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SalaryThe Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission.
BASIC FUNCTION:
Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Marketing, the Director ofDigital Strategy and Social Media provides broad support for Howard University’s digital brand strategy including digital campaigns (paid, social and retargeting tactics), business intelligence/reporting (KPIs, and Social Media initiatives. The position assists the AVP with thought-leadership and management of the University’s digital marketing Strategy and positioning. The primary responsibilities include managing Howard’s flagship Social Media channels, facilitating content generation and management, leading key digital initiatives, paid digital media support and organization including measurement and KPI dashboard tracking.
SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY:
Supervises the Social Media strategist and vendors for digital marketing functions.
NATURE AND SCOPE:
Internal contacts include faculty, staff, administrators, students and University executives. External contacts include vendors and alumni.
PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES:
The successful candidate will develop and execute comprehensive digital marketing strategies to enhance the brand visibility of Howard University. She/he will oversee the creation and management of engaging Social Media campaigns, content, and community engagement that fosters meaningful connections with the target audience. Additionally, this person will analyze data and key performance indicators to refine strategies, optimize digital marketing efforts, and drive traffic to flagship channels and sources.
- Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy to create, curate, and distribute relevant and valuable content across various digital channels.
- Strategic Planning: Develop and refine the organization’s Digital Strategy, aligning it with the overall goals of the University and division. This includes setting clear objectives, identifying target audiences, and defining key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success. Stay abreast of changes in the marketing environment and forecast future trends to serve best the goals and objectives; adjusts plans and strategies accordingly.
- Social Media Management: Develop and manage Social Media strategies to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive traffic and conversions.
- Data Analytics: Monitor and analyze key performance metrics to evaluate the success of Digital initiatives and make data-driven decisions to improve the strategy continually.
- Audience Segmentation: Analyze customer data to segment the target audience(s) effectively. Tailor different strategies for different customer segments to improve engagement and conversion rates.
- SEO and SEM: Optimize the organization’s online presence for search engines through search engine optimization (SEO) and manage search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns to improve visibility and drive traffic
- Budget Management: Develop and manage budgets for digital marketing and advertising campaigns, ensuring cost-effectiveness and a positive return on investment (ROI).
- Innovation: Stay updated on emerging technologies and industry best practices to keep the Digital Strategy up-to-date and competitive.
- Creates opportunities to educate about best practices for digital alignment with campus stakeholders
- Manages agency and vendor partners in building and protecting the University’s brand.
- Manages the Social Media Strategist and student Social Media positions
- Performs other duties as assigned.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
- Demonstrated record of progressive leadership roles within large, highly complex organizations in higher education or related non-profit organizations
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
- Knowledge of comprehensive content development across platforms
- Experience successfully leveraging various digital platforms to advance organizational institutional priorities and messaging
- Demonstrated record of creating innovative content and materials that resonate with audiences while advancing organizational goals
- A sophisticated understanding of Digital audiences and fluency in best practice tools and techniques for digital communications
- Demonstrated experience in utilizing market research and identifying new trends and opportunities
- Prior experience in communications/digital marketing, higher education or related areas
- Experience creating and managing key performance indicators for digital marketing strategies to evaluate effectiveness and return on investment
- Keen understanding of the issues and challenges facing higher education
- Competency in problem solving
- Exceptional interpersonal skills
- Exceptional communication skills (oral and written)
- Working knowledge in these areas: Windows, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Internet browsers. Working knowledge of Google Analytics, Facebook Ad Manager, X (Twitter) ads, LinkedIn Ad manager, and platforms for analyzing progress and sentiment of the brand.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
A bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area and eight years of relevant experience; or 20 plus years of relevant experience. Remote opportunities are available for this position, with an understanding that it will be mandatory to be on location for in-office events and signature/milestone University initiatives and events.
