Specialist, Communications

Overview:
**Term: 2 years.**

The Specialist, Communications is a thought-leader and highly capable creator of traditional and digitalcommunications, responsible for multichannel campaigns and initiatives to recruit prospective undergraduatestudents to the University of Waterloo.

Accountable for planning, creating, delivering and evaluating all aspects of traditional and digital campaigns that support on
- and off-campus recruitment initiatives. Playing a leadership role in how undergraduate recruitment at University of Waterloo looks, sounds, and engages with its audiences across multiple platforms - while remaining consistent and complimentary with the overall University brand strategy.

**Responsibilities**:
Planning, Communication and Content Creation
- A key responsibility of the position will be to plan, develop, deliver and evaluate multichannel campaigns to support the reach and amplification of on
- and off-campus recruitment initiatives
- Conduct research to identify MUR/client needs to assist in meeting the university’s undergraduaterecruitment on
- and off-campus objectives via traditional and digital communications activities
- Conduct environmental scans and competitive analyses
- Support with on
- Competitive analyses of traditional and digital campaign approaches at other universities/teen-focused businesses (e.g., messaging, design, platform, metrics, templates, visuals)
- Evaluate the purpose and opportunity within existing traditional and digital platforms and be a studious student of emerging opportunities where our target audience may be gathering
- Responsible for ensuring that MUR and Waterloo brand standards, messaging and style guides are adhered to in all digital communications related to the University of Waterloo
- Support the creation, execution and evaluation of MUR’s Search Engine Marketing (SEM) andsocial media advertising plan in partnership with MUR colleagues
- Monitor and report on metrics for on
- and off-campus event campaigns
- Provide input and advice with respect to establishing budgets for projects and setting production schedules
- Support in maintaining an editorial calendar and cohesive strategy for on
- and off-campus event campaigns and coordinate their use and distribution with MUR colleagues
- Engage the Waterloo and broader community through smart, strategic and timely communicationsto assist with the development and execution of combined content calendars
- Write, build, edit and/or approve traditional and digital communications that align with best practices and search engine optimization (SEO)
- Author briefs (creative, procurement, and leadership approval) for the development of required assets
- Work with photographers, videographers and writers to source, identify/repurpose stories forstorytelling on digital platforms
- Ensure excellence and consistency in all communications
- Support the delivery of key undergraduate student recruitment messages within traditional and digital initiatives produced by MUR and more broadly across campus

Training and Support
- Provide training, support and materials for campus partners in:

- Waterloo Content Management System
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social media
- Best practices: writing for traditional and digital platforms
- Provide day-to-day leadership and guidance to colleagues within and outside of MUR relating to on
- and off-campus event reach and amplification

Collaboration and Outreach
- Develop positive relationships within and among MUR and its primary stakeholders, and identify opportunities for internal collaboration and consultation with key departments such as University Relations, Student Success Office, Housing, Athletics, etc.

Other
- Participate in MUR recruitment events and in the administration of specific RO department-wideresponsibilities, including convocation, examinations, and such other general and specific duties asmay from time to time be determined

Qualifications:

- University degree in business, communications, advertising, marketing, media studies, or equivalentcombination of education and experience.
- 4+ years of experience in marketing and communications
- 2+ years of experience in content creation for traditional and digital marketing/communications
- 2+ years of experience in project management
- Proven ability and experience in remaining engaged and knowledgeable of emerging traditional and digital communications, analytics, and technology popular among studentaudiences.
- Experience in website management and development, including an understanding of best practicesin information architecture, navigation, user interface, usability, accessibility standards, SEO andtesting
- Essential: excellent written and oral communications skills, with a solid knowledge of both English grammar and the specialized requirements associated with writing for the web and other digital media.
- Thorough command of digital marketing (from the evolving social web to mobile tools and trends