across web, social media, email, and other digital platforms.
Creates, edits, and publishes multimedia content, including photography, video, graphics, short-form digital content, web content, newsletters, social media posts, and digital campaigns.
Maintains and evolves TJC web content and digital presence, ensuring information is accurate, timely, accessible, visually engaging, and aligned with institutional branding.
Develops storytelling content that highlights the achievements and experiences of TJC students, staff, alumni, programs, and partners.
Uses digital analytics and performance metrics to evaluate campaigns and channels and recommends adjustments to improve reach, engagement, and conversion.
Coordinates digital marketing and communications that support student recruitment, program participation, event attendance, and external engagement.
Collaborates with Student Affairs Advancement and other campus partners on newsletters, invitations, stories, donor communications and other strategic communications.
Serves as a lead coordinator for TJC signature events and serves as chair or designee for the TJC Events and Scholarship Committee.
Plans, promotes, and executes events including Scholarship Celebration, National First-Generation Day, Mom’s Day, Welcome Seminar, orientations, signing days, celebrations, and other student, family, alumni, and community programs.
Develops event marketing plans and creative materials, including invitations, programs, signage, digital promotions, social media assets, nametags, presentations, and other event collateral.
Coordinates timelines, logistics, vendors, facilities, campus partners, staffing, communications, and production requirements for events.
Works collaboratively with internal and external vendors and service providers to execute high-quality events within established timelines and budgets.
Evaluates event participation, audience engagement, and outcomes and uses findings to strengthen future events and promotional strategies.
Develops and implements outreach strategies that increase awareness of TJC programs, services, resources, events, and student success initiatives.
Coordinates co-curricular workshops, engagement activities, and community-building initiatives designed to connect students with TJC and campus resources.
Serves as a liaison to campus, community, alumni, and external partners to identify opportunities for collaboration, promotion, and engagement.
Develops outreach materials and presentations for current and prospective students, families, campus partners, alumni, donors, and community constituents.
Works with TJC staff to identify audiences, develop outreach plans, coordinate communications, and promote programs to increase participation and engagement.
Remains current on student engagement, marketing, outreach, and communication trends and applies emerging practices to TJC initiatives.
Assists with meeting the operational needs of the department by performing other related duties, as requested.
Represents the department on college and campus committees as requested.
Works collaboratively with TJC leadership, associate directors, SSIB directors, Student Affairs Advancement, University Foundation, campus partners, vendors, and others.