Director of Digital Strategy Details

Director of Digital Strategy

Antioch University - Yellow Springs, OH

Employment Type : Full-Time

Position Overview
Under the direction of the Executive Director of University Marketing and in collaboration with the entire Antioch University marketing team, the Marketing Director for Digital Strategy is responsible for implementing marketing strategies to support enrollment goals and retention efforts, as well as to protect and enhance the University’s overall brand and reputation. The Marketing Director for Digital Strategy is a highly motivated, proven leader with experience and a passion for designing exceptional user experiences, creating modern website strategies, designing and planning interactive digital engagement, building brand awareness, executing compelling content strategies, and implementing social media campaigns.

In addition, the Marketing Director will ensure a secure, reliable, vibrant and interactive online presence for Antioch University across all of its campuses and central administrative office through oversight of a robust system of websites running on the Wordpress platform integrated with a variety of modern interactive software platforms. This includes ensuring the website’s effectiveness as a tool for student recruitment and marketing, public relations and external communications, and for continually improving user experience.

Essential Job Functions
Web Strategy

• Execute the vision for University websites and related digital marketing capabilities. Ensure a secure, reliable, vibrant and interactive online presence for Antioch University across its programs through oversight of a robust website running on the WordPress platform. This includes ensuring the website’s effectiveness as a tool for student recruitment and marketing, public relations and external communications, and for continually improving the user experience.
• Deeply understand the market and the customers. Monitor and analyze current market conditions and competitor information. Remain current on emerging trends and implement strategies for the adoption of new technologies and techniques aimed at increasing online experience for multiple constituencies.
• Implement and utilize web analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of new and existing features, content, and ROI. Manage web content, ensuring best practices in content strategy, SEO, mobile, content analytics and conversion optimization across digital platforms. Provide reports and analysis and suggest reporting and tracking strategies to improve marketing efficacy and ROI; collect and report data related to traffic, website trends, web server & Google analytics, and social networking media usage.
• Build institution-wide alignment by overseeing the connection between stakeholders and the web team. Transparently communicate priorities and progress, preparing the institution for upcoming changes/releases. Work with the marketing team, vendors, and internal constituents on an ongoing basis to clarify objectives, prioritize projects, and execute ongoing digital ecosystem optimization. Engage with external service providers as needed for website development projects. Maximize the value of the work delivered by the web team by adhering to project management best practices.
• Marketing Automation. Development, and oversight of HubSpot marketing automation system, including expanding nurture streams, building lead scoring, integration with Salesforce and Wordpress, and reporting.
• Training and coordination. Development and management of a system of governance and editing permissions; development of various training tools, materials and processes; and developing and managing a comprehensive system for proactive online/digital enhancements and reactive web update requests.
• SEO web content. Lead, plan and implement search engine optimization strategies; coordinate with the Content and Communications team for the incorporation of optimized web content.
• Client service. Partner with Marketing Services Manager and Director of Communications & Content in an effort to ensure accuracy of printed and online marketing messaging related to academic programs for prospective students.
• Web accessibility. Ensure continuous improvement, best practices, and compliance in website accessibility. Work with University Legal Counsel, DSS URG, expert consultants and others to improve website accessibility. Provide resources to the AU community related to website best practices.

Marketing & Social Media

• Work collaboratively. Coordinates with Antioch University Executive Director of Marketing and the entire marketing team to develop and execute comprehensive marketing and social media plans to drive enrollment. This includes establishing short- and long-term goals, evaluating for effectiveness, and recommending changes for optimization.
• Social media strategy. Partner with marketing colleagues to develop and support a University-wide social media strategy; provide reports and analysis in relation to overall brand engagement, marketing efficacy, and ROI; make recommendations for process improvement and opportunities. Create and distribute best practices training materials.
• Broadcast communications strategy. Partner with colleagues across the EM function, as well as faculty, staff, and others, to develop and manage an integrated broadcast communications strategy focused on lead development and nurturing using HubSpot, TargetX, and other technologies.
• Admissions activity and event management and broadcast e-mail in TargetX CRM. Partner with CRM Administrator to align with AU web properties and communications aligned with web content. Build and maintain inquiry forms using FormAssembly and other tools.

Team Management

• Staff Supervisor and Leadership. Leads, develops, and evaluates Digital Strategy and Web staff members, work study students, and contracted team members. Directs and supervises day-to-day activities of the team, with a goal of delivering projects in a timely, efficient and cost-effective manner. Hire and manage vendors as required for web projects.
• Vendor Management. Build and manage relationships with vendors; assign projects, oversee work and project delivery.

Other

• Coordinate web landing page development with ad agencies.
• New program launch POC for Digital Strategy team.
• Participate in ad hoc committees as needed/required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in related field is required.
• Qualified candidate will have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in strategic marketing, communications, or advertising, 3 of which include website design and development, and experience in the WordPress platform. Experience within a higher education setting strongly preferred.
• Experience in an enrollment marketing environment; experience with successfully creating and implementing university brand awareness, integrated marketing campaigns, media strategy and website management, knowledge of trends and best practices in marketing and public relations as well as communications technology is highly preferred.
• Experience with landing page creation and user experience optimization.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of current and emerging website development best practices and trends
• Thorough and demonstrated knowledge of social media applications including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and emerging social media platforms
• Familiarity with social media, web, and marketing automation monitoring and analytics resources, trends, and best practices
• Expertise in planning, prioritizing, and goal setting, including the ability to manage multiple projects, determine project urgency, create detailed action plans, and organize schedules and tasks
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including experience with project management tools, preferably Wrike; ability to meet deadlines; excellent written, verbal, interpersonal. and presentation skills and the ability to effectively partner with senior management, faculty, board, and staff
• An excellent communicator, a high-energy self-starter and individual
• Expertise in designing optimal website user experiences using wireframing, user flows, and prototyping.
• Design expertise in information architecture, visual design and interactive experience design
• Expert WordPress experience; familiarity with responsive design, mobile web solutions, and CSS; general database experience; general understanding of PHP, HTML, and APIs; understanding of accessibility requirements for websites
• Intermediate experience with HubSpot and marketing automation best practices
• Online service management and administration, including client support, project management, database management, analytics reporting, and experience with SEO and SEM
• Ability to contribute individually and lead, manage and participate in collaborative initiatives and cross-functional teams
• Familiarity with Antioch University’s mission, programs, and brand preferred

Hours of Employment

This is a full-time position serving a national university. A work schedule will be established in consultation with the supervisor. The typical work week is Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week with occasional evening and/or weekend hours.

Work Location
Office location TBD; position may be located at a campus or remote.

Physical Requirements
While performing the duties of this job, the staff member is regularly required to sit, stand, use hands and fingers, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The individual must regularly lift and/or carry up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Requires daily use of computer and other standard office equipment.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualified Applicants should submit a cover-letter, resume/CV and three business references when applying.

Antioch University reserves the right to change the duties of the job description at any time.
Antioch University provides equal opportunity for all qualified applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, family status, or disability in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs.