"Associate Director, Media"

About Drexel University

Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a world‐class, comprehensive, R1 research institution and a global leader in experiential education. For more than 100 years, our renowned Cooperative Education (co-op) program has enabled students to gain professional work experience before they graduate, setting them apart from their peers.

Committed to becoming the nation’s most civically engaged university, Drexel supports engagement along three dimensions: research and academic programs that directly benefit communities, business practices that support equitable local and regional economic development, and public service by students, faculty, and staff. Our engagement is long‐term, multigenerational, and fundamental to the University’s mission, heritage, and future.

At Drexel, we are devoted to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment that promotes healthy lifestyles and is based on integrity, trust, and respect. We center equity, inclusion and belonging, and incorporate an anti‐racism approach to our strategic plan, organizational systems, policies and structures.

Drexel offers its highly engaged faculty and professional staff a comprehensive and world‐class benefits package that includes generous vacation and paid time off as applicable (including civic engagement days), up to an 11% 403(b) Retirement Plan match with immediate vesting, and remote and flexible work options for many roles. Our exceptional medical plans include domestic partner and fertility assistance and our award‐winning A Healthier U wellness program. In addition, faculty and professional staff at Drexel enjoy free tuition for themselves and their dependents for Drexel degree programs, certification, and non‐certification programs. And as part of the tuition offering to employees, Drexel participates in a tuition exchange program for dependents with other higher education institutions. These are just a sample of our extensive benefit offerings. Please see this Benefits Brochure for more information.

Suspension of Drexel University's Contribution into 403(b) Retirement Plan

As communicated on Oct. 10, Drexel University is suspending its contributions to employee retirement plans for calendar year 2025 as part of its multi-year plan to build financial resilience. Drexel is continuing to monitor the situation and will share updates as they become available for calendar year 2026.

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Media — reporting to the Director, Media Marketing — is primarily responsible for executing a centralized University social media strategy that aligns with institutional priorities, including, but not limited to: enrollment; retention; lending visibility to Drexel’s cooperative education program and student experience; industry partnerships; alumni engagement; and brand awareness.

The Associate Director serves as an organic and paid social media resource for the University, juggling organic social media management with the execution of paid marketing initiatives in conjunction with strategists and other personnel within the Division of University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) — connecting the dots between paid media, organic social media, and all points in-between.

The Associate Director will manage the day-to-day marketing and advertising functions carried out by UMAC on behalf of clients across the University. In addition, the Associate Director serves in a guidance capacity to steward advertising strategies in support of enrollment and visibility goals, acts as the liaison between the University and external vendors and agency partners to execute marketing activities, manages multiple social media accounts on behalf of the University, support crisis communications as needed when it relates to social media monitoring, oversees internal and external promotion of selected University events, and produces necessary reports for UMAC.

Occasional weekend and after-hours work are required as needed. This is a Hybrid position working in-person a couple times a week.

Essential Functions

• Create content and effectively run Drexel UMAC-managed social accounts, including Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and/or LinkedIn.
• Maintain a comprehensive social media content calendar to keep track of upcoming important dates and events, content requests, monthly reports, and social copy.
• Monitor channel-specific metrics in the form of a monthly report to show improvements in organic reach and engagement.
• Monitor social media while identifying and escalating noteworthy chatter related to the University brand, crises, local/regional events, and more.
• Develop and refine social listening topics to support social monitoring efforts.
• Work closely with Media Relations and Publications personnel, as well as multiple offices within Enrollment Management & Student Success, Student Life, Alumni Relations, and other Offices to mine, refine, produce, and disseminate engaging content for social channels.
• Use social media platforms to promote and cover events for various University entities.
• Plan and execute marketing strategies in support of information sessions, new programs, events, and other University initiatives.
• Support the University-wide social media working group — providing vision, professional development, and thought leadership to peers from both academic and administrative units.
• Help oversee the advertising services managed by the Division of University Marketing and Communications on behalf of Drexel clients, while also supporting strategists and other team personnel.
• Provide best practice process and production guidelines/support for Clients to set and maintain expectations.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, English or related field, or the equivalent combination of education and work experience. (Please review the Equivalency Chart for additional information.)
• Minimum of 2 years of proven experience in social media management and strategy or related field.
• Experience in audio and video creation, animation, production, graphics, and multimedia software.
• Experience in marketing and advertising activities, including media buying, copywriting, SEO, production management, etc.
• Experience in developing and executing data-driven organic social media content with a strong emphasis in video content.
• Strong time and project management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and client relations skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends several times a year to support admissions-related events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing institutional social media platforms and the requisite analytics suites.
• Experience in CRM Management and Content Management Systems.
• Ability to master a variety of content and project management systems.
• Familiarity with best practices in academic marketing and digital strategy.
• Agency experience in marketing, advertising, or public relations setting.

Location

Hybrid/Flexible Work Arrangement; Philadelphia, PA

Additional Information

This position is classified as Exempt, grade L. Compensation for this grade ranges from $62,630 - $93,950 per year. Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.

Applicants are encouraged to explore the Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on Drexel’s compensation framework. For information about benefits, please review Drexel’s Benefits Brochure.

Special Instructions to the Applicant

Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

A review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.

Advertised: Sep 2 2025 Eastern Daylight Time

Applications close: Oct 2 2025 Eastern Daylight Time