Marketing and Communications Specialist I

University of Florida • Gainesville, FL

1d • $51,425 - $63,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Marketing and Communications Specialist will serve the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy and support the marketing and digital communications efforts to drive strategic enrollment growth. The College of Pharmacy has educational, research and clinical/service missions and is an integral part of the UF Health academic health center and the UF campus.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of marketing and digital strategies and effectively support the development, implementation and execution of marketing plans to meet intended goals. They will assist with all email campaigns created and sent via customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

The marketing and communications specialist will be expected to work extensively with the college’s professional, residential graduate, and online education programs as well as the continuing pharmacy education program, to grow student recruitment and registration efforts. These marketing functions could support but are not limited to the following areas: student recruitment, fundraising initiatives, academic programs and student services within the UF College of Pharmacy. They will play a supporting role in website content development, social and digital media strategy, search engine optimization (SEO) and provide solutions to drive enrollment.

As a member of the Office of Lifelong Learning, the Marketing and Communications Specialist will work under the supervision of the Assistant Director to support the marketing needs of the college.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and two years of relevant experience; or an Associate's degree and four years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must be well-versed in Associated Press (AP) Style.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments independently, with a demonstrated ability to work as part of a team toward organizational objectives.

Nice To Haves

• A B.S. or B.A. in marketing, advertising, communications or related field, and three years or more marketing or digital strategy experience.
• Experience in higher education or student recruitment is strongly preferred.
• Project management experience and writing background, with an ability to conceptualize, develop and produce content for a variety of communication channels.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Superior spelling, punctuation and grammar skills.
• Familiarity with Associated Press (AP) Style preferred.
• Three to five years of relevant work experience preferred.
• Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and WordPress.
• Familiar with social and digital media marketing.
• Agency and customer relationship management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates event execution, including registrations, booth logistics, lead retrieval, shipping, exhibitor requirements and conference payments.
• Plans, develops, and distributes email communications to support pre and post event engagement and ensure events aligned with program goals and target audiences.
• Coordinates vendor and advertiser relationships to ensure timely production, delivery and compliance with procurement policies, contracts and fiscal regulations.
• Reports event performance and provides analysis of results. Responsible for tracking return on investment for those efforts.
• Supports the development and implementation of the UF College of Pharmacy’s marketing and student recruitment strategy, including competitive analysis, goals, objectives and tactics for fiscal year planning.
• Participates in strategic marketing and communications planning for the UF College of Pharmacy. Responsible for tracking return on investment for those efforts.
• Maintains and manages email campaigns through a database of prospective students, donors, alumni and our internal community. This includes the writing and creation of content, development of drip campaigns, automating where possible and otherwise utilizing all relevant features in the CRM system. Reports campaign performance and provides analysis of results.
• Assists in creating content for the college’s social media platforms on a regular basis to support recruitment and reputation building efforts.
• Assists in creating appropriate marketing tools, such as brochures, posters, direct mail, online and social advertisements, to influence prospective students and licensed pharmacists in their choice regarding where and what to study.
• Works with the Assistant Director ensure clarity on overall positioning and branding of the university and effective communication of these messages through marketing tools.
• Develops strong, trusting relationships with faculty and partners, providing a proactive client partnership. Meets with appropriate faculty, staff and admissions offices to discuss marketing needs, priorities and share results.
• Helps develop web content for a wide range of users. Includes strategic key phrases placement within compelling and persuasive marketing copy, which maximizes opportunities for indexing, ranking, click-throughs and conversions.
• Assists in the development and management of recruitment-focused landing pages aimed at prospective students, including creating effective, engaging content optimized for search engines and generative engines.
• Writes dynamic website content for academic units and student services, with an emphasis on content that supports prospective and current students and improves search visibility.
• Implements a social media and email marketing plan, using the full marketing mix, to support the professional, graduate and online education programs, as well as the continuing pharmacy education program, with a clear focus on recruitment/conversion targets.
• Evaluates competitive climate and works with digital strategists to analyze data to support marketing initiatives or tactics and evaluates the data year over year to evaluate marketing plan effectiveness. Regularly reports this data in return on investment reporting.
• Analyzes web traffic or social media traffic during marketing campaigns to track immediate results.
• Conducts ad concept testing via formal or informal surveys, focus groups or other research methods when feasible and appropriate.
• Assists in development of written materials for internal and external audiences.
• Supports a wide variety of marketing projects, including brochures, fliers, email blasts, web content and online/social media advertising.
• Serves as a representative with advertising agency for media, creative, development and production as necessary.
• Attends important UF College of Pharmacy and UF Health Communications meetings.
• Completes required trainings.
• Performs other duties, as required.

Benefits

• Health Insurance: UF participates in state- and university-sponsored benefits programs for individuals, families and domestic partners, and offers voluntary insurance that includes vision, dental, long-term disability and more.
• Retirement Options: Attractive options include Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, State University System Optional Retirement Program, Florida Retirement System Investment Plan, and Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan.
• Leave: UF Faculty and Staff enjoy a generous paid leave plan as well as access to a sick-leave pool, maternity/paternity leave, and leave payouts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree