Wayne State University Jobs

Alumni Communications Officer

Wayne State University is searching for an experiencedAlumni Communications Officerat its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

JOB PURPOSE

Assist in content creation and campaign execution for the alumni communication and marketing initiatives meant to increase alumni connection, promote alumni pride and engagement, and enhance philanthropic support. Support the design and implementation of communication strategies and campaigns related to both university-wide and school/college/unit-focused alumni programs, events, and priorities. This position reports to the Associate Director, Engagement Communications.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

(Essential functions are the primary duties/major job responsibilities that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential functions are listed in order of importance.)

% Time

Write and edit a variety of content for print and digital platforms including email copy, event/program marketing pieces and invitations, alumni spotlights, news items, and social media posts. Coordinate the schedule, launch, and measurement of digital marketing content across online platforms. Act as project lead for various web and print projects, as directed. Plan, coordinate, implement, and finalize projects according to the specifications and established deadlines. 20%

Serve as primary point-of-contact and project manager for alumni communications requests. Create and communicate promotional plans for alumni officers and university partners and input timelines into project management system. Assist in the development and execution of coordinated strategies, campaigns, and messaging designed to increase alumni engagement. Participate in planning and coordinating communication and marketing messaging with the university, the division, and schools/colleges/units. Represent Alumni Relations on university-wide committees focusing on communications, as needed. 20%

Serve as the lead writer for alumni communications. Oversee the creation of effective e-mail communication campaigns. Write and edit emails, event listings and web copy. Proofread print, digital and social media pieces. Adhere to relevant style guides. Participate in editorial/content development and creative meetings. Manage email contact lists, updates and processes. Serve as primary contact for the division’s email marketing platforms.

20%

Work collaboratively with the Alumni Relations team and other university partners to address, monitor and manage needs related to alumni content. Support targeted alumni communication campaigns for key alumni identity and affinity programming. Assist in the collection of university/school/college news and updates to ensure the alumni website and newsletters include updated and relevant news and events from all areas of the university. 15%

Assist with the planning and execution of major annual initiatives, including WSU Giving Day and the Alumni Week of Service. 15%

Remain current with industry best practices and maintain a current working knowledge of new technologies and email marketing standards used in higher education marketing and communications. Specifically stay current with the use of email marketing and digital channels to market and promote alumni relations programs and events. 5%

Other related duties as assigned. 5%

WORK CONTEXT

This grid characterizes the position scope.

Job Reports to: Associate Director

Leadership Accountability: Implements operating plans

Supervisory Accountability: None

Organizational Accountability: None

Financial Accountability: None

Customer Accountability: Interfaces with customers outside the S/C/D

Freedom to Act: Subject to regular review by supervisor

Unique duties:

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education Bachelor's degree. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, communications, public relations, business administration, or related field.

Experience Experienced (minimum 2 years of job-related experience)

Additional experience information: Minimum two (2) years of creative and technical experience in communications, journalism, or social media marketing.

Basic understanding and interest in alumni relations' best practices and general operations. Experience in a higher education alumni relations or non-profit environment preferred.

Positive and collaborative professional, recognizing that this position is integral to the achievement of the goals and objectives of Development and Alumni Affairs.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

ANALYTICAL AND PRESENTATION SKILLS: Ability to evaluate, interpret, and present complex information effectively in professionally prepared documents or presentations. Must possess a demonstrated attention to detail in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy.

COLLABORATION: Exhibits a willingness to partner with diverse units across the university with integrity and high character to reach unified goals. Possesses the ability to navigate difficult situations with grace and understanding while being respectful and accepting of individual differences.

COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and professionally both orally and in writing. Strong interpersonal skills are a must. Ability to work successfully with persons from diverse backgrounds.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION: Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors and proactively managing implicit bias.

EDITING AND PROOFREADING SKILLS: Ability to accurately edit and proofread a variety of materials under tight deadlines.

LEARNING AGILITY: Independent and innovative self-starter who displays an ability to learn quickly and easily adapts to changing situations. Experience researching topics to gain knowledge and understanding when information gaps exist.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION: Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting respective deadlines. Strong organizational and time-management skills required. Maturity, sound judgment and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.

TEAMWORK: Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues within the division and other units to gain full understanding of the project and desired outcome; ability to produce high quality and consistent results with assistance of team members; provide support to teammates when tackling complex projects.

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficient in the use of complex administrative systems software, preferrably in the higher education environment. Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel and Teams. Ability to understand and translate complex concepts into lay terms. Basic understanding of CMS systems.

WRITING SKILLS: Ability to conduct research, interview subjects and write materials that are creative and interesting, with strong attention to detail, grammar and style rules.

Working Conditions

Normal office environment.

Adhere to confidentiality and data usage policy for the division.

Preferred qualifications:

School/College/Division:

H86 - Development & Alumni Affairs

Primary department:

H8605-Developmnt office

Employment type:

• Regular Employee

• Job type: Full Time

• Job category: Staff/Administrative

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary

• Hourly rate:

• Salary minimum: $58,000

• Salary hire maximum: $60,000

Working conditions:

Normal working conditions

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1

• Reposted position: No

• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)

• Prior posting/requisition number:

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.

Equal employment opportunity statement:

Wayne State University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. The university encourages applications from women, people of color and other underrepresented people. Wayne State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.