Marketing and Communications Manager

Req # 10004029

About the Department:

University Life Marketing and Communications (MarCom) positions University Life (UL) at the center of an engaged campus community through dynamic, innovative, and purposeful marketing campaigns.

We are committed to the University Life vision that “Every Student Succeeds”?and we bring that ethic to every project on which we work.?

We are a source of creative ideas, and we produce work that is thoughtful and carefully crafted — helping our UL colleagues effectively engage with their core audiences.?

We provide clear, proactive project communication and make it seamless for our colleagues to request our support and engage with our team.?

We believe that working together and supporting one another creates a path to success for our team and for our colleagues.?

We have the skills, leadership, and connection to the Mason community to provide real value to our colleagues in achieving their organizational missions. Also, we are committed to lifelong learning and continuing growth, always expanding?our knowledge of marketing and communications practices and innovations.?

About the Position:

The Marketing and Communications Manager leads and manages all marketing and communication functions for UL’s Student Involvement (SI) unit. Responsibilities for this position include:

• Leadership, management, and guidance on all unit marketing and communications activities;
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with SI stakeholders;
• Developing, implementing, and maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and a robust unit marketing infrastructure to ensure efficient, consistent, and high-quality marketing operations;
• Overseeing and providing leadership for the marketing and communications work of student and non-student employees to advance the unit’s mission and goals; and
• Participating in collaborative planning, campaign development, and the creation of yearly event calendars, communications tools, and assessment strategies.

Responsibilities:

Strategy and Planning:

• Serves as project lead and partner for developing and executing marketing and communications initiatives for SI, under the direction of the unit;
• Applies best practices in marketing and communications to support the department’s mission, achieve unit goals, and serve the existing and emerging George Mason students;
• Develops and executes annual marketing and communications plans, integrating subunit initiatives and events for maximum engagement and visibility;
• In collaboration with SI colleagues, plans and executes marketing and communications campaigns by defining target audiences, developing messages, selecting appropriate channels, establishing success metrics, measuring outcomes, and maintaining supporting communications tools, assessment instruments, and SOPs; and
• Provides leadership with the SI team in developing and maintaining an annual marketing project calendar to guide marketing, communications, and program activities.

Project and Personnel Management:

• Trains and supervises wage employees supporting marketing and communications activities in accordance with UL, MarCom, and SI supervision SOPs, to include assigning and tracking work, providing feedback, meeting regularly with staff to discuss marketing strategy, deliverables, and outcomes, performance expectations, and supporting professional development;
• Coordinates with SI colleagues and vendors to design, produce, and deliver brand-aligned print and digital collateral, event premiums, and other visual marketing assets;
• Coordinates with SI colleagues and vendors to design, produce, and deliver brand-aligned print and digital collateral, event premiums, and other visual marketing assets, while maintaining standards and developing templates to ensure consistent appearance, appropriate logo use, and alignment with department, division, and university brand standards;
• Provides on-site logistical support for signature and traditional events, including, but not limited to, Orientation, Welcome2Mason, GameMason, Homecoming, International Week, and Mason Day;
• Ensures effective use and engagement of Mason’s event management and communications platforms, such as Mason360 and 25Live, to support cross-promotion and community engagement;
• Develops annual budget proposals for marketing and communications expenses to request to MarCom and SI leadership as required;
• Monitors marketing-related expenditures by reviewing monthly financial results, tracking expenses, and ensuring adherence to collaborative agreements; and
• Establishes and tracks performance metrics for marketing and communications activities, collects and analyzes results, prepares annual and mid-year reports in accordance with MarCom standards, and presents findings to MarCom, SI, and divisional leadership teams.

Brand and Content Governance:

• Provides direction, training, consultations, and ongoing support to SI colleagues, subunits, and DSOs to ensure unit-wide adherence to the university’s visual and editorial style, branding standards, and responsible content practices across marketing and communications materials. In addition, will provide training and consultation to RSOs regarding branding standards;
• Collaborates with division and university level communications staff to promote the work of SI for the university’s website, UL publications, and external media to ensure high-quality, brand-aligned content and coordinated messaging across channels;
• Identifies and helps develop SI-focused content for university and UL communications channels to promote achievements, programs, and initiatives; and
• Sets annual goals and tracks KPIs for unit communications channels to inform performance assessment and continuous improvement.

