Director of Marketing, Design, & Communications (Hybrid Opportunity)

University of Massachusetts - Amherst, MA

Full-time - Director

Amherst, MA

Educational Services

About the position

The Director of Marketing, Communications, and Design for the UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) will manage and lead the planning, design, and strategic implementation of the program's branding, marketing, and media communications. This role will modify and develop the graphic and artistic representation of the program's educational materials, execute social marketing campaigns, and keep the NEP website up to date. The Director will collaborate with regional project leaders, fiscal sponsors, CAFE, and state office staff to provide consistent messaging on behalf of the organization across media platforms that represents program accomplishments and activities, evidence-based nutrition education, and other content related to nutrition and supporting the populations served. The Director will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing plan that engages program participants and creates visibility for the Nutrition Education Program at the local and state level. This includes evaluating and adapting the plan on a yearly basis, managing NEP branding to ensure a consistent and recognizable image, and working collaboratively with team members and community partners to incorporate feedback and current educational nutrition initiatives into media and communication content. Regular visits to programs in the field will be necessary to document activities using photography or video, which can be used in educational and program report materials. In addition, the Director will collaborate with CAFE and NEP state office staff in updating and maintaining the NEP website, curate and compose content for social media sites, and use platform analytics to report on social media and web-based activities. The role also involves supporting the Materials, Evaluation, and Training Manager by ensuring that all program publication materials are visually appropriate and managing publication inventory. The Director will draft an annual marketing and publications budget and compose a monthly internal newsletter for NEP staff. Overall, this position requires a strong commitment to teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness, while supporting the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing plan for the Nutrition Education Program.
• Assist with planning, developing, and implementing evaluation efforts for social marketing related programmatic goals.
• Manage NEP branding to ensure consistent and recognizable media and program materials.
• Collaborate with NEP team members and community partners to incorporate feedback and current educational initiatives into media content.
• Document program activities using photography or video for educational materials and online posting.
• Make recommendations on marketing components to be created by outside vendors or contractors.
• Develop and monitor systems for smooth coordination of NEP communications.
• Advise the team on best practices for communications and public relations.
• Collaborate with CAFE and NEP staff to maintain the NEP website and integrate social media messages.
• Curate and compose content for social media platforms and use analytics to evaluate reach and impact.
• Hire and supervise student interns for content development as needed.
• Ensure all program publication materials are formatted and visually appropriate.
• Draft an annual marketing and publications budget reflecting state-wide program needs.
• Manage publication inventory and procure quotes for services and materials.
• Compose and distribute a monthly internal newsletter for NEP staff.
• Facilitate the translation and reproduction of publications as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Graphic Design, Public Relations, Communications, or related field.
• Over three years of experience in marketing, communications, digital media management, or related experience.
• Minimum of one year of experience with community-based education programs, public assistance programs, or nutrition-related fields.
• Demonstrated skills in marketing strategy, including social/digital media strategies for educational programs.
• Strong project management and communication skills.
• Experience with website management and digital publishing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Canva.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively to accomplish objectives.
• Ability to take photographs and video using provided devices.
• Experience posting professionally on social media platforms.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience developing educational materials for children or low literacy audiences.
• Experience working in a publicly funded agency or government workplace.
• Experience with Cooperative Extension, EFNEP, SNAP-Ed, or health-related program delivery.
• Bi/multi-lingual or experience working with non-English dominant speakers.