Director, Digital Communications at The University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Department

Hum Staff: Div Admin PA - Communications Admin



About the Department

The Division of the Humanities comprises 19 degree programs across 16 departments and committees, with approximately 800 students from around the world enrolled in PhD, MFA, and MA programs, 200 tenure-track faculty, 150 other academics, 135 staff, 300+ student employees, and numerous visitors and temporary employees. Students and faculty dedicate themselves to the thoughtful consideration of humanity's place in the world. This dedication is displayed through interdisciplinary centers and programs as well as workshops on diverse themes ranging from political theory to contemporary art to animal studies. Staff play a vital role in the day-to-day functions and success of the Division.



Job Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Strategic Communications, the Director of Digital Communications plays a pivotal role within the Division of Arts and Humanities Communications team. The Director of Digital Communications will create and implement the strategy for all digital properties owned by the Division, and provide collaborative leadership and strategy for digital communications managed by the departments, programs, and other units housed within the division.


The Director of Digitial Communications will have a record of demonstrated success building effective communications infrastructure by leveraging in-depth knowledge and expertise in digital communincations technologies, strategies, and best practices, including web, social, direct mail, and emerging digital communications platforms. The Director of Digital Communications will create and execute strategies that engage a broad range of audiences to make vivid and clear how the work of scholars and practitioners in the arts and humanities contributes to UChicago's field-defining research and creative production; how the arts and humanities live at the heart of the transformative UChicago experience; and the ways in which the arts and humanities at UChicago contribute to local, national, and global understandings of the significance and impact of humanistic and artistic inquiry.


The Director of Digital Communications will work in close collaboration with colleagues across the division and the university community to survey, articulate, and execute best practices and processes to produce digital channels and platforms whose excellence is commensurate with the world-class community of scholars and practitioners in the division. Essential components of the Director's work includes demonstrations of best-in-class digital communications; fluency in collecting and using audience data and analytics to drive divisional program and event goals; and elevating the visibility of the Division to internal and external audiences through an integrated suite of channels.


Applicants must include all required application documents listed in the job posting to be considered.



Responsibilities

• Collaborates with the Associate Director, Programming and Communications to maintain the Division's website, direct mail, and social media channels.


• Leads the re-launch and management of the Divisional website, direct mail, and social media initatives.


• Partners with the Executive Director of Strategic Communications and the Associate Director, Programming and Communications to maintain brand consistency across all digital communications, including visual identity, voice, and best practices.


• Reviews, reports out, and refines the strategy and execution for an integrated suite of digital communication channels and platforms. Makes recommendations and implements enhancements to optimize user engagement, improve platform performance, align with organizational goals, and adapt to emerging technologies and trends.


• Partners with Humanities Computing and Executive Director of Strategic Communications to monitor performance and key metrics to continuously improve messaging, engagement, and targeting to grow and better interact with the Division's audiences.


• Identifies the occasion and strategic value ofhiring external vendors to help deliver key communications delieverables. Manages and evaluates the work of external vendors.


• Develops marketing communications, advertising, or publicity strategies across digital properties.


• Plans and coordinates the development and production of digital marketing campaigns, ensuring deadlines and budgets are met.


• Provides collaborative leadership and strategy for all digital communications managed by units across the Division.


• Collaborates with other communicators across the Division and the University to maximize the impact of digital communications initiatives.


• Provides leadership and guidance for emerging digital marketing initiatives to increase audience size and engagement, including audience development, paid or owned social campaigns, and event promotion.


• Partners with the Director of Recruitment, Dean of Students Office, to grow, engage, and assess our outreach to prospective students in the Division's graduate degree programs.


• Provides strategic guidance and leadership to the Associate Director, Programming and Communications, ensuring effective coordination of digital communications and the execution of best practices. Focus on supporting event promotion, broadcast management, content archiving, and distribution to achieve organizational objectives.


• Develops, plans, and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or point of view.


• Makes contributions to the media interface, including writing press releases, planning and organizing media coverage for major events, and crafting responses to sensitive or controversial issues.


• Solves moderate to complex problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit. Develop and ensure execution of strategies that increase effectiveness of communications; create metrics to drive evaluation of effectiveness.


• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications




Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.



Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.



Certifications:




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Preferred Qualifications




Experience:

• Digital communications experience, including public relations, marketing, direct mail, journalism, digital storytelling, website management, and social media.


• Demonstarted excellence building collaborative and effective communications infrastructure for an organization.


• Demonstarted excellence providing collaborative leadership within and across a large and multi-tiered organization.


• Represent a brand via social channels, including LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.


• Create and oversee paid digital campaigns for targeted audiences, with understanding of targeting, split testing, and different ad formats.


• Demonstrated success at a mission-driven institution.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Skilled with multiple CMS platforms and web hosting providors.


• Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and working in close collaboration with web developers.


• Proficiency in Microsoft office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).


• Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and other graphic design programs.

Preferred Competencies

• Articulate the importance and impact of the arts and humanities within higher education and public life.


• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.


• Resourcefulness, creativity, detail-orientation, and work independently.


• Effectively multi-task under deadlines and ask questions.


• Work effectively and collaboratively across all levels of the organization.


• Demonstrated excellent customer service skills.


• Take on additional duties as assigned.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)


• Cover Letter, including your interest in this position (required)


• Three References Contact Information (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.



Job Family

Communications



Role Impact

Individual Contributor



Scheduled
Weekly Hours

37.5



Drug Test Required



No



Health Screen Required



No



Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required



No



Pay Rate Type

Salary



FLSA Status

Exempt



Pay Range

$79,000.00 - $92,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.



Benefits Eligible

Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.



Posting Statement



The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.


Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.


We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.


All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.


The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Apply Now