Marketing and Communications Coordinator – Zimpleman College of Business

Zimpleman College of Business - Strategic Initiatives

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Department Summary:

Drake University's Zimpleman College of Business is committed to nurturing a high-performance work culture that provides meaningful career opportunities for faculty and staff, and is focused on creating an authentically diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment for all. The College's North Star is centered on equipping students to do well by doing good, empowering them to contribute to the global economy and society. With 54 full-time faculty and staff members, we work as a team to ensure Zimpleman students are equipped with the technical skills, business acumen, and experience to prepare them for immediate and lasting success.

To learn more about the College, visit: https://www.drake.edu/zimpleman/

Job Summary:

Drake's Zimpleman College of Business is looking for a marketing and communications coordinator to join our team. This is a full-time, 12-month position. A core function of this role is to partner in the development and implementation of marketing and communication strategies across a variety of channels to support the Zimpleman College of Business. We are looking for someone with relevant experience and a creative and collaborative spirit.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field and/or 2 years of relevant experience.

• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, skills.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and common marketing platforms, including email marketing and website content management systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Five or more years of experience in marketing, communications, public relations, social media management, journalism, or a related field.

• Experience working in higher education; experience in business education is especially desirable.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex academic, research, or business concepts into compelling content for multiple audiences.

• Experience with social media management, content creation, and analytics tools.

• Experience managing websites and content management systems (CMS).

• Knowledge of digital marketing strategies, including email marketing, SEO, paid social media, and audience segmentation.

• Experience using Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) or similar design platforms.

• Experience with photography, videography, and multimedia storytelling.

• Experience managing relationships with external vendors, agencies, or freelance creatives.

• Experience supporting student recruitment, enrollment marketing, alumni engagement, donor communications, or executive education initiatives.

• Understanding of brand management and maintaining consistency across communication channels.

• Experience working with faculty and senior leaders to develop strategic communications.

• Event promotion and coverage experience.

Job Duties:

45% External Communications

• Write and publish articles for the news section of the website to promote programs and highlight faculty, staff, and student work and achievements. Develop distribution plans and edit content accordingly to repurpose the content for other channels.

• Lead the development of program-specific marketing and communications, including communications related to the School of Accounting and School of Actuarial Science and Risk Management.

• Serve as project manager on all marketing and communications-related work for Zimpleman, working alongside partners in University Communications and Marketing (UCM) as necessary.

• Serve as the point person for updates to the Zimpleman College of Business portion of drake.edu, partnering with UCM where necessary.

• Lead production of the quarterly alumni newsletter (Lead) and annual magazine (Edge), including sourcing and drafting content.

• Develop a content plan and supporting creative assets for Zimpleman social media channels that support the brand and messaging priorities. Provide quarterly metrics reports.

• Develop and manage a media/photo library for the College. • Capture photography of Zimpleman-hosted and related events; work with UCM to secure student photographers or professional photographers when support is needed, or high-caliber photography is required. • Serve as last approver on all print projects.

30% Liaison

• Serve as the Zimpleman College of Business liaison with UCM team to support all marketing efforts, including the creation and execution of timelines for projects, the development and design of marketing materials (postcards, fliers, program sheets, etc.), the implementation of paid search and social media campaigns, and management of the budget to support this work.

• Act as the central communications liaison across College departments, professional education programs, and centers, facilitating information sharing, coordinating marketing and communications efforts, and ensuring timely, consistent, and effective messaging to internal and external stakeholders.

• Manage status documents shared between collaborators to track projects.

• Represent Zimpleman College of Business at community, industry, outreach, recruiting, or other events relevant to marketing and communications role.

10% Strategic Planning

• Coordinate the implementation of marketing and communication plans and budgets for Zimpleman College of Business, inclusive of undergraduate and graduate programs as well as professional education and centers.

• Develop, implement, and maintain effective communication strategies for programs, events, and promotions, using the Drake brand and UCM tools.

10% Internal Communications

• Manage the internal site content for Zimpleman, working with ITS as necessary.

• Maintain digital displays in Aliber Hall with timely, on-brand content.

• Review production of the Zimpleman Weekly Newsletter.

5% Misc. communication and other duties as assigned

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Special Instructions for Applicants:

For consideration, you must apply online.  Please include a resume and cover letter. 

If you have any questions about this job positing or the application process, please email [email protected]

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

A review of applications will begin immediately.  This position will remain open until filled.

Salary is competitive with peer schools and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

 

At Drake, we are proud to offer our employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a wide range of core benefits, perks, and discounts. If you are exploring a job with Drake University, we invite you to spend a little time with our digital benefits guide: Benefits Overview | Drake University.

 

One of our very popular policies provides a tuition waiver for Drake employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents. Drake also participates in not one, but two tuition exchange programs available to dependent children. You can learn about both the tuition waiver policy and tuition exchange programs here: Benefits Overview | Drake University.

For faculty positions, selection will depend on the receipt of recommendation confirming the candidate's scholarly achievements and teaching abilities and/or on the candidate's satisfactory passing of a teaching demonstration if selected for an on-campus interview. For staff positions, selection will depend upon careful review of each applicant’s references, education, and, if applicable, experience.

About Drake:

Drake University is recognized as a top private university in the Midwest. Drake is a midsize university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an increasingly diverse student body. We are deeply committed to equity and inclusion and creating a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community—faculty, staff, and students alike. More than 900 faculty and staff are part of the Bulldog pack, a close-knit group of colleagues enthusiastic about preparing students to be global citizens and leaders, challenging assumptions. Drake University is not only an outstanding institution of higher learning, it is also a wonderful place to work. We are enthusiastically committed to welcoming new ideas and people into the fold, and to retaining and rewarding stellar employees.

All positions at Drake provide opportunities to contribute to Drake University’s core mission of creating of creating an exceptional learning environment that prepares students of all backgrounds for meaningful lives and professional accomplishments.

STRONG COMMITMENT TO A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

 

At Drake University, we don’t just accept differences—we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our students, our employees, and our community. Drake University is proud to support an equal opportunity, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. Learn more about why Drake is an exceptional place to work: An Exceptional Working Environment | Drake University

Drake University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you would benefit from an accommodation at any point in the recruitment process (including using our online application process), please contact Drake Human Resources (ph: 515.271.3133; email: [email protected]) and let us know how we can assist you.

At Drake University, we highly value a diverse, inclusive workforce. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We stand firmly against discrimination including on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.