"Marketing & Communications Strategist"

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Job Title

Marketing & Communications Strategist

Job ID

64534

Location

Central Campus

Open Date

08/08/2024

Job Type

Limited Term (>12 months)

Close Date

08/21/2024

Employee Group

Unifor Unit 1, Staff

Favorite Job

Department

Outreach

Salary Grade/Band

Grade 9

Salary Range

$29.51 - $45.60 (hourly)

Contract Duration

13.2 Months

Hours per Week

35

Posting Details

Schedule Monday - Friday; 8:30 - 4:30 (hybrid)

Education Level Bachelor's Degree

Career Level Minimum of 3 years relevant experience

Job Description

About The Faculty

Ranked among the top engineering schools in Canada and worldwide, the Faculty of Engineering is on a mission to empower agile and globally conscious leaders in engineering who collaborate to create a brighter future.  The Faculty is at the forefront of transforming engineering education, transitioning from traditional lecture methods to a project-based, hands-on learning approach. Our graduates emerge as resilient professionals, armed with invaluable skills and experiences from Ontario's second-largest co-op program, unparalleled research opportunities—the most extensive offered by any Canadian engineering program—and a multitude of clubs, teams, and projects. 

Our community, comprising 265 dedicated staff, 220 esteemed faculty members, 7,600 undergraduate students, and 1,300 graduate students, is drawn to the Faculty of Engineering for its vision of being leaders in advancing engineering for global change. Our commitment is steadfast to cultivating a respectful atmosphere where everyone feels they belong, student success is central to all we do, and we are meaningfully reshaping an engineering field into one that reflects a diverse and inclusive society.  

About The Position  

The Faculty of Engineering is seeking a Marketing and Communications Strategist to join the Outreach team to develop and implement comprehensive marketing and communication initiatives to support the recruitment of both undergraduate and graduate students. This role involves managing, maintaining and utilizing our CRM to ensure data integrity, and the efficient promotion and tracking of recruitment initiatives. The successful candidate will oversee a significant international recruitment paid media campaign. Additionally, they will coordinate and develop both digital and print marketing and communications projects for prospective undergradate and graduate students and applicants, including email campaigns, student recruitment publications, website content, and social media activities. The strategist will also develop strong working relationships with key internal and external individuals and groups to promote the Faculty of Engineerings’ activities and programs effectively. 

Job Summary:

Responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating effective marketing and communication program strategies and managing the Faculty’s Website Development project, to promote the programs, services, events, and workshops provided by the department. 

Purpose and Key Functions:

• Oversee the development and content strategy of the department website.

• Develop annual marketing and communications strategies in consultation with others.

• Develop, manage, and evaluate the visual identity and branding for the department through the use of effective marketing and communication strategies.

• Ensure marketing initiatives are communicated and understood by others and that they are in compliance with the University’s branding policy and other relevant procedures and guidelines.

• Develop guidelines and policies to ensure the consistency of messaging and standards as it relates to the marketing and communication strategy.

• Design, prepare, and distribute online and print collateral.

• Develop and conduct surveys and facilitate focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented marketing and communication strategies.

• Develop strong working relationships with key contacts and stakeholders within the internal and external community for the purpose of promoting the activities and programs of the department.

• Make recommendations on the schedule of activities and events for purposes of effective and integrated promotion.

• Make recommendations pertaining to the appropriate level of use for mass communication strategies including, but not limited to, email, e-cards, social media platforms and other marketing initiatives.

• Write business plans which include the development of communication and strategic plans and objectives.

• Write articles and publications to promote activities, events, and programs.

• Coordinate, review, and edit all web content to ensure the quality of content.

• Coordinate and manage all marketing and promotional initiatives including, but not limited to, all print material, website, social media and public media presence.

• Coordinate and write the department's annual report and accomplishments.

• Establish work priorities and schedule the necessary resources for plan implementations.

• Establish and maintain high quality professional standards for all related output from the department.

• Develop and monitor the marketing and communications budget.

• Provide recommendations on the financial and staff resources required to support the implementation of marketing plans.

• Respond to inquiries and provide advice to others regarding marketing, communications, social media and print publications.

• Develop and deliver presentations to promote programs and activities.

• Provide support in the recruitment, retention, and engagement strategy for casual staff.

• Liaise with media, advertising and professional print and web designers.

• Respond to media inquiries through various mediums.

• Participate on committees related to marketing, communications, and branding within the organization.

• Research best practices and effective marketing and outreach trends. 

Supervision:

• Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time. 

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.

• 2-year Community College diploma in Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field of study.

• Requires 3 years of relevant experience. 

Assets:

• Demonstrated ability in relationship development and project management, with a high degree of diplomacy.

• Strong knowledge of marketing, branding and strategic communications.

• Leverage strong verbal and written communication skills to further develop the relationships between the design vendor, project team and community stakeholders.

• Able manage timelines, communications, critical paths, resources and project organization overall to ensure requirements and deliverables dates are clearly communicated and executed.

• Experience working on website development with a variety of content management systems such as WordPress.

• Understanding and experience with creating online content with a focus on the user experience.

• Excellent analytical skills, including ability to amalgamate data from multiple sources (e.g. Google Analytics) to evaluate success.

• Experience working in higher education and on website redevelopment projects are assets.

• Experience facilitating effective dialog between the user community and technical staff.

• Previous experience working on a software/technology project, including coordinating with a development team to determine technical approaches and technical risks for project testing.

• Strategic and creative mindset.

• Great attention to detail.

• Strong skills in collaboration and respect to diverse backgrounds, experiences and styles.

• Able to work on multiple projects, prioritize content, and manage time autonomously.

• Strong computer skills using Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite.

Additional Information:

• Web content development and content management 
• Superior communication skills, with the ability to write in both professional and creative tones as required, and the ability to write effectively and persuasively in multiple mediums 
• Experience using evidence-based decision making to develop, coordinate, write, and edit materials
• Demonstrated analytical, critical, and creative thinking and writing abilities
• Technical skills including knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office, Google Analytics, Microsoft Dynamics (Marketing) and other software used in the communication and marketing profession.
• Self-motivation, organization and the ability to multi-task and prioritize jobs to meet established deadlines
• Experience managing paid media campaigns
• Experience within the higher education sector
• Experience in writing audience-based persuasive copy for email and the web
• Knowledge of the international student recruitment process, relevant messaging for multiple audiences, and experience communicating with international students
• A thorough understanding of McMaster’s brand standards and key messaging
• Familiarity with McMaster administrative systems (especially MOSAIC); proficiency in spreadsheet and database applications and ability to analyze data for strategic planning purposes

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your cover letter and resume online. 

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

• Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
• Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
• School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

to communicate accommodation needs.

Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Interview Experience

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to talent@mcmaster.ca or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.