Program Director, Advancement Communications (VPUR)

University of Maryland•College Park, MD

20h•$122,345 - $145,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Advancement Communications (OAC) is a new vertical within the Division of University Relations (UR), established alongside the recent public launch of Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless. OAC regularly collaborates with colleagues across the UR division and campus to deliver coordinated constituent-facing communications, marketing, and engagement strategies. The Program Director of Advancement Communications will play a consultative and collaborative role among internal partners, developing marketing and communications tools and assets that serve the day-to-day work of engagement and fundraising for which UR is responsible. This work fulfills an essential need within the division while nesting within an ecosystem that includes the university’s Office of Marketing & Communications (OMC), school-, college- and unit-based communicators, as well as UR staff serving marketing and communications functions within the UMD Alumni Association, Office of Principal Gifts, Office of Donor Relations, Office of Annual Giving, Office of Gift Planning, Maryland Athletics and others. The Program Director will play an integral role in defining UR’s strategic approach in, as well as its ongoing governance and high-level administration of, implementing Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) as a centralized, integrated solution for constituent communication across advancement audiences. As UR pursues a division-wide Salesforce CRM implementation, the realization of strategic and sound processes and procedures, as well as roles and responsibilities will be essential to the project’s success and that of its ongoing governance. This will be a multi-year effort, introducing and optimizing SFMC through data extensions, segmentation, automations, journeys, roles and permissions, integrations, deliverability and reporting. The Director will rely on supportive partnership with OAC and UR leadership and colleagues in bringing SFMC into our environment and continuing to refine it as a significant tool in advancing fundraising and engagement goals at UMD. They will also support alignment with university-wide administration and governance practices for SFMC and related platforms. Also essential to OAC’s role in UR, the Director will partner closely with the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Outreach (AVP-SO) to ensure that OAC provides thorough, coordinated and intentional communication strategy and messaging architecture connected to advancement priorities, particularly those identified for the Forward campaign. They will drive cohesive alignment with the campaign’s marketing and communications strategy, and will convene subject matter experts across UR to promote unified campaign and advancement content creation and promotion workflows, from gift announcements and donor impact storytelling to staff and volunteer engagement tools and event strategy. In summary, the Director will offer leadership in five key areas: (1) defining strategy for implementing and sustaining long-term governance of SFMC across UR teams; (2) contributing to the strategic implementation of our Forward campaign marketing and communications plan to activate and sustain fundraising and engagement momentum; (3) fortifying internal communication infrastructure for UR in support of the division’s strategic priorities; (4) manage OAC staff as well as freelance and vendor partnerships; and (5) positioning the OAC as an interdependent and collaborative partner to colleagues across the division, OMC and campus, and as a committed contributor to campus-wide communication priorities. The Director will serve as a strategic thought partner for the AVP-SO and assist in building the OAC, adding new employees to the team as well as managing vendor and freelance staff relationships for the office. In working with colleagues across UR, they will offer direction, strategic insights and/or high-quality deliverables connected to signature and other high-level external communications and marketing efforts while enforcing well-defined timelines. In doing so, they will be expected to guide projects to be completed on time, within scope, and consistent with goals set. The Director role entails strategic thinking, exceptional storytelling, the ability to interpret constituent data, develop audience-centered initiatives and translate institutional priorities into compelling narratives that advance engagement and philanthropy. The successful candidate will demonstrate expertise in integrated marketing and communications and collaboration across a complex organizational environment. They will be a self-motivated, intellectually curious and diplomatic leader with a strong sense of judgment and a strong track record for building consensus among diverse stakeholders. They will lead alignment across communications frameworks to maximize UR’s effectiveness in its engagement, cultivation and stewardship activity while maintaining a personal commitment to university and UR values.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
Seven (7) years of professional communications or marketing experience
Knowledge of principles and practices of marketing and brand management
Knowledge of writing, editing, and proofreading
Skill in oral and written communication
Skill in the use of Microsoft Office products
Ability to multitask and prioritize assignments
Ability to multitask while demonstrating a commitment to customer service
Candidates must be able to provide proof of ongoing eligibility to work in the USA

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public affairs, marketing or a related field; master's degree preferred
Prior experience with the University of Maryland or a similar higher education institution, particularly in interfacing with internal and external UMD constituents and understanding its alumni and donor audiences
Exceptional ability to translate complex concepts into compelling, audience-centered messaging
Demonstrated expertise in integrated marketing and communications strategy, including campaign planning, audience segmentation, constituent engagement, multichannel communications and storytelling
Strong consultation, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, influence without direct authority, and collaborate effectively across a large, complex organization
Demonstrated leadership, sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion, including the ability to foster productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders
Experience working in higher education advancement, including direct support for marketing and communications, alumni relations, constituent engagement and/or senior leadership
Experience developing communications strategies, messaging frameworks, editorial plans, executive presentations and multichannel marketing campaigns that support institutional priorities and constituent engagement
Experience establishing communications governance, editorial standards, operational workflows and business processes within a large, decentralized organization, including organizational change initiatives
Experience implementing or administering enterprise marketing automation platforms—preferably Salesforce Marketing Cloud—including audience segmentation, customer journey development, email marketing, communications governance, analytics and performance measurement
Experience using analytics and reporting tools to evaluate communications performance and inform strategic decision-making
Working knowledge of CRM-enabled communications, content strategy, personalization and marketing automation best practices
Proficiency with Gmail and Google Suite applications
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, AlumnIQ, HubSpot, Marketo, Mailchimp or similar enterprise email marketing platforms
Experience with Salesforce, Blackbaud, Ellucian Advance or similar CRM platforms
Experience with project management platforms (e.g., Asana, Monday.com) and creative software (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva Enterprise)

Responsibilities

Defining strategy for implementing and sustaining long-term governance of SFMC across UR teams
Contributing to the strategic implementation of our Forward campaign marketing and communications plan to activate and sustain fundraising and engagement momentum
Fortifying internal communication infrastructure for UR in support of the division’s strategic priorities
Manage OAC staff as well as freelance and vendor partnerships
Positioning the OAC as an interdependent and collaborative partner to colleagues across the division, OMC and campus, and as a committed contributor to campus-wide communication priorities
Serve as a strategic thought partner for the AVP-SO
Assist in building the OAC, adding new employees to the team as well as managing vendor and freelance staff relationships for the office
Offer direction, strategic insights and/or high-quality deliverables connected to signature and other high-level external communications and marketing efforts while enforcing well-defined timelines
Guide projects to be completed on time, within scope, and consistent with goals set