Slate Communication Specialist - McDaniel College

McDaniel College•Westminster, MD

86d•Onsite

About The Position

The Enrollment Management Division at McDaniel College is a dynamic, high-performance team that plays a critical role in advancing the College's mission. Reporting to the Director of Admissions Systems and Operations, the Slate Communication Specialist is a hands-on role that serves as an integral member of the Slate Tech Team and a key contributor to McDaniel's strategic marketing and recruitment efforts. This role is focused on executing and maintaining multi-channel communication efforts-primarily for undergraduate admissions-through Technolutions Slate. The Slate Communication Specialist is responsible for building and managing dynamic communication plans and campaigns that engage prospective students throughout the enrollment funnel. This includes the development of templated print and digital materials, crafting and delivering targeted email and text messaging strategies, and optimizing communication flows to enhance user experience and enrollment outcomes. The position also serves as the primary liaison for project requests submitted to the Office of Communication and Marketing, ensuring brand-aligned, timely, and audience-relevant outreach across all channels. Additionally, the Specialist manages updates for non-event admissions web content, supports event communications, and oversees the delivery of decision letters and scholarship notifications. By combining CRM expertise with an understanding of audience behavior and digital strategy, the Specialist helps translate enrollment goals into measurable, mission-aligned marketing execution. This role involves close collaboration with the Director of Admissions Systems and Operations, the Associate Director of Admissions Systems and Communications, and the Admissions Event Manager, while also working closely with the College's Marketing and Communications team to uphold institutional branding and visual identity standards. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional writing, organizational, and analytical skills; a strong understanding of digital communication strategy; and the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable outreach. Experience with Slate CRM, knowledge of relational databases, and an eagerness to optimize both process and impact are essential. This role is critical in driving prospective student engagement, refining marketing operations, and supporting the College's overall enrollment goal.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required in a related field with two or more years of experience working within the admissions or related field.
Two years of experience working with the Slate or comparable CRM preferred.
Excellent technical, interpersonal, communication, organizational skills to maintain a professional and service-oriented demeanor. Must possess composure, tact, diplomacy, and discretion and be able to work efficiently and calmly in a deadline-driven environment and cycle.
Excellent time management skills and the demonstrated ability to regain focus after interruptions.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy with high speed required.
Working knowledge of a Windows environment and the Microsoft Office Suite (specifically merging documents in Word and manipulating data in Excel).
Ability to anticipate and plan for cyclical activities and strong analytical skills preferred.
Understands that the communication and system responsibilities often require work outside of normal business hours and is prepared to do so in order to meet deadlines and respond to urgent issues as they arise.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience working with the Slate or comparable CRM preferred.
Ability to anticipate and plan for cyclical activities and strong analytical skills preferred.

Responsibilities

Build, manage, and maintain all undergraduate communication plans in Slate, including email, text, print, and decision communications.
Create, test, and launch digital campaigns, including ad hoc emails and texts, in alignment with population-specific communication strategies.
Routinely demonstrate consistent testing and proven accuracy in data reporting based on established protocols and departmental guidelines.
Collaborate with the Office of Communication and Marketing to ensure all communications are brand-aligned, stylistically consistent, and error-free.
Serve as the primary contact for contracted communication and marketing initiatives and support campus mail house projects through data exports and merge documents.
Develop and manage all Slate queries related to communication execution, ensuring accuracy, appropriate audience inclusion/exclusion, and data integrity.
Routinely monitor communication deliverability, open rates, and bounce-backs; adjust queries and campaigns to improve engagement and accuracy.
Build and update decision and scholarship letters (print and digital) and ensure correct data merges and timely delivery.
Maintain accurate documentation of communication workflows, decision processes, forms, and tools.
Maintain the annual calendar of all communication touchpoints across channels and assess the functionality of Slate's Deliver Calendar to support communication audits.
Collaborate with the Admissions Event Manager to maintain all event-related communications, including confirmations, reminders, and thank-you messages.
Support form development, rule logic, and communication integration to enhance recruitment and enrollment strategies.
Routinely review portals to ensure consistency and accuracy of content and ensure the seamless movement from Slate portal pages to .edu site.
Review and update all non-event admissions website content, ensuring alignment with Slate portal pages and consistent user experience.
Assist with building and maintaining Slate tools and snippets to support counseling, operations, and visit teams.
Partner with the Director to assess and update rules and fields that impact communications, decision logic, and internal alerts.
Provide import/export support for communication-related data and serve as a backup for the Slate Operations Assistant.
Create queries for student ambassador and call center outreach and manage lists for call campaigns and engagement initiatives.
Support print inventory reconciliation in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Operations.
Complete all annual cycle prep work based on required deadlines and assignments.
Provide training documentation and onboarding support related to communication processes and Slate use.
Serve as a back-up for the Associate Director of Admissions Systems & Communications and/or Admissions Event Manager to ensure critical communications are deployed according to relevant communication plans.
Respond to urgent communication needs as they arise and support other office-wide events and activities, including occasional evenings and weekends.
Assess and maximize the Inbox functionality to support the Counseling and Operations Teams.
Assist with other office-wide programs and division activities, including occasional evenings and weekends.