Digital Platforms and Communications:

• Creates, implements, and assesses annual social media strategies and SOPs for SI and oversees the unit’s social media presence across all platforms, to include providing graphic design services, and developing and managing content calendars;
• Ensures comprehensive photo and video coverage of programs, initiatives, and high-profile events, coordinates photography, staff headshots, group photos, and internal requests for visual content for use across the university, divisional, and unit communications channels, including social media, print, web, and graphic design;
• Develops, maintains, and manages a centralized archive of multimedia assets to support ongoing marketing efforts by SI colleagues and wage staff;
• Coordinates and manages SI marketing and communications email channel, to include developing and maintaining email marketing templates, training documents, an email calendar for high-volume email marketing, and providing writing and editing support for outbound communications to support unit programs, initiatives, and events, ensuring visual and editorial brand adherence and use of communications best practices;
• Ensures compliance, accuracy, user-friendliness, usability, and consistency of the SI website; maintains responsibility for content strategy, design, navigation, and branding in alignment with university and UL standards and accessibility requirements, to include coordinating content updates and annual timelines and collaborating with MarCom and SI web partners on design changes and university-wide updates; and
• Conducts regular quality and accessibility reviews and provides training and support to wage and unit staff responsible for website content updates to ensure a website that meets the needs of the department and enhances the mission of the university and department.

Divisional and Departmental Service:

• Actively engages on a team of professionals that comprises the MarCom shared service unit;
• Participates in MarCom shared services unit by attending meetings and trainings, and effectively contributing to metrics reporting, analysis, and special projects as assigned;
• Supports divisional planning initiatives and other special projects as assigned, acting as a technical resource and subject matter expert as required;
• Actively participates in UL divisional meetings, initiatives, and in-person events to stay connected with divisional and institutional priorities, and to foster a cross-unit collaboration;
• Participates in professional development workshops and training sessions for staff across the division to promote continuous learning and skill enhancement;
• Stays informed about best practices, research, and emerging trends in marketing and communications, higher education and student support services to ensure MarCom and SI remain innovative and responsive to the evolving needs of the student body; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• High School diploma or GED;
• Graphic design experience typically obtained within 3+ years in a professional setting;
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator);
• Experience in supervising students and staff, to include assigning tasks and managing project work, with an emphasis on team building and skill development;
• Experience managing the design and production of various digital and print marketing and communications collateral materials aimed at student audiences;
• Experience promoting large scale public events;
• Experience leading social media initiatives;
• Demonstrated working knowledge of social media management and implementation in a professional setting (Instagram, Hootsuite, YouTube);
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated organizational management and problem-solving skills;
• Demonstrated skill in planning and executing marketing and communications projects, using project management tools to manage timelines and deliverables;
• Effective time management skills to oversee multiple projects simultaneously, while operating in a deadline-sensitive environment;
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement effective marketing strategies;
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment; and
• Ability to work with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Mass Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Experience with content and project management systems;
• Experience maintaining an organization's website;
• Experience supervising, managing, and/or advising students in a higher education environment;
• Experience in designing visual identities with examples showcasing original concepts;
• Experience creating and maintaining successful relationships with stakeholders;
• Knowledge of customer service principles and the ability to apply them effectively in a professional setting;
• Knowledge of email management software, such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud or Emma;
• Knowledge of emerging marketing technology and trends;
• Knowledge of 508 Accessibility requirements;
• Skill in presenting on a wide variety of topics;
• Ability to translate marketing analytics into actionable strategy; and
• Ability to work occasional weekends or evenings.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Marketing and Communications Manager at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Mason Ad Statement

Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason’s diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.

If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu/!

George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition.

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.