Digital Communications and Marketing Lead

Details

Posted: 24-Mar-24

Location: Houston, TX, United States,

Type: Full-time

Salary: Open

Internal Number: 3436

Special Instructions to Applicants : All interested applicants must attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application in a PDF format . Please note that the applicant tracking system does not convert attachments in Word format successfully.

Position Summary
Rice Online Learning (https://online.rice.edu/about) partners with Rice faculty, departments, and schools to further the university's commitment to teaching and research excellence by delivering quality digital education in and beyond the classroom. Rice Online Learning provides a central resource for course design and production, digital marketing, program management, and student success.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Growth Marketing & Analytics, you will help build awareness, demand, and word of mouth/referral for a growing ecosystem of online degrees, microcredentials, short courses, and employer programs using a range of marcomms channels and tactics. You will also own internal change management communications and events to help educate Rice's faculty and staff about the fast-evolving field of digital learning innovation, thereby increasing engagement, interest, and adoption. You will develop and manage the function's Comms/Editorial/Social calendars and own end-to-end planning and execution of marketing communications campaigns, including internal comms, external PR/media relations, social media marketing and channel management, email marketing and website/digital outreach strategy. Finally, you will work closely with Rice University marcomms stakeholders and channel owners to extend, amplify, measure, and report on communications effectiveness.

Workplace Requirements
This position offers a flexible work arrangement.

Hiring Range: $80,000 minimum with hiring salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted.
• 3+ years of related experience in communications, digital marketing, content marketing and/or social media management
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted.

Skills:
* Strong communication skills, both oral and written
* Organization and creativity skills
* Project management skills to oversee integrated, coordinated campaigns.
* Collaboration skills and ability to influence broad range of stakeholders.
* Analytical problem-solving skills
* Willingness to experiment with innovative techniques in marketing communications (i.e., generative AI for content development)
* Knowledge of the web, technology, social platforms, current and future trends
* Excellent writing and analytical skills
* Demonstrated problem solver
* Ability to leverage current and future trends to help an organization succeed at the initiative level, for a specific group, team or unit
* Ability to work independently to meet expected deadlines and schedules
* Experience leading highly functioning teams

Preferences
* A demonstrated love of storytelling and content creation
* Experience working with university faculty and/or administration.
* Experience marketing with short-form video content on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and/or TikTok
* Comfort being on camera/video and with public speaking
* Comfort with testing approaches like A/B testing emails, social posts, etc.

Essential Functions
* Leads the development and implementation of the digital communication and brand strategy for multiple initiatives and programs incorporating appropriate channel(s)
* Manages the writing, design and coordination of the production of digital communication and marketing materials
* Develops integrated communications and/or marketing strategies and plans to meet objectives; Sets campaign and internal communications budget, goals, and objectives in alignment with organizational goals; Oversees editorial strategy and voice
* Manages development and implementation of digital community strategy for the Rice digital learning brand(s) including how to engage customers and fundamentally impact their relationship with constituents; oversees digital community-building through social media channels, blogs and/or the web
* Participates in university-wide and/or organization-wide initiatives and cross-functional teams to establish the organization as a strategic partner and thought leader and to ensure coordination and collaboration
* Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions
* Oversees event management as needed to support communications and marketing objectives
* May manage vendor relationships as needed and/or related to the role
* May oversee market research and analysis; uses the results to inform decisions regarding strategic marketing direction, product segmentation and customer targeting
* Assesses market opportunities and tracks market trends. Implements marketing & communications improvements based on performance data and research findings

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Faculty and staff are expected (but not required) to have completed a full vaccination series for COVID-19 (currently defined as full course COVID-19 Vaccine (typically two shots of a WHO-approved COVID-19 Vaccine or one J&J) and a COVID-19 booster. Rice does not require documentation for COVID 19 vaccination at this time for faculty and staff. More information can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies