Marketing & Communications Specialist (HR Title: Marketing Specialist I)

Southern Methodist University - Dallas, TX

Full-time - Entry Level

Dallas, TX

10,001+ employees

Educational Services

About the position

The Marketing & Communications Specialist for Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences at Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a pivotal role that supports the largest and most diverse academic unit on campus. This position is integral to the development and execution of the marketing and communications strategy for Dedman College, which includes managing the college's website and ensuring effective communication with both internal and external audiences. The specialist will report directly to the Assistant Dean of Recruiting, Scholarships, and Communications, and will collaborate closely with various departments, institutes, and recruiting colleagues across the university. In this role, the specialist will be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the Dedman College website, which involves creating, managing, and implementing the college's marketing and communications strategy. This includes social media management, content development, and the production of visual materials. The specialist will also be tasked with writing and editing content for newsletters, email blasts, web pages, and campus digital signage, ensuring that all communications adhere to the university's editorial and visual style guidelines. The position requires strong communication skills to effectively engage with partners across campus and to promote the undergraduate degree programs offered by Dedman College. Essential functions of the role include developing a comprehensive marketing and communications plan, analyzing data to identify trends and new marketing opportunities, and overseeing the approval process for content on the Sitecore platform. The specialist will also be responsible for maintaining a content calendar for all printed and digital materials, ensuring timely updates and consistency across all platforms. This position is on-campus and requires in-person collaboration with various stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain marketing and communications plans for all departments within Dedman College.
• Oversee the day-to-day maintenance of the Dedman College website.
• Create, manage, and implement the college's marketing and communications strategy.
• Execute and maintain social media content and support blog/news and event initiatives.
• Engage in digital marketing, content creation, and graphic design for both print and digital formats.
• Create and maintain a content calendar for all printed and digital materials, including website updates.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree is required.
• A minimum of one year of experience in marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism, creative writing, communications, English, or a related field is required.
• Experience writing and contributing content for communications is strongly preferred, with three years of experience highly preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills to engage with a wide range of constituencies.
• Ability to articulate complex ideas effectively in writing and verbally.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to devise solutions to challenges.
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially MS Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, is required.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Teams, Adobe Creative Suite, and web content management systems, preferably Sitecore, WordPress, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, is highly desirable.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of web content maintenance, graphic design, social media, and/or video editing platforms is desirable.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans.
• Wide range of wellness programs to support employee health.
• Retirement programs that benefit employees and their families.
• Access to professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.