Associate Director, Digital Strategy & Content Marketing

The Associate Director, Digital Strategy and Content Marketing, develops and maintains content, messaging, and quality assurance for marketing-related aspects of various digital platforms, channels, and systems while tracking and analyzing performance. This includes CE's student registration system, websites, and publications such as email, paid media, and emerging digital services. With an understanding of and the ability to capture and include a wide array of diverse audiences, this position executes cross-channel marketing projects based on input from the CE marketing and programming teams and with approval from the Director, Marketing and Communications.

Additionally, the Associate Director, Digital Strategy and Content Marketing, will oversee the creation of social media and digital advertising content for all platforms. The position is responsible for the development and integrity of creative copy for advertising and organic content production.

The successful candidate will thrive in a campus environment that is committed to advancing the principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities.

Essential Functions:

• Serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications' primary deputy, providing high-level strategic partnership, decision-making support, and continuity of marketing initiatives across the department.
• Leads CE's digital marketing strategy and infrastructure, overseeing multiple systems (including the registration platform, CRM, website, and paid media) that directly drive enrollment revenue and brand visibility. Serves as the lead for configuring, editing, and maintaining content and messaging on CE's student registration system and websites. Proactively executes operational and production processes for these channels, including, but not limited to, search, SEO, taxonomies, accessibility, and overall performance.
• Manages email marketing campaigns for adult, youth, and custom programs, including campaign strategy, content development, and copywriting (in collaboration with programming and marketing teams), building and scheduling.
• Oversees digital advertising content strategy and development, as well as ad creation and setup, ad placement, landing page development, testing, monitoring, and rigorous measurement and reporting. Stays well-educated on data tracking/analysis tools and other resources available, including but not limited to Google Analytics.
• Serves as the point-person for audience segmentation, list maintenance, and various CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tasks such as prospect tagging, list pulling, audience demographic targeting, and email list hygiene. Implements and proactively optimizes analytics in line with content or testing strategies.
• Reviews and keeps abreast of CE's competitive landscape, peers, and trends. Conducts peer analysis and evaluates for use and implementation for RISD CE. Proactively proposes revisions, as needed, to CE's existing systems and websites, and is also future-focused on emerging systems, trends, and tactics that would more efficiently address Continuing Education marketing and communication challenges.
• Manages quality assurance processes for all marketing communications channels, with an emphasis on CE's course registration system, websites, and digital publications. Conducts testing, proofreading, and other QA efforts on CE channels, ensuring adherence to RISD's editorial and style guidelines and branding.
• Manages and mentors professional staff, as well as student intern(s), directing a growing team responsible for social media, content creation, and digital advertising.
• Acts as a key liaison and subject matter expert across departments and with external partners, translating complex digital strategy into actionable initiatives that enhance CE's operational effectiveness and strategic positioning within RISD and the broader continuing education landscape.

Required Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, or related discipline, or equivalent education and experience.
• Minimum of five years of communications, marketing, and/or digital content management experience.
• Prior experience in web content management on WordPress and Drupal platforms, with basic familiarity with HTML/CSS.
• Experience and proficiency in creative copywriting/proofreading, and email marketing platforms. Ability to write marketing copy and/or develop marketing communications materials.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, analytical, and oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of social media platforms and digital advertising tools (Google, Meta).
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and/or Google Apps required. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and similar software preferred.
• Organized and able to produce quality work in a fast-paced atmosphere.
• Demonstrated commitment to working with a diverse population of students, instructors, and staff and ability to foster and promote an environment of inclusion and respect.

Union:

No

Work Schedule:

35 hours per week; 12 months per year

Employment Status:

Full-time; Exempt; Regular

Grade:

545EX

Work Modality

Hybrid Eligible

Documents Needed to Apply:

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Required)
• Must submit two (2) writing samples as part of the application

Please submit two writing samples of creative copywriting (long and/or short form) such as blog posts, news or promotional articles, social media copy, advertisement headlines/descriptions, or web landing page content. Submit samples as either a PDF or Word Doc.

If you have any questions about the format of your submission, please reach out to humres@risd.edu.

Salary Grade Structure

*Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please upload all required documents.*

The successful candidate will be required to meet our pre-employment background screening requirements.