Manager of Student Life Communications - Student Life

About the position

The Manager of Student Life Communications develops, manages, and implements Student Life's strategic communications plans in ways that align with the Duquesne brand and support student success and retention. The Manager of Student Life Communications provides broad and strategic leadership and collaborates with staff across the Division of Student Life to develop effective communications across initiatives and audiences. The Manager works directly and collaboratively as a primary liaison with the Division of Marketing & Communications to align content and communication strategies to support institutional goals. In addition to developing strategy, the Manager is responsible for direct content creation (written, basic design, photography, video), social media management, website maintenance, project management and publicity and document design, and facilitating professional development opportunities to enhance the skills of other staff and student content managers who are contributors. The position requires analysis and understanding of broad content and ability to synthesize information in ways that capture the attention of specific audiences, including a primary focus on students. This position works primarily in person from our campus in Pittsburgh, PA. University core business hours are generally 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. However, this position will require occasional work performed outside of business hours based on specific project needs.

Responsibilities

• Develops, manages, and implements Student Life's strategic communications plan that leverages key messages across the entire division, while also attending to the unique needs of individual departments.
• Engage in writing and direct content creation and design to support various communication methodologies.
• Identify key messages for intended audiences, including student and alumni success stories, events, critical periods of the academic cycle for students, student success and learning resources, etc.
• Develop communications that share critical messages and champion an exceptional out-of-class experience.
• Stay up to date on current events and critical issues that could impact students or the institutional image.
• Establish strategies to maximize student reach via social media, including review of division and departmental channels and content effectiveness for student messaging and staff-student visibility and interaction.
• In collaboration with DMC, identify engagement goals for internet and intranet communications, maintain web and campaign analytics report to monitor reach and impact.
• Develop content for Student Life web pages, utilizing best practices regarding writing for the web, and ensure content is consistent with marketing communications, advertising and messaging.
• Deploy other relevant communication strategies for intended audiences (e.g. email, digital flyer or newsletter, etc.).
• Support DMC institutional marketing efforts through effective analysis and storytelling about the out-of-class student experience.
• Collaborate with campus colleagues to write, edit, and acquire content (including visual assets; photography and videos) for prospective student marketing and institutional use.
• Align Student Life efforts with University brand standards.
• Promote professional development and capacity-building for other content creators and managers, which may include professional staff and/or students.
• Serve on the Student Life leadership team, and as a representative on University committees, task forces and projects as appropriate.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Multimedia/journalism, or related field from an accredited institution.
• 1-3 years of experience in communications, digital marketing, social media management or a related field or role.
• Experience writing and editing web, digital technology and marketing content.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communications skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others) and the functions of higher education.
• Experience with Content Management Systems.
• Experience with design software (Photoshop, Canva, InDesign, etc.).
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite applications.
• Commitment to the University's values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.

Benefits

• Paid time off including holidays and vacation.
• Retirement match.
• Tuition remission for employee and dependents.