Community Engagement Communications Manager

Cornell University•Ithaca, NY

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Community Engagement Communications Manager leads communications efforts to promote the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement’s mission and Student and Campus Life’s division-wide community-engaged learning priorities. The Communications Manager raises awareness of and interest in the Center’s programs, partnerships, and impact. Through strategic storytelling, digital communications, content creation and stakeholder collaboration, this position helps increase awareness of community-engaged learning (CEL) and public engagement initiatives across Cornell’s campus and the surrounding community. This position reports directly to the Executive Director of Communications & Marketing for SCL and works in close partnership with the Einhorn Center's Associate Director of Strategy and Operations to support daily communications priorities and strategic initiatives. This position will be considered a core staff member for both teams in service of the Einhorn Center’s university and division-wide community engagement mission. The Communications Manager maintains the Einhorn Center’s editorial voice in support of divisional and institutional voice across digital and print platforms, contributing to story-telling efforts and creating messages and materials that appeal to a wide range of audiences. The Communications Manager has an essential role executing the SCL and Einhorn Center’s communications strategy, directly writing and producing content, as well as collaborating, and coordinating with Center staff and student leaders to enhance the programmatic impact through effective communications. Additionally, the Communications Manager will work across SCL’s communications team to support a number of strategies, stories, and external initiatives in service of Cornell’s community engagement initiative. The Communications Manager contributes to the successful production of communications platforms, including mass emails, website content, social media, and print material that serve both on- and off-campus audiences. The Communications Manager collaborates with students, staff, and faculty across the university who are developing communications and stories about community-engaged learning and community engagement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
3–5 years’ experience or equivalent combination in communications
Superior project management skills
Analytical skills
Writing skills
An eye for quality design
Ability to handle multiple projects with a high degree of attention to detail in a strategy-driven, results-oriented, mission-focused organization
Team-oriented and collaborative
Able to work independently with minimal production support
Ability to continuously learn and advocate for new directions for the team
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with collaborators and stakeholders (including faculty, staff, students, community partners, alumni and donors)
Provide a high level of customer service
Proven ability to understand data (statistics, analytics) related to communications campaigns to supply supervisor with summative information and recommendations
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with writers, photographers, designers, videographers, developers, and other vendors/contractors/staff to ensure successful deliverables
Expertise in new media including direct experience in digital media coordination or management of complex user-centric platforms
Demonstrated understanding of content strategy and website creation production processes, including content management systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal)
Awareness of the latest trends, tools, and technology in personal communications
Experience with email marketing systems (e.g., Marketing Cloud, MailChimp)
Proven ability to write in a deadline-driven environment in a variety of editorial styles including news stories, marketing, evaluations, and social media on behalf of an institution or organization
Proven sense of quality interactive and graphic design as they relate to web and print design
Experience modeling values that support inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Cornell and higher-education public engagement
Experience with audience research and user testing to guide strategic direction
Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) and/or Canva
Photography and video production and editing
SEO fundamentals and social media campaigns
Fluent in both the academic and student affairs’ dimensions of higher education communications
Experience working across faculty, staff, student, partner, and alumni domains

Responsibilities

Leads communications efforts to promote the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement’s mission and Student and Campus Life’s division-wide community-engaged learning priorities.
Raises awareness of and interest in the Center’s programs, partnerships, and impact.
Increases awareness of community-engaged learning (CEL) and public engagement initiatives across Cornell’s campus and the surrounding community through strategic storytelling, digital communications, content creation and stakeholder collaboration.
Maintains the Einhorn Center’s editorial voice in support of divisional and institutional voice across digital and print platforms.
Contributes to story-telling efforts and creates messages and materials that appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Executes the SCL and Einhorn Center’s communications strategy, directly writing and producing content.
Collaborates and coordinates with Center staff and student leaders to enhance programmatic impact through effective communications.
Works across SCL’s communications team to support a number of strategies, stories, and external initiatives in service of Cornell’s community engagement initiative.
Contributes to the successful production of communications platforms, including mass emails, website content, social media, and print material that serve both on- and off-campus audiences.
Collaborates with students, staff, and faculty across the university who are developing communications and stories about community-engaged learning and community engagement.
Fosters a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.