Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement invites applications for an Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing position. This is a 12-month, full-time, professional faculty position based in Corvallis, Oregon. The anticipated starting salary is $85,777 - $112,000, commensurate with skills, education, and experience.
The Assistant Director reports to the Director of Communications and Marketing (Director) and serves on the leadership team for the Division of Extension and Engagement's (division) Communication and Marketing unit, contributing to strategy, business and operational decisions.
The Assistant Director collaborates with the Director, division leaders and unit colleagues to develop, implement and evaluate integrated short- and long-range communications and marketing plans and campaigns that advance division and university priorities. Primary responsibilities include leading marketing and digital strategies, oversight of digital platforms managed by the unit, and managing content workflows. This role also includes hands-on creative and production duties, as needed and based on the incumbent's strengths and expertise.
The Assistant Director supervises professional and student employees, freelancers and contracted services that provide web development and UX, social media strategy and management, multimedia content and digital marketing communications. They also work with the unit Director and managers to integrate, coordinate and prioritize the unit's educational publishing, news and media relations, marketing and content strategy efforts and serve as a resource for division colleagues who are managing unit and program-level marketing efforts.
The Assistant Director will advise the Director and division leadership on marketing strategies and outcomes and will collaborate closely with colleagues in University Relations and Marketing and other units to advance the university's communication goals and marketing strategies. The Assistant Director will act on behalf of the Director as assigned, including tactical support for the division's executive, legislative, issue and crisis communications.
The division has built the capacity and expectation for employees to use digital communications and technologies in the modern-day workplace. This reflects our demonstrable commitment to using digital communications tools and changing technologies as a primary way to raise Oregonian's awareness of and engagement with our organization, programs and resources. These activities will be included in the annual plan of work, impact statements and summary of accomplishments/achievements.
The Assistant Director is responsible for ensuring the division's communications and marketing strategies, messages and content serve broad and diverse populations in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. This includes complying with Civil Rights and Language/Visual Access regulations.
About the division's communications and marketing unit:
This unit operates as an integrated communications and marketing team in support of the Division of Extension and Engagement and the statewide OSU Extension Service. The team collaborates with division leadership and colleagues to create educational, engaging and brand-aligned communications that increase awareness, access and support among external audiences. This includes educational publishing; news and media relations; marketing and branding; design and multimedia; web and content strategy; and executive, public affairs and internal communication efforts. The team also provides support, consultation and training for division employees in these areas. In addition, the team provides collaborative leadership for innovative and effective use of educational and communication technologies.
About the division:
The Division of Extension and Engagement (division) is core to Oregon State University's mission. The division helps create real solutions and positive impact across Oregon and beyond. The division is aligned under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement. To learn more about our division and its core units and initiatives, please visit our website: https://engagement.oregonstate.edu/
Oregon State University strives to ensure that all educational programs, services, activities, and materials we offer to the public are identified, developed, delivered, and evaluated in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. OSU division educational programs, services, activities, and materials are available to all people. OSU division prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials. All employees are responsible for and expected to comply with Civil Rights obligations and actively work to expand access to all eligible populations.
Position Duties
45% Marketing and digital strategy leadership and operations
- Collaborates to develop, implement and evaluate integrated short- and long-range communications and marketing plans and campaigns that advance division and university priorities.
- Leads development and implementation of creative, innovative, cross-platform integrated marketing strategies and campaigns, including monitoring performance and effectiveness.
- Assist in ongoing and targeted audience and market research to make data-informed recommendations for marketing strategies and campaigns.
- Oversees digital platforms managed by the unit, including the OSU Extension, Division of Extension and Engagement, and OSU Statewides websites, flagship social media accounts and Marketing Cloud digital marketing tool.
- Contributes hands-on creative, content and digital expertise as part of executing strategies and campaigns.
- Ensures created content and messaging are culturally inclusive, socially cognizant and compliant with university and division brand and style guidelines and accessibility requirements.
- Includes activities created to enhance inclusion and relevant best practices in annual plan of work, impact statements, and summary of accomplishments/achievements.
- Collaborates with the unit director and division colleagues in information and technology to mature the division's digital engagement strategy, including CRM/digital marketing integrations.
