Communications Manager, MSU Alumni Office / Communications Manager I

at  Michigan State University

POSITION SUMMARY

Michigan State University is seeking a communications manager. The manager will oversee communications strategies, timelines, content creation, design materials, graphics and other collateral material supporting MSU Alumni Office marketing strategies and alumni relations.
Reporting to the MSU Alumni Office director of marketing, the communications manager will be responsible for organizing and overseeing the creation of materials and content through the development, design, creation, and production of various campaigns. The communications manager will participate as a member of the alumni marketing and communications team to manage projects, timelines, and priorities accordingly.

UNIT SPECIFIC EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS

The job requires:

• Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in journalism, telecommunications, public relations, or related field.
• One to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in public and media relations, composing, editing and publication production, news, broadcasting and print media, and/or marketing, advertising, and creative services; graphic design.
• Experience with word processing; desktop publishing; web design; presentation software; spreadsheet and/or database software; public presentation; or radio production; or computer programming/technology.
• Experience managing content for social media channels; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or digital content design.
• Two – four years of demonstrated success in managing and producing digital marketing campaigns.
• Experience leveraging a content management system that hosts a wide variety of assets.
• Experience with web analytics tools and turning numbers into insights.
• Knowledge of the latest Adobe Creative Suite along with basic understanding of HTML and CSS.
• Experience generating content, proofing, and implementation of large email campaigns.
• Experience with implementing accessibility standards for people with disabilities.
• Experience working with international alumni groups and audiences.
• Knowledge of web analytics tools to accurately assess campaign effectiveness and turning numbers into valuable insights.
• Experience developing digital assets for a wide variety of platforms.
• A track record for driving more engagement with content.
• Experience creating and building emails.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and drive to continue to learn.
• Ability to work well independently and effectively as a team member.
• Outstanding customer service skills.
• An eye for creating graphically pleasing content.
• Attention to detail but able to see the big picture.
• Familiar with CRM systems e.g. Salesforce, Ellucian Advance, Blackbaud.
  If you review this job description and, have done many of the responsibilities or have transferable skills, we want to hear from you and, welcome your application!

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The communications manager is responsible for campaign development, project management, email marketing, web content management, shaping digital assets for a variety of online and social channels, and reporting on content marketing efforts using web, email, and Google and social analytics tools.
As a member of the MSU Alumni Office communications team, the communications manager will strategize with other team members to create and distribute content to help in the success of MSU Alumni’s goals.