Associate Director, Digital Communications

Department: Alumni Relations & Development
Salary/Grade: EXS/8

Target hiring range for this position will be between $75,000-$X80,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Job Summary:

The associate director, digital communications (web and email) manages and oversees the web marketing program for Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) at Northwestern University and serves as the department's project lead on maintenance of website content. This position will lead the web marketing strategy for ARD; collaborate with ARD teams to develop project execution goals, timelines, and success metrics in order to deliver a best-in-class digital experience for alumni and donors; manage web projects from start to finish with ARD partners; manage email calendar and process, and review and edit emails in partnership with the senior associate director; implement the latest in best practices for web communications; and identify and analyze peer web presences for benchmarking and potential innovation. As ARD's website editor, this position ensures that the websites have refreshed, engaging content in coordination with ARD program teams.

Please note: This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, up to two days remote and three onsite.

Specific Responsibilities:

Project Management

• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications team and internal clients on developing strategies and creative approaches for digital communications
• Edit and approve outgoing emails and newsletters to alumni and donor audiences for accuracy, best practices, and adherence to established policies, strategy, and compliance with University guidelines
• Manage the broadcast email calendar to ensure consistency in communication volume
• Become versed in building and deploying special messages and an HTML-based alumni newsletter
• Work with Marketing and Communications team members to establish project timelines and defined, metrics-based goals
• Project lead web-based projects, proactively communicating progress with ARD partners and delivering project components on time
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with stakeholders throughout the ARD and across the University, including schools and units

Manage and Coordinate ARD's Websites

• Co-manage website content for all digital properties owned and used by ARD, including alumni.northwestern.edu, giving.northwestern.edu, and law.alumni.northwestern.edu, events.ard.northwestern.edu, and our.northwestern.edu
• Work with vendors on third-party sites supporting ARD initiatives, such as planned giving, mentorship, Learning for Life, and the Women's board site, and lead the migration of the final site to the University enterprise CMS
• Develop and continually update documentation of process guidelines and usage policies
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on ARD's use of its websites and related technologies, including providing occasional advanced support for staff and troubleshooting of landing pages, event registrations, and/or forms
• Collaborate, build, and help maintain digital tools to assist ARD staff with communications such as generators for UTM code, email signatures, and our all-alumni newsletter Purple Line
• Implement Google Tag Manager tags on our sites and ensure they are firing correctly
• Support our custom web applications, including the Alumni-Owned Small Business Directory, Alumni Authors CATalogue, and several Homecoming and Reunion Weekend pages
• Co-manage our Google Custom Search, ensuring our signature events and giving initiatives are prioritized for users
• Support marketing content updates to the alumni portal, Our Northwestern, and develop communication strategies to promote the portal to alumni
• Lead occasional ARD-specific training on Cascade CMS as supplement to the University-led training, and support staff as they navigate updating pages related to their teams and initiatives

Develop Digital Marketing Strategies

• Measure, track, and report the effectiveness of web communications, such as lightboxes on websites, and develop actionable best practices for improving performance
• Create and follow goals within Google Analytics, such as users making a gift or submitting a form
• Manage and monitor Google Analytics and work alongside our senior business data analyst on monthly website reports for internal partners toward the goal of continual growth and adoption
• Develop data-gathering best practices for web-based engagement, in relation to the University's constituent database of record and products including Blackthorn for events and GiveCampus for giving

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as journalism, communications, marketing, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Advance knowledge of a content management system, as well as email and event management tools

• Analytic skills and ability to analyze and derive insight from data

• Ability to use both data and experience-based intuition to inform decisions

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with others on a team

• Exceptional attention to detail

• Effective project management skills in a fast-paced environment

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expert HTML skills and intermediate or greater CSS3 skills

• Several years of professional experience in digital marketing and communications, including website content management and email marketing

• Master's degree in communications, marketing, or related field

• Experience in higher education advancement or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Knowledge of JavaScript and/or Velocity programming languages, Cascade CMS, Marketing Cloud email, Blackthorn events, GiveCampus fundraising, and/or Salesforce Experience Cloud tools

• Knowledge of editorial style guides such as Chicago Manual of Style or similar guide

• Familiarity with Googe Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, and Google Custom Search

• Prior use of Amazon Web Services' S3 bucket, GitHub, and Bit.ly for branded URLs and QR codes

• Experience with constituent database management, with Salesforce-powered CRM as a bonus

• Demonstrated expertise with code-based email building, including mobile and responsive design

• Knowledge of current internet standards, including WCAG 2 compliance

• Experience with landing page testing and optimization

• Understanding of basic online marketing funnel and how channels work together including search and SEO, social, mobile, and content marketing

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.