The Division of Marketing & Communications (MarComm) aims to strengthen DU’s strategic position locally, regionally, and nationally through data-driven and authentic storytelling across multiple channels with focused support on the university’s value drivers: academics and research; enrollment and admissions, athletics, and advancement. Whether through public or media relations, digital strategies, social media, print, podcast, issues or crisis management, community relations or thought leadership and training, MarComm drives results through narratives that involve words, pictures, and design. With true understanding of and connection with our diverse audiences, we aim to foster collaborative problem solving, creativity and innovation. MarComm strives to speak with a unified, authentic, and resonant voice to strategically advance the University of Denver’s brand by focusing on the following priorities: 

1. Promoting and protecting DUs reputation
2. Inspiring students to enroll and engage  
3. Increasing equity and inclusion 
4. Strengthening the University 

MarComm’s mission, vision and values make it imperative that everyone in our community feels safe and included. The participation and input of all members should be valued and respected, while every voice should have the opportunity to be heard. The division’s community-created, shared sense of belonging definition is, “a shared sense of belonging in MarComm means building a collaborative, trusting community where we feel and are safe, valued, and appreciated being ourselves as we contribute to something meaningful.” Our collective achievements are enhanced by the open exchange of ideas – particularly when diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences are embraced. 

Position Summary

The Content Marketing Manager (CMM) is responsible for managing the development and distribution of strategic content and storytelling in line with DU’s brand pillars across multiple platforms and formats, extending the reach and efficacy of the University’s brand messages, and contributing to a rise in overall reputation and brand recognition of the University and drive reputation, recruitment and revenue growth. As a member of the university’s marketing team, this collaborative position interfaces with the unit marketing, communications, creative, operations/finance and digital teams, as well as the university’s agencies and internal campus partners to ensure the successful delivery and placement of a heavy schedule of short- and long-term content marketing projects and campaigns and provides day-to-day oversight to advance the University’s branded social media channels and video marketing program.
Reporting directly jointly to the Director of Brand Marketing and Director of Strategic Storytelling, the CMM will actively collaborate with colleagues to evaluate the perception of DU’s brand in the marketplace and content marketing efforts to advise leadership on adjustments to strategy and implementation. Additionally, the CMM will provide consultation for campus partners and collaborate with unit leadership to refine processes, manage projects/timelines, and ensure excellent customer service to campus stakeholders.
This role blends the art of strategic content creation and curation with the science of audience understanding and channel distribution strategy. The CMM is skilled in all things related to strategic content creation in a variety of mediums and formats, channel strategy development and optimization, brand consistency and messaging, multimedia segmentation and localization, analytics and reporting results. The success of this role is measured by the continual improvement of metrics related to audience perception, engagement, affinity and conversion.

Essential Functions

Assist unit leadership by managing the successful execution of content, social and video marketing as well as select marketing initiatives in the following ways: 

• Contribute to the creation a content marketing strategy that achieves four primary goals: amplifies and extends the reach, visibility and impact of the DU brand, messaging and storytelling; increases organic traffic to and engagement with key content on a variety of platforms; attracts potential students, donors and others to DU through thought leadership and education; and develops high-value brand content that leads to high-value outcomes
• Oversee as lead (PM) and contribute to the subsequent conception, development, production and distribution of impactful content marketing showcasing DU’s differentiators in a variety of forms, including but not limited to social media, video, podcasts, webpages, emails, infographics, print, slide decks, event materials, experiential/AR displays, blogs, SMS, etc.
• Co-create and manage a division-wide content calendar, taking into consideration the University’s goals, division priorities, industry cyclical timing and momentum, audience motivators, and channel best practices
• Develop content tailored specifically to audience personas/segments, conversion funnels and user journeys to shape perceptions and increase content stickiness, engagement and conversion rates
• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) regarding DU’s pillars and voice, providing guidance on how to utilize them effectively to create compelling content
• Manage the central social, underwriting and video marketing programs, including establishing and sustaining a regular schedule and cadence of development, distribution and evaluation in these areas
• Work with Web & Digital Experience Manager to analyze, optimize and ultimately increase SEO/organic and referral traffic to key content
• Create and execute communication plans, creative briefs, and other internal guiding documents
• Coordinate the work of cross-functional teams and vendors responsible for high-quality deliverables, utilizing PM software and contributing to unit’s overarching production schedule
• Serve as lead for central support of signature events, capitalizing on these opportunities to shape experiences, create memories, gather quality content and further the brand
• Write and edit content for variety of mediums
• Implement ways to re-purpose and leverage content for maximum impact
• Identify required lead times, approval protocols and resource needs for managed initiatives
• Assist in presenting of work to key approvers
• Determine best practices for evergreen/always-on content
• Work with content creators as needed to develop, revise, monitor, and evolve their creations for brand, search, user experience and channel needs

Contribute to the ongoing improvement of university marketing efforts by: 

