Marketing & Communications Manager – Gephardt Institute for Civic & Community Engagement

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Marketing & Communications Manager leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive communications strategy to engage internal and external stakeholders – including students, faculty, staff, community partners, alumni, parents, donors, and prospective donors. Responsibilities include conceptualizing, acquiring, creating, editing, and delivering content in traditional and innovative ways across multiple channels and diverse audiences in support of the institute’s far-reaching and strategic plan. Communication outlets include the institute’s website, social media channels, electronic newsletters, collateral materials, fundraising proposals, stewardship reports, and special events. Digital communications and website management are primary responsibilities, as is management of the institute’s brand and customer relationship management (CRM) database.

As the institute’s leader of marketing and communications, the Manager serves as visionary, supervisor, and project manager for a part-time Marketing and Communications Assistant and a team of student interns, working in close collaboration with institute staff, the Office of Public Affairs, and University Advancement in alignment with institute and university brand standards and the institute’s core values.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.  Strategy and Content Creation

• Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive communications strategy targeting internal and external stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, community partners, alumni, parents, donors, and prospective donors, with a wide range of interests and social identities.  Develop institute messaging and brand standards with attention to alignment with the university’s communication strategy and the institute’s values. Train and support staff to utilize messaging and brand standards effectively. Apply qualitative and quantitative measurement tools to guide communications planning, in alignment with the institute’s strategic plan.
• Serve as project manager for all facets of content creation and marketing communications, such as collateral development (including conceptualizing and writing), photography, video, and marketing campaigns for institute programs and resources. Utilize institute’s online project management tool to plan, coordinate, delegate, and implement concurrent projects and multiple collaborators. Develop and manage workflows and project assignments to support communications across all institute functions.
• Supervise part-time Marketing & Communications Assistant and a team of student interns to design, write, and execute electronic communications, print materials, social media campaigns, video, and marketing efforts.
• Cultivate, write, edit, and disseminate stories that highlight the institute’s impact across all communication platforms. This includes long and short form narratives, data visualization, visual communications, and video.
• Design, or supervise design of, visually appealing and relevant content for electronic and print distribution, including digital slides, flyers, postcards, banners, invitations, reports, and event programs in alignment with brand standards.
• Coordinate production of digital and print communications for fundraising, donor cultivation, and stewardship, including annual reports, appeals, campaigns, program and stewardship reports, event invitations, proposals, donor communications, and other relevant materials.
• Leverage cross marketing opportunities from within and outside of the university. Serve as the institute’s liaison and collaborate with other university communications departments, the Office of Public Affairs, University Advancement, external vendors, and the National Advisory Council workgroup on communications.

2.  Digital and Targeted Communications

• Create, manage, and sustain an impactful online presence through social media, website, and targeted email marketing to internal and external stakeholders. Enhance institute profile by keeping abreast of latest technology applications and trends.
• Manage website, including content development and training staff on relevant functions.
• Oversee social media outreach and monitor analytics in coordination with Marketing & Communications Assistant to grow online presence, visibility, and engagement. Key platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Oversee management, distribution, writing, and editing of regular electronic newsletters (including weekly Opportunities newsletter, monthly newsletter, and quarterly communications to program alumni and community partners).
• Oversee implementation, continuous improvement, and maintenance of customer relationship management database. Supervise staff responsible for data entry and cleaning. Provide staff with data and training as needed. Utilize database for key outreach efforts such as newsletters, targeted marketing, and event invitations, and for record-keeping.

3.  Contribute to initiatives, meetings, and events of the Gephardt Institute, including developing strategy and vision for initiatives, planning processes, special projects, and special events.

