Associate Director of Advancement Communications

Posted on 11/03/2021

The New School

New York, NY

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving Programs, the Associate Director of Advancement Communications develops and executes a comprehensive communications and digital engagement program for the Development & Alumni Engagement (DAE) team at The New School in partnership with the office of Marketing & Communications. The position owns the process of planning, producing, and distributing content that informs, celebrates, engages, and connects donors, alumni, and parents of The New School to the university in a variety of media to advance the strategic goals of the DAE department. By collaborating throughout the department and across the institution, the Associate Director will provide the opportunity for deep constituent engagement and increased philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and donors through email marketing communications, occasional print pieces, targeted advertising, and strategic partnerships.

The New School is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and particularly seeks applications from members of underrepresented groups, as well as candidates who share this commitment.

Responsibilities:
  • Provides leadership for audience segmentation, content strategy, target messaging, and activation and engagement programs to advance Development & Alumni Engagement strategic goals, complementing The New School overall communications strategy.
  • Ensures that communications to alumni and other external constituencies reflect the mission, values and strategic objectives of the institution.
  • Works collaboratively with university colleagues to develop and execute client-focused marketing campaigns for signature events (both foreign and domestic), news, and programs that resonate deeply with advancement’s internal and external communities including, but not limited to alumni, parents, donors, corporations, foundations, NY neighbors, and international partners.
  • Oversees the provision of internal and external design, writing, editing, graphics, and production, in a range of media from traditional to state-of-the-art digital.
  • Works with senior leadership to identify appropriate metrics to measure and track success of communications programs, making changes and redirecting strategies as needed.
  • Manages and optimizes social channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, The New School Network/Graduway) to build a thriving social community using best practices to create and optimize paid and unpaid content.
  • Cultivates a portfolio of social media influencers to engage in university initiatives, regional and international events, and more through strategic partnerships.
  • Serves as the primary liaison for advancement communications and news coverage, by managing a list of notable and influential alumni, parents, and donors, determining criteria and categories, and disseminating information and news to key stakeholders, leading to increased engagement and interest in university programs.
  • Maintains The New School Giving and Alumni sections of the newschool.edu website, updating content, and overseeing design and navigation projects with university partners.
  • Maintains knowledge of and coaches staff across the university on best practices in advancement and alumni engagement, volunteer service and management, programming, metrics, and philanthropy.
  • Assists with special projects and performs other related duties as assigned.
The New School is committed to creating and maintaining an environment that promises diversity and tolerance in all areas of employment, education and access to its educational, artistic or cultural programs and activities. The New School does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, creed, sex or gender (including actual or perceived gender identity or expression or transgender status), sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, pregnancy, religion, religious practices, mental or physical disability, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, veteran status, marital or partnership status, or any other legally protected status.
Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree in Communications or related credential preferred.
  • 3-5 years of experience in alumni relations, development, public relations, or marketing within a complex organization.
  • Eager to work with ethnically, culturally, and socially diverse constituencies with a strong affinity with The New School’s mission and community.
  • Demonstrated success in taking initiative while working flexibly in a team environment.
  • Proven success implementing digital marketing campaigns.
  • Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of data analysis with demonstrated ability to collect, explain and deploy metrics
  • Exceptional organizational, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to effectively engage and collaborate with a variety of constituencies including, but not limited to alumni, donors, administrators, students, and faculty.
  • Extensive experience with email service providers, HTML, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and email marketing best practices.
  • Strong technology skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
  • Ability to set priorities, deal efficiently with multiple tasks, and meet frequent deadlines.
  • Some evenings and weekend hours required.

To apply for this job please visit careers.newschool.edu.