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Senior Content Specialist, Student Affairs Communication

Employer
University of Denver
Location
USA, Denver, Colorado
Salary
Negotiable

Job Details

Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence (SAIE) is the central student affairs division of the University of Denver. SAIE includes Housing & Residential Education, Student Engagement, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Health & Counseling, Inclusion & Equity Education, Disability Services Program, Cultural Center, Access & Transitions, Learning Effectiveness Program, Veterans & Military Resources, Student Outreach & Support, Student Rights & Responsibilities, Budget, Operations & Division Resources, New Student & Family Programs, Community & Driscoll Commons.

We are committed to providing students with the support and skills needed to become empowered citizens who positively impact the communities of which they are a part, now, and in the future. We do so by challenging student to:

  • Reflect on their values and identities
  • Recognize their strengths and acknowledge areas for further growth
  • Understand the importance of needing and seeking support
  • Cultivate their passions
  • Foster the public good

The 4D Experience

The University of Denver's (DU) 4-Dimensional (4D) Experience arose from the belief that holistic approaches to student learning and development not only transform students educational journeys but also prepare them for purposeful lives after graduation. As one of Chancellor Jeremy Haefner's Five Strategic Imperatives, the 4D Experience empowers students to lead lives of meaning and purpose that serve the public good, enabling them to thrive at and beyond the university. At its core is the mission to develop and integrate the following four dimensions (4D) across the curriculum and co-curriculum:

  • Advancing Intellectual Growth
  • Exploring Character
  • Pursuing Careers and Lives of Purpose
  • Promoting Well-Being
  • Student Engagement

Student Engagement provides a welcoming and inclusive environment that respects the individual while promoting community values. The Student Engagement team is dedicated to supporting students in all aspects of their time at DU through student club/organization involvement, myriad learning opportunities, and a variety of leadership and engagement experiences. Student Engagement is comprised of areas that are dedicated to enriching the student experience outside of the classroom: Student Activities, DU Programming Board, Graduate Student Government, Undergraduate Student Government, DU Discoveries, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Student Leadership Development. With colleagues from across the University, the Student Engagement team builds a community and creates co-curricular opportunities where the intrinsic value and worth of the individual is affirmed and community standards and values are upheld.
DU Discoveries (New Student Orientation) supports students in their transition to the University and creates a vibrant and robust first-year experience, including Discoveries Week (new student orientation and parent/family orientation). The transition to college occurs over time, and DU Discoveries provides programming and services throughout the first and second years as student navigate the University.

Position Summary

The Senior Content Specialist, Student Affairs Communication develops the voice of student communications for Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence (SAIE) and the 4D Experience. Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement & the 4D Experience with a dotted line to the Office of the Chancellor, this position is responsible for developing, implementing, assessing, refining, and reporting outcomes from a multi-channel communication infrastructure that engages students in key University initiatives. As SAIEs architect of student communication strategy, this position is charged with integrating student communications delivered through multiple channels that originate from SAIEs 20+ departments within the context of the 4D Experience.

This position will focus on increasing student awareness and engagement, transforming communications with students from transactional to transformational, and facilitating the seamless integration of key initiatives, such as the 4D Experience (4D), James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC), and DU Discoveries into the student experience.

Essential Functions


Develop innovative ways to communicate with students and other stakeholders to drive increased awareness of and engagement in:

4D Experience

  • Develop, implement, assess, and refine a multi-channel communication infrastructure that engages students in key University initiatives; report on outcomes from communication deliverables in consultation with SAIE leadership
  • Partner within SAIE and with key campus partners, including the 4D Team, Marketing & Communications, Advancement, and Admissions, to foster connectedness and ensure consistency of message to the student audience

Kennedy Mountain Campus

  • DU Discoveries (new student orientation)
  • Building inclusive community (DEI)
  • Student thriving (retention)
  • Community-building/fostering feelings of belongingness
  • Develop and coordinate a web and social media presence that successfully integrates critical University initiatives in a student-centered, relevant, up-to-date, and accessible way
  • Create and implement an editorial calendar; develop and implement a distribution plan for printed materials, student engagement plans, and end- of-year report
  • Play a leading role in reinventing DUs student orientation program, DU Discoveries
  • Leverage existing communication and engagement channels within and outside SAIE
  • Identify and implement new channels/methods, where relevant, to foster engagement among incoming and current students
  • Develop consistent, trustworthy avenues of communications for students to Discover DU
  • Provide leadership to SAIE departments on effective communications strategies
  • Establish standards and provide oversight of editorial content for SAIEs student-oriented websites, publications, and other internal and external communication channels
  • Create and oversee a student media team to create peer-to-peer content
  • Supervise part-time, temporary, and / or graduate / undergraduate student staff, with possibility of supervising full-time staff in the future

