Associate Director, Engagement Communications and Marketing

The Associate Director of Engagement Communications and Marketing serves as the primary liaison for marketing projects supporting alumni, family, student, and other engagement efforts within Institutional Advancement (IA). Reporting to the Director of ACM and serving as an essential link between ACM and the Office of Alumni & Family Engagement, this position designs and carries out marketing strategies and tactics for a wide range of initiatives and manages a comprehensive portfolio of projects, from annual signature events and regional events to targeted marketing initiatives. Ensures cross-team alignment and maintains data-driven insight into the performance of multi-channel promotional campaigns that include digital and print deliverables. Regularly counsels project stakeholders, identifies opportunities for collaboration and efficiency, recommends and initiates actions, and reports out on results.

Department/Division Overview: Institutional Advancement plays a vital role in furthering Denison University’s mission by inspiring meaningful engagement and philanthropic support among alums, families, and friends. Our work is centered on building lasting relationships that strengthen the Denison community and create opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and alums to thrive. We connect Denisonians to one another and to the university, helping ensure that a Denison education — with all of its lifelong impacts — remains accessible to talented students regardless of their financial circumstances.

As a member of Institutional Advancement, you will join a collaborative, mission-driven team that values partnership, creativity, and shared success. Colleagues across the division work together to deepen constituent engagement and secure the resources that advance the university’s priorities. This is an especially exciting time to join the team as Denison continues the momentum of What We Can Be: The Denison Campaign, a bold effort to strengthen opportunities for students and fortify Denison’s position as a leading innovator among liberal arts colleges. Every role in the division contributes to building a stronger, more connected Denison community and a brighter future for generations of students and alums.

Responsibilities:

Stakeholder Engagement, Project Intake, and Planning (40%)

• Serve as the main point of contact for project intake and strategy development with internal partners, specifically Alumni & Family Engagement, and other teams as needed. 
• Assess priorities, resource needs, and timelines to develop detailed marketing and communication plans to encourage the highest constituent engagement possible while also balancing divisional priorities. 
• Recommend scalable promotional approaches for signature, virtual, and regional events and a variety of strategic initiatives with marketing needs. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with IA partners to support collaborative, creative work.
• Observe intersections in marketing calendar and identify opportunities to leverage existing work and maximize efficiencies. 

Project Management and Completion (40%)

• Activate projects within the ACM team and ensure deadlines, deliverables, and priorities related to project portfolio are met.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams among ACM managers, production team, partners, and vendors as needed.
• Contribute to and oversee messaging and branding as projects move along, ensuring integration with the university’s overall communications standards and engagement strategy.
• Track progress, communicate updates, and proactively address obstacles in project timelines.  

Marketing Data and Performance Reporting (5%) 

• Work with partners to develop and maintain marketing performance dashboards to track campaign results and engagement trends. 
• Use data to inform future strategy, identify growth opportunities, and report on outcomes.

Supervision and Team Leadership (5%)

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and mentorship to one or more members of the ACM production team. 
• Support professional growth and foster a positive team environment. 

Minimum Requirements:  

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism, business, or related field
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and organizational skills 
• Experience collaborating across teams
• At least 3-5 years of relevant experience
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends 

Preferred Requirements:

• Background in higher education or nonprofit marketing and communications 
• Supervisory experience

Why Choose Denison? 

Denison University is a leading, fully residential liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, located just outside the Columbus metro area. Established in 1831, Denison blends a rigorous academic foundation with an award-winning approach to student mentorship and career readiness. With a vibrant campus community of 2,400 students and around 1,000 employees, Denison offers employees a supportive work environment dedicated to educational excellence and professional growth. 

Denison provides a number of staff-focused benefits, with some highlights:

• 10% contribution to your retirement
• 22 vacation days
• 3 floating holidays
• Comprehensive and inexpensive healthcare benefits
• Paid campus closure from Christmas to New Years
• Free parking and gym membership
• Free classes for employees

Want to learn more about us? Visit Denison.edu for more information. 

EEOC Notice:

Denison is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
 

Title IX Notice: 

Sex discrimination is prohibited by federal law through Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Denison does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that it operates including admissions and employment.
For Denison’s official Notice of Non-Discrimination, please visit https://denison.edu/forms/non-discrimination-notice.
You can learn more about Title IX at Denison at https://denison.edu/campus/title-ix.
 

Job seekers who may need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should contact the Office of Human Resources at (740) 587-6299 or by email at [email protected].