4.  Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, business administration, English, or related field.
• Three – five years of progressive responsibility in the area of marketing communications.
• Demonstrated track record of creativity and effectiveness in developing and executing strategic communications plans to achieve results.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices and current trends.
• Demonstrated experience with website and social media management.
• Ability to craft marketing strategies, messaging, and tone for a wide variety of audiences, ranging from students to donors.
• Demonstrated experience with and enthusiasm for civic and community engagement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in business administration, marketing, communications, journalism, English, or related field.
• Five or more years of progressive responsibility in the area of marketing communications.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic communications and experience integrating the latest technologies to support communications objectives.
• Experience in leading and facilitating teams to develop targeted marketing communications plans.
• Experience in generating and using market research data to drive plan development.
• Experience with fundraising communications.
• Professional experience in nonprofits, civic engagement, public service, community development, higher education, K-12 education, social movements, and/or domestic/international volunteering.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, planning, problem-solving, and project management skills. Strong time management, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple priorities, and ability to forecast and plan work across teams, while maintaining a landscape view of priorities, values, and vision.
• Passionate storyteller with superior writing and editing skills, and sensitivity to nuance and tone.
• Proficient design skills, comfort with Adobe Creative Suite including InDesign, and excellent eye for creating and reviewing visual communications.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability and sensitivity in interacting with – and developing compelling communications for – a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse range of stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, campus colleagues, alumni, community partners, donors and prospective donors, and senior-level administrators and external advisors. Commitment to continuous learning about cultural humility and equity.
• Energy, vision, initiative, creativity, empathy, humility, tolerance for ambiguity, ability to embrace and navigate change, sound judgment, diplomacy, tact, and sense of humor.
• Enthusiasm and ability to work in a dynamic, highly collaborative environment with multiple functions, audiences, and priorities.
• Ability and willingness to work evening and weekend hours for special projects, events, and deadlines in service to the institute’s mission.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. Current employees applying for a new position within the university may be subject to this requirement. The screenings will include a criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

About the Gephardt Institute

The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement’s mission is to foster a vibrant culture of civic engagement across Washington University, realized by engaged citizens, scholarship, and partnerships that advance the collective good.  Through both academic and co-curricular initiatives, the institute educates students for lifelong engaged citizenship, catalyzes partnerships that respond to community needs and priorities, and infuses civic engagement throughout the Washington University experience.

As a university-wide interdisciplinary initiative, the Gephardt Institute reports to the Provost and serves all academic schools, university departments, undergraduate students, and graduate students.  The institute is non-partisan and proactively seeks to support and include diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and ideologies, with a strong attention to equity.

The Gephardt Institute team is comprised of individuals who are mission-driven, values-focused, dynamic, collaborative, visionary, and passionate about the role of civic engagement in a thriving democracy. The institute upholds the values of inquiry, empathy, collaboration, integrity, equity, and action.  The staff focuses on four primary audiences: undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, community organizations in the St. Louis region, and alumni and donors.

Since the institute’s founding in 2005 by Congressman Dick Gephardt, the professional staff size has grown from two to twelve, with nine or more part-time, short-term, and adjunct positions and 10-20 paid interns/fellows from undergraduate and graduate programs.  The institute offers a broad range of programs and services to the Washington University community and to partners in the St. Louis region, such as the Civic Scholars Program; support for faculty teaching Community-Engaged Courses; Engage Democracy; new student engagement; and the Civic Engagement Fund.

To learn more about the Gephardt Institute, please visit http://gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu. The institute’s final draft of the strategic plan will be provided to candidates who are invited to interview.

Benefits
This position is eligible for full-time benefits.  Please click the following link to view a summary of benefits: https://wustl.box.com/s/8wkhs25yssf0775x9d6nd6vqa7obpth7.

Applicant Special Instructions

• Please submit application materials, including a resume and cover letter, to http://jobs.wustl.edu (Job ID 48045).
• Applications without cover letters and/or resumes will not be reviewed.
• Cover letters that reflect your specific interest and qualifications for this position are strongly encouraged.
• Office setting; private office with a door.
• Ability to travel to on- and off-campus locations.
• Remote work during alternate operations.

EOE Statement
Washington University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.