Create and build intentional partnerships with key campus partners This essential work includes:

  • Serve as liaison to central offices such as Marketing & Communications and Advancement
  • Serve as content expert representing student engagement and 4D Experience, helping to bring an understanding of student life and culture and an authentic student voice to the work of campus partners, such as Marketing & Communications, Advancement, and Admissions
  • Liaise with SAIEs Director of Strategy and Communication to ensure brand standards are being met and that student communication strategy & plan complements SAIEs broader strategic plans and aligns with institutional initiatives beyond SAIE.
  • Partner with student-centric offices within SAIE and across campus to augment existing channels/platforms and build authentic engagement with student audiences

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Excellent written communication and editing skills
  • Excellent interpersonal communication skills
  • Self-motivated, with proven ability to manage multiple, often competing priorities and projects
  • Excellent time management and organizational skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; consistent demonstration of culturally competent behaviors and attitudes
  • Demonstrated ability to develop and work toward a shared vision
  • Proficiency in developing and maintaining institution-wide collaborations
  • Established record of collaboration and good interpersonal and communication skills with diverse internal and external constituents
  • Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully in a complex environment to maximize creative thinking that results in innovative approaches or quality improvements
  • Collaborative and inclusive leadership / partnership style and ability to manage both student and staff employees
  • Understanding of design, construction, and delivery of electronic communications
  • Knowledge of graphic design and digital production applications
  • Ability to track, measure, and adjust work priorities using analytics
  • Extensive writing and editing experience and knowledge of AP Style
  • Advanced Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook skills
  • Demonstrated success in developing and implementing strategic communications plans across multiple media formats/platforms
  • Experience with development and distribution of content within social media platforms
  • Ability to develop and implement branding strategies in print and electronic media

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelors degree in relevant field and 6 years experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or other directly relevant field
  • Experience using content management systems and other distribution tools, including web, email, and customer relationship
    management/marketing automation systems
  • Experience supervising student, professional, and/or temporary staff

Preferred Qualifications

  • Masters degree in relevant field and 4+ years experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or other directly relevant field
  • Preferred 5 years in a higher education setting
  • Strong preference for experience in Student Affairs or other student-focused department or organization
  • Experience developing communications plans with measurable outcomes and utilizing relevant assessment methodologies
  • Demonstrated success with strategic, student-centered communications campaigns for university-wide initiatives
  • Experience with multiplatform storytelling and execution
  • Experience with strategy and problem-solving in a complex organization
  • Knowledge of project management software such as Asana, Trello, Basecamp, or Monday
  • Knowledge of web content management systems Drupal and WordPress
  • Familiarity with web accessibility and understanding of current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
  • Experience with budget development and oversight

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) May 19, 2022. Applications will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled.

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 12.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $75,000-$90,000.

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 candidates 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.

Organization

Founded in 1864—just a few years after the city of Denver itself was founded—the University of Denver is one of the country's premier private universities.

The University's 125-acre campus, a few miles south of downtown Denver, is home to more than 11,500 students hailing from all regions of the United States and 83 other countries.

The University offers:

Regardless of what they study, University of Denver students embark on a personal educational journey that helps them find and follow their individual purpose.

Collaborative, Experiential Learning

Our students work closely with faculty, peers and members of the community on projects, research and fieldwork. They cross disciplines to discover new perspectives and approaches to problem solving.

In and out of the classroom, our students learn by doing, whether they're collecting data in the field or putting theory into practice in a clinical setting.

The University of Denver Culture

Across the University of Denver’s many divisions, departments, and offices, supervisors are searching for new employees who strive to excel and innovate, prize integrity, and who value the opportunity to engage with the community.  The University is always looking for creative problem solvers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners who want to know more and do more.

At the University of Denver, our culture is steeped in ethics and social responsibility. As a result, our faculty and students represent a wide array of perspectives and enjoy the healthy dialogue that grows out of diversity. University of Maryland, Baltimore

For all their differences, the members of our community are united by a common purpose: They're determined to confront society's most pressing challenges—everything from world health and the global economy to access to education.

Company info
Website
Telephone
3038717770
Location
2199 S. University Blvd.
Denver
Colorado
80210
US

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