• Providing guidance and feedback to team members to develop their strengths, increase their impact, and meet DU needs
  in collaboration with directors and SME colleagues, documenting and maintaining SOPs, systems and standards for requesting, producing, publishing, maintaining, distributing, repurposing, retrieving and retiring strategic content
  ensuring quality control
• Collaborating with colleagues to implement appropriate digital asset and content management tools
• Tracking KPls and performing after-action reviews (AARs) to measure engagement and conversion rates of content, assess brand’s impact, test and hone each piece, make strategy enhancement recommendations, and optimize content formats and distribution channels
• Developing lightweight, repeatable processes, workflows, and templates to keep the team nimble and successful in a culture that values moving fast and iterating quickly
• Facilitating regular production status meetings with MarComm cross-functional team leads as well as external project stakeholders
  anticipating and reporting problems that may affect project/campaign schedules before they occur
• Monitoring peer/competitor institutions’ content marketing for trends, design concepts and creative approaches to ensure DU stands apart
• Maintaining an in-depth knowledge of content marketing best practices
• Acting as internal liaison and consultant to campus partners as needed
• Developing personal practices for prioritizing requests, effectively balancing managed team workloads, and regularly reporting on
• Content marketing activities, successes and challenges to unit leadership

Contribute to overall unit effort and effectiveness: 

• Identify and act upon opportunities that mutually support unit and institutional goals and objectives
• Sharing expertise and findings with peers based on observation, analytics and survey results
• Leading and/or collaborating on special projects as assigned
• Attending meetings and working with committees
• Continually advancing knowledge and skillsets and sharing lessons learned with colleagues
• Other duties

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to define high level content distribution strategy, supported by industry best practices and University objectives
• Ability to gain editorial consensus by presenting ideas in a clear voice with a strong point-of-view that aligns with brand and University objectives
• Firsthand experience using a variety of marketing and communications mediums, including social media, video, web, environmental, print and email, to create compelling storylines and build affinity as well as analytics software to report on outcomes.
• Experience managing projects involving cross-functional creative teams, namely photography, videography and design, to create compelling content marketing collateral and including visual asset use as part of a comprehensive content strategy
• Extensive experience with social media and using it to shape perception of a brand.
• Experience with traditional media, website and email content management systems, governance, and mapping content across these and other channels
• Experience and enthusiasm for working in a collaborative team environment and demonstrated ability to collaborate and successfully manage projects through positive influence, building and strengthening relationships across a multifaceted organization
• Ability to be flexible with assignments, juggle multiple priorities and campaigns, and learn new skills with an open mind as the opportunity or need arises
• Experience making editorial decisions using data and analytics tools combined with the ability to take a comprehensive and strategic approach to storytelling, tying together big ideas/concepts in ways that engage key audiences and are novel and innovative
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced and complex environments, with the ability to operate independently and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
• Familiarity with performing content gap analysis as well as tying content to desired outcomes and measuring performance to create subsequent recommendations for improvement/growth
• Ability to understand, embrace and demonstrate a commitment to the University of Denver’s vision and mission
• Ability to adapt tone and voice to best leverage different channels and connect with different audiences while remaining within the University’s overarching brand voice
• Must possess excellent writing and grammar skills, along with the general ability to communicate clearly in oral and written form
• Must possess ability to create clear and compelling stories to bring the brand to life, showcase its differentiators through audio, visual and experiences as well as writing and speech.
• Having an authentic commitment to and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and how content marketing and strategy aligns with this commitment
• Ability to see how events and experiences can be shaped to showcase the brand story and create memorable content as well as shape experiences/content utilized at events to further a brand

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• At least 5 years of experience in a content marketing, content strategy and/or a public relations role that includes creation of content for a purpose required
• At least 2 years directly managing social marketing (may overlap with content marketing experience)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience planning and executing strategic marketing and/or communications campaigns
• Project management certification
• Track record of demonstrating initiative in identifying innovative techniques for navigating the modern content landscape and a willingness to learn new techniques to bring a brand to life in real time
• Demonstrable understanding of the higher education market and its key audiences
• Experience using content management systems, content scheduling systems and other distribution tools, including web, email, and customer relationship management/marketing automation systems
• Bilingual capabilities

Working Environment

• The successful incumbent must live or be willing to relocate to the Denver metro. The Division of Marketing & Communications has a flexible work arrangement with its employees, allowing for both community and culture building in office and remote work from home.
• Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and manipulating a computer mouse; frequently required to move for varying lengths of time and travel moderate distances to perform work.
• Regular activities require ability to quickly change priorities which may include and/or are subject to resolution of conflicts.
• Ability to clearly communicate verbally and in writing required to perform essential functions.
• Receives regular managerial review of objectives.
• Collaborates with contracted paid media vendors as well as in-house team and University colleagues for completion of project/program related tasks as needed.
• Some travel as well as occasional weekend or after-hours work will be required to fulfill duties.
• Exposure to all weather conditions (within reason) may occur during creation of strategic content

Physical Activities

• Some lifting may be required to support experience/activation activities.
• Vision and hearing abilities necessary, given audio/visual responsibilities required of the position

Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) March 27, 2023. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is 13.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $85,000 ‐ $95,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:
1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university's complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non‑discrimination‑statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.