The Division of Marketing & Communications (MarComm) aims to strengthen DU’s strategic position locally, regionally, and nationally through data-driven and authentic storytelling across multiple channels with focused support on the university’s value drivers: academics and research; enrollment and admissions, athletics, and advancement. Whether through public or media relations, digital strategies, social media, print, podcast, issues or crisis management, community relations or thought leadership and training, MarComm drives results through narratives that involve words, pictures, and design. With true understanding of and connection with our diverse audiences, we aim to foster collaborative problem solving, creativity and innovation. MarComm strives to speak with a unified, authentic, and resonant voice to strategically advance the University of Denver’s brand by focusing on the following priorities:
1. Promoting and protecting DUs reputation.
2. Inspiring students to enroll and engage.
3. Increasing equity and inclusion.
4. Strengthening the University.
MarComm’s mission, vision and values make it imperative that everyone in our community feels safe and included. The participation and input of all members should be valued and respected, while every voice should have the opportunity to be heard. The division’s community-created, shared sense of belonging definition is, “a shared sense of belonging in MarComm means building a collaborative, trusting community where we feel and are safe, valued, and appreciated being ourselves as we contribute to something meaningful.” Our collective achievements are enhanced by the open exchange of ideas – particularly when diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences are embraced.
Position Summary
The Sr. Social Media Specialist (SSMS) will work under the supervision of the Content Marketing Manager and directly manage the University’s branded (@uofdenver) channels, creating content that meets the goals and specifications of DU’s marketing, communications and social media strategies for the University on both existing and emerging social media platforms. In collaboration with the content marketing manager, the SSMS will ensure that the social publishing and distribution calendar is up to date and aligns with the overall content strategies and that social strategies, content, engagement and responses developed on behalf of the University’s brand are thoughtfully defined and planned in the best interest of the organization. The SSMS will use sound decision making both independently and/or under minimal supervision, as well as through collaboration and proactive involvement of key stakeholders in sensitive circumstances. The SSMS will often need to anticipate the needs of the campaigns/projects and the department, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and show proactive leadership in planning to meet specified goals and deadlines designed to elevate the University’s visibility at a national level, cultivate a sense of community and belonging in created content, and strategically tell the stories tied to the University’s brand pillars. The SSMS will need to be skilled in creating opportunities for collaboration and working with others to accomplish an objective, integrating other aspects of the University into the brand’s social channels to create a cohesive story, and understanding how social media fits into an integrated marketing and communications plan.
Essential Functions
- Create, publish and manage all content on the University of Denver’s centrally branded social media channels.
- Manage audience engagement on the University’s major social media platforms.
- Maintain a content calendar for DU’s social marketing campaigns and communications initiatives, ensuring collaboration across many teams both in Marketing & Communications and the rest of the University to create and share strategically relevant and branded content that aligns with broader integrated marketing strategies.
- Act as a social media subject matter expert for the University and conduit between MarComm and other units on campus regarding social media updates and campaigns and stays well informed and connected with managers of other social media handles and platforms within the University.
- Test and learn new platforms/channels that strategically align with our target audiences.
- Create partnerships external to the Marcomm Division and establish/foster functional relationships to leverage the entirety of the University’s social media footprint and increase visibility of key messages for key audiences.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders on the creation of social media-specific videos and graphics to support planned content, including but not limited to, collaborating with the University’s Multimedia Producer to post videos to University’s YouTube account and strategically maximize YouTube video posts as well as working with student interns to shoot and edit raw content to make reels.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to offer social support for all areas of MarComm, and for the broader University.
- Lead periodic social media training for university-wide social media specialists.
- Manage the University’s social media directory and advise on periodic recommendations for improvement in core materials, such as the University’s social media policy, training, templates.
- Provide monthly evaluation of efforts and insights into channel trends and audience behavior to unit leadership in collaboration with division’s marketing analytics specialist.
- Maintain and collaborate to create DU’s central social media strategy for the brand channels.