- Collaborates with University Relations and Marketing and other units to advance the university's enterprise communication and marketing goals by aligning marketing strategies, messages, content and systems.
35% Unit leadership, management and supervision
- Serves on unit leadership team, collaborating to set strategic direction, priorities and procedures.
- Contributes to decisions about unit budget development and resource allocation; manages resources allocated for marketing and digital strategies.
- Provides direction to unit managers to integrate, coordinate and prioritize unit's educational publishing, news and media relations, marketing and content strategy efforts. This includes oversight of the unit's content workflow platforms and procedures.
- Directly supervises professional faculty and student employees responsible for web development and UX, social media strategy and management, multimedia content and digital marketing communications
- Manages freelancers and contracted services to support ongoing and project-based work.
- Supports all team members, who will have varying backgrounds, needs, and identities, to perform effectively and grow professionally.
- Works with Director to create a safe, welcoming and respectful learning and workplace environment.
10% Administrative Leadership and Collaboration
- Represents the division's Director of Communications and Marketing as assigned. This requires building and maintaining effective working relationships with division executive, programmatic and administrative leaders.
- Provides tactical support for the Director and division leadership in executive, legislative, issue and crisis communications.
- Serves as a brand manager for the division. This includes collaborating with URM and division colleagues to elevate and steward the university brand.
- Serves as a resource for division colleagues who are managing unit and program-level marketing efforts. This includes contributing to training, helping develop governance and supporting resources and ad hoc consultation.
5% Professional Development and Service
- Engages in opportunities to build knowledge and skills in areas relevant to position duties. This includes building skills to effectively use emerging digital technologies and to advance equity and inclusion through communications and marketing work.
- Serves and advances the profession through active membership, leadership and participation in relevant professional organizations, workshops, meetings and award and recognition programs.
- Provide service to OSU and the land-grant system by working on unit, division, university, regional, and national committees and projects.
5% Other duties as assigned
Minimum/Required Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications or field relevant to position duties.
- At least 5 years of professional experience managing marketing functions, including strong evidence of ability to develop, implement and evaluate integrated, creative communications and marketing strategies and campaigns in support of organizational goals.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with ability to communicate successfully with a broad and diverse audience.
- Strong analytical skills to assess platform analytics, audience data and marketing performance metrics and make data-informed decisions and recommendations.
- Advanced skills and experience in managing digital platforms and content within, including websites, social media (organic and paid), CRM and digital marketing tools.
- Experience leading teams and managing personnel, budgets, projects and workflows.
- Demonstrated ability to adapt to changes and advances in marketing and communication trends, tools and technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as part of a leadership team and effectively with colleagues across units and levels of an organization.
- Demonstrable commitment to collaborative and respectful learning and working environments that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming.
This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
Preferred (Special Qualifications)
- Knowledge of Oregon State University's mission and strategic goals, and ability to articulate the role of communications and marketing at a central and unit (e.g., division/college) level in advancing those.
- Experience with digital content and marketing-related platforms currently in use at Oregon State University, including Salesforce, Marketing Cloud and Drupal.
- Experience working in or with marketing agencies or in an agency-type model.
- Experience collaborating with distributed or decentralized teams to support enterprise-level goals or priorities.
- Experience in the context of public higher education, and familiarity with the mission of land-grant universities.
- Experience expanding opportunities for people with varying backgrounds, needs, and identities in a professional field or workplace.
Working Conditions/Work Schedule
Infrequent non-standard hours and travel are required to support issue and crisis communications and perform assigned duties at division events and OSU Extension locations statewide and for professional development and service obligations.
The primary work location for this position is the OSU Extension Communications office on OSU's Corvallis campus. However, flexible work may be established via an OSU Flexible Work Arrangement Agreement, with pre-determined periodic reviews of on-going work for continuation of the agreement. This position is expected to work regularly onsite in Corvallis at least two days per week with in-person attendance at other meetings and events as needed.
Benefits
Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
• Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
• Retirement savings paid by the university.
• A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
• Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
• Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
To review posting and apply, go to: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/158920. Apply to posting #P08427UF. For full consideration, applications must be received by September 11, 2024. Closes September 25, 2024. OSU is an AA/EOE/Vets/Disabled.