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Senior Director, Digital Communications

Job no: 502278

College / VP Area:Communication & Marketing

Work type: Staff

Categories: Communications & Public Relations, Full Time

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Pay Grade: 33E

Context of the Job:

The Office of Communications & Marketing (OCM) has a University-wide responsibility for communications with faculty, staff and students, for providing media relations expertise to all segments of the campus and for delivering the University's message to the general public, alumni and other special constituent groups beyond the campus, including print, broadcast, social and digital media. OCM serves as the major dissemination point for information about the University.

Under the direction of the Vice President of OCM, the Senior Director, Digital Communications is primarily responsible for leading the overall strategy for the University of Delaware's main digital platforms including the main external-facing website, @UDelaware social media accounts, paid digital marketing, and the UDconnect app. This role relies heavily on content specialists throughout the organization and leads content efforts for the main digital platforms by building, repurposing, amplifying, and delivering interactive, multimedia-driven content. This responsibility also encompasses careful coordination of user experience, digital design, accessibility best practices, web development and production across platforms.

The Senior Director, Digital Communications oversees the day-to-day management of the University of Delaware's social media presence, including the oversight of UD's main social media accounts, which reach an audience of upwards of 500,000 followers monthly. Responsibilities include setting brand standards for digital storytelling and multimedia marketing integrations to ensure the campus community presents content, such as video, animation, photo, graphics, etc., consistently within the brand experience to advance University goals. As Senior Director, this role requires the ability to make informed decisions with autonomous leadership and collaborative professionalism.

The Senior Director, Digital Communications, develops digital content strategies. This includes coordinating comprehensive digital content plans across channels with units across campus; creating, monitoring, and analyzing multimedia marketing campaigns - both paid and organic - to support the University's mission; and monitoring all relevant social media chatter to advise on and lead the social media management regarding potential public relations issues.

The Senior Director, Digital Communications, also has supervisory responsibilities, including direct oversight of the Director of Digital Experience and Digital Marketing Manager. The Senior Director coordinates digital brand storytelling, bridges online/offline experiences, coordinates homepage content strategy, and coordinates and coordinates social media coverage, strategy, development, and execution. In addition, the Senior Director helps OCM staff learn and develop competencies in web development, social media, app project management and user-experience.

As a senior member of the OCM leadership team, the Senior Director heavily engages with OCM peers in setting strategy and advising on crisis response. The Senior Director is also responsible for an active program of campuswide engagement and development of policies, standards and best practices with staff across the University who are responsible for digital channels and content. Cross-training among the digital team and colleagues in media relations, public safety, and student life are necessary to help to ensure a coordinated approach.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

+ Develop multimedia communication concepts from ideation (storyboarding) to execution and delivery of final product (asset) to feedback gathering for process and content improvement.

+ Use research and analytics to guide University brand content strategy.

+ Develop standards, best practices and workflows for the creation, management, maintenance, and governance of digital content.

+ Oversee UD's content management system (currently Adobe Experience Manager), which includes 100+ users.

+ Research emerging digital and multimedia platforms to develop strategies and best practices for implementation University-wide.

+ Serve as a member of the crisis management team, assisting with social media listening, response and communication. Develop strategies and communications to proactively manage areas at risk of crisis as well as reactive messaging to use as needed.

+ Set standards and provide guidance to all administrative units, colleges, and professionals within OCM regarding the creation of multimedia content strategies in line with the University's target audiences by platform and in accordance with relevant policies. Drive and manage necessary approvals through OCM.

+ Lead the management of the University's presence on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok. Oversee and develop social media workshops for employees.

+ Oversee the campuswide Social Media Group, which consists of 100+ employees representing UD on any social media account. Review and approve, as appropriate with the unit's communication liaison, all new account requests, provide training to social media account admins and see that UD branding standards and social media best practices are adhered to by all accounts.

+ Develop unique content and strategies for digital outlets, including executing contests, campaigns, offline/online brand experiences, trivia and polls.

+ Develop, manage and execute on OCM's paid digital marketing budget in conjunction with Admissions and other relevant units.

+ Monitor UD social media accounts, compiling weekly, monthly and quarterly reports on metrics for profiles and developing best practices and future strategies, as well as providing other multimedia specialists, digital content specialists and social media managers with training to produce their own reports, ensuring accountability for annual account reviews.

+ Manage the Social Media Ambassadors program; restructuring the program as needed to meet goals; assigning projects to students as well as coverage for stories and events; developing and filtering content; and leading and coordinating monthly meetings and training sessions as well as working with the Multimedia Specialist and Digital Content Specialist to organize volunteers for events, such as Athletics events, Commencement, Homecoming, Alumni Weekend and other activities utilizing central social media accounts.

+ Create digital campaigns and work with units across campus to integrate digital media and online/offline brand experiences into existing events, e.g., New Student Orientation and 1743 Welcome Days, Homecoming, Commencement, Alumni Weekend.

+ Lead, coordinate and, often, staff OCM-sponsored social media events.

+ Ensure that all materials meet established University standards of appearance, content, and style.

+ Prepare, edit, format, and write online pieces related to digital content curation, including articles, UDaily stories, press releases and announcements.

+ Act as an advisor to the media relations team, coordinating social listening efforts to monitor conversations about the University, prominent UD voices online, emerging issues, and general sentiment.

+ Lead or assist with special projects coordinated by OCM, as needed.

+ Serve as liaison to other key campus partners such as the Office of the General Counsel to ensure adherence to necessary laws, and IT to align technology platforms, strategies and support.

+ Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

+ Bachelor's degree in English, journalism, communications, marketing or related field and seven years of related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

+ Experience in digital/social media management with supervisory responsibilities.

+ Writing and editing experience as well as effective web authoring skills and familiarity with a wide range of web applications.

+ Knowledge and familiarity with online communications vehicles, including e-mail, web communications and social media.

+ Experience developing and executing social media outreach strategies to drive external audience engagement.

+ Proficient in developing multimedia storytelling packages with preferred skills in video production and editing with standard software.

+ Photography and digital photo editing experience preferred.

+ Experience working with nonprofit communications, especially advancement communications preferred.

+ Ability to evaluate and edit the content, structure, and format of a range of written material.

+ Knowledge of editorial and ethical standards for the research and development of journalistic articles and/or presentations.

+ Experience managing employees, coordinating across units with various employees and motivating interns, volunteers and/or students.

+ Collaboration skills to work effectively with others on problem-solving and provide thought leadership in the digital/social media space to effectively advance projects and programs.

+ Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

+ Ability to work well under tight deadlines with crisis response experience.

+ Knowledge of University policies and procedures and faculty resources preferred.

+ Skill in the use of personal computers and related software applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

+ Ability to work effectively, manage partner expectations and interact with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.

Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

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