- Become and serve as DU’s subject matter expert on how to implement DU’s distinct voice/tone as well as its differentiators in social media to elevate the brand and create online community.
- Provide immediate support for crisis communications and issues management as needed under the direction of the AVC of Communications & Issues Management.
- Provide regular monitoring of sentiment and perception of the brand in market through social listening.
- Look for and create ways to increase inbound traffic to the University’s website from social platforms.
- Advise on and collaboratively manage all aspects of social media specific campaigns, from communications/marketing to creative development to execution to evaluation.
- Audit social media (central and beyond) activities of the University and provide a recommendation for enhancements geared and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of DU’s social media channels.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Demonstrated social media acumen and proficiency with social media platform, content marketing and social media strategy. Must have a supporting project portfolio.
- Experience with collaboration across all levels and functions including with peers, students and senior leaders to effectively achieve objectives and lead.
- Experience managing a variety of concurrent projects and production timelines simultaneously.
- Demonstrated success in a highly matrixed environment with multiple constituents.
- Able to integrate thinking from divergent points of view.
- Ability to generate creative ideas and lead execution of these ideas.
- Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to seeing projects to successful completion.
- Excellent writing and grammar skills, along with the general ability to communicate clearly in oral, visual and written form.
- Ability to vary communication tones and voice as appropriate to best leverage different social media channels/platforms while ensuring continuity of brand voice and presence.
- Experience with data analytics.
- Organizational acumen and abilities.
- Experience with client relations or customer service.
- Experience with social media publishing tools.
- Ability to be flexible with assignments and shifts in priorities.
- Ability to understand, embrace and demonstrate a commitment to the University of Denver’s vision and mission including the University’s goals of inclusive excellence.
- Ability to amplify the University’s brand in a differentiated way locally and globally, and to build partnerships with colleagues both inside the University and beyond.
- Willingness to learn new skills as the opportunities or the need arise.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required, as well as flexibility and the ability to adapt to quickly changing priorities along with a commitment to the highest standards of journalism, marketing and public relations.
- Demonstrated creative self-starter with strong work ethic, team orientation and commitment to quality
- Experience working in digital marketing and providing analysis of outcomes as well as recommendations for continual improvement
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience effectively setting priorities, achieving goals and measuring result
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in public relations, marketing, communications or related fields
- 5 years’ experience in managing social media content creation and platforms for a brand
- Experience managing branded content and audience engagement in Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram platforms
Preferred Qualifications
- Bilingual
- Experience working in higher education field
Working Environment
- The successful incumbent must live or be willing to relocate to the Denver metro. The Division of Marketing & Communications has a flexible work arrangement with its employees, allowing for both community and culture building in office and remote work from home.
- Standard office environment: Activities are primarily performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and manipulating a computer mouse; job may require limited, varying lengths of time and travel moderate distances to perform work
- Regular activities require ability to quickly change priorities, which may include and/or are subject to resolution of conflicts
- Ability to clearly communicate required to perform essential functions
- Regularly performs work which requires traveling on uneven surfaces and exposure to external environmental conditions as part of photo and video shoots.
- Receives regular managerial review of objectives.
- Provides supervision and mentorship of student employees and must meet University’s standards accordingly.
- Occasionally provides supervision of contracted vendors for completion of project/program related tasks as needed.
- Some travel as well as occasional weekend or after-hours work will be required to fulfill duties.
- Unexpected interruptions occur often, and stress level is moderate to high.
- Noise level is quiet to moderate.
Physical Activities
1. Ability to sit in front of a computer for an extended period of time.
2. Occasionally required to move about the office/campus with the capability of transporting objects up to 20 lbs.
Work Schedule
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) April 18, 2023.
Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.
Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is 10.
Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $65,000-$75,000
The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.
Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver .
Please include the following documents with your application:
1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university’s educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university’s complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non-discrimination-statement .
All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.
Advertised: April 04, 2023
Applications close: