Senior Marketing and Communications Manager

About the Job:

The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication is seeking a dynamic Senior Marketing and Communications Manager to lead its strategic communication efforts. This role is essential in elevating the School's brand, expanding digital engagement, optimizing content management, and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders, including students, faculty, alumni, donors, and media partners. This position will oversee the development and execution of a social media strategy to enhance visibility and engagement. Managing the School's website will also be critical, ensuring it remains visually appealing, highly functional, and SEO-optimized while seamlessly integrating with social media and digital marketing efforts. The Senior Marketing and Communications Manager will feature the School's research, thought leadership, and student and faculty accomplishments through various communication channels, events, and recognition efforts. Content management will be integral to the role, creating compelling content that aligns with the School's mission. The Senior Marketing and Communications Manager will maintain a content calendar, lead the redesign of the School's magazine to better connect with alumni, and oversee a photojournalist-in-residence program to enhance storytelling efforts. The Senior Marketing and Communications Manager will lead the campaign to bring the School's brand proposition to life, fostering a strong sense of identity among students, faculty, and alumni. Strengthening relationships with alumni and donors through multi-channel storytelling and expanding social media engagement will be essential. Additionally, the role will focus on deepening partnerships with media and professional communities, ensuring the School's ongoing impact in the industry through key events and internship opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic and creative communications leader to shape the narrative of one of the nation's top journalism and mass communication programs.

APPOINTMENT DETAILS

This is a 100 % -time 12-month Academic and Professional Administrative (P&A) appointment located on the Twin Cities East Bank Campus. This position is eligible for hybrid work; in-person work will be required depending on School activities. The position reports directly to the Chief of Staff.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Drive Digital Growth 30%
   • Develop and execute a social media strategy, incorporating both organic and paid campaigns to boost visibility and engagement, working with the School's student-run strategic communication agency.
   • Oversee the School's website, ensuring improved usability, aesthetics, and responsiveness while aligning with the School's brand identity.
   • Optimize content for SEO to improve search engine rankings and attract targeted audiences.
   • Integrate the website with social media and digital marketing initiatives to create a cohesive and engaging user experience.
   • Manage the account team from the School's internal agency in supporting the digital strategy.
2. Elevate Brand Positioning 20%
   • Leverage the School's strategic plan, events and philanthropic initiatives to highlight research and thought leadership.
   • Showcase the trailblazing work of students, faculty, staff, and alumni through various communication channels, events, and recognition efforts.
   • Develop communications to enhance faculty and staff understanding and commitment to the School's brand positioning.
   • Develop and implement a comprehensive style guide to ensure and embrace brand consistency across all communications.
3. Optimize Content Management 30%
   • Develop compelling content aligned with the brand positioning while engaging with faculty to highlight their research and engagement.
   • Create and maintain a content calendar to ensure a consistent, high-quality content pipeline across all platforms.
   • Execute the redesign of the School's magazine to better engage and inform alumni.
   • Enhance the quality of photography by launching a photojournalist-in-residence program to support storytelling efforts.
   • Manage the account team from the School's internal agency in supporting the content management strategy.
4. Build Engaged Communities 20%
   • Launch an internal campaign to bring the brand proposition to life, fostering a strong sense of community.
   • Grow the School's social media following with engaging, regular content highlighting student and alumni success stories.
   • Strengthen alumni and donor relationships through multi-channel storytelling that showcases achievements and impacts.
   • Build and maintain strong partnerships with media and professional communities by promoting internship opportunities, guest lectures, and key School events such as the Fall and Spring Forums.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience in strategic communications, branding, and content management within an agency or professional environment or working with clients to lead strategic communication innovation.
• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills with experience across multiple channels (print, digital, social).
• Proficiency in digital marketing tools, analytics, content management systems, SEO, and social media management.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Able to create communication pieces that utilize storytelling best practices through photojournalism and graphic design.
• Track record of carrying out effective communication campaigns with varied and diverse audiences and constituents
• Strong project management and organizational skills; able to prioritize and manage multiple projects.
• Able to carry out and lead throughout the full creative process-from conception to execution/production.
• Commitment to working with students, faculty and staff to build an inclusive, collegial and fun working and learning environment
• Demonstrated track record of embracing new strategic communication methods and media.
• Involvement in local, state, or national/international associations, such as the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association, American Advertising Federation, International Association of Business Communicators, Public Relations Society of America, MIMA, etc.
• Master's degree in a related field
  

About the Hubbard School

The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication is the second-largest undergraduate major-serving unit in the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Journalism and Mass Communication. In 2025-26, the School expects to serve nearly 1,000 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students in its degree-granting programs. The Hubbard School offers majors in Strategic Communication - Advertising and Public Relations, Professional Journalism, and Media and Information; and minors in Media and Information and Digital Media Studies. The Hubbard School offers an academic M.A. and Ph.D. in Mass Communication and a Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication. Housed in Murphy Hall, a state-of-the-art facility for teaching and research of journalism, strategic communication, and emerging media studies, the Hubbard School is home to the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, the Minnesota Journalism Center, the Hubbard Digital Studios, and the Digital Information Research Center/Sevareid Library. Hubbard facilities also include the Murphy Hall conference center, multimedia classrooms, and psychophysiological communication research labs, and a focus group room, which is used to support graduate-level experimental research.

For further information, please visit the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication's website, at: https://cla.umn.edu/hsjmc About the College of Liberal Arts Home to the arts, social sciences and humanities disciplines and programs, the College of Liberal Arts is the largest college in the University of Minnesota and comprises 31 academic departments, and over 20 interdisciplinary research centers and administrative/support units. CLA has over 1,300 faculty and staff spanning research, teaching, advising, outreach, and administrative functions. CLA units reside in over twenty buildings on the East Bank and West Bank of the Twin Cities campus. CLA enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate students, over 40% of the undergraduate enrollment on the Twin Cities campus, 1,400 graduate students, and has an annual all-funds budget of $290 million. CLA is a destination for curious, compassionate individuals who are committed to making our increasingly interdependent and diverse global community work for everyone. That foundational commitment begins in our CLA Constitution.

CLA is committed to increasing enrollment of underrepresented and under-resourced students, diversifying our faculty across all disciplines, recruiting, and retaining a diverse staff, and promoting the expression and exploration of diverse perspectives and viewpoints-so that we all gain the background knowledge and analytical skills we need to understand and respect differences. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CLA Working in CLA

Pay Range: $78,000- $90,500 annually; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 75%-100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions.

A completed application will include:

• Resume
• Cover letter that addresses how experience relates to the four main job responsibilities
• Portfolio that is no longer than 10 pages. A digital portfolio is also acceptable.
  

Review of applications will begin Feb. 24, 2025. This position will remain open until filled.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).