Overview

Summary/Objective

The Digital Content Manager is part of the Communications and Marketing team at American University’s School of International Service (SIS) and develops and delivers content that tells the SIS story through our digital channels. Essential duties include finding, creating, and curating content for SIS’s website, newsletters, and social media channels; developing an annual content plan and updating it regularly; serving as primary editor and a principal contributor for the school’s website and enews; and managing SIS’s social media content strategy across multiple platforms.

This team member is a storytelling hub for the organization—working across departments to source content that is timely, engages audiences, builds relationships with prospective graduate students, and helps stakeholders in the influencer community better understand the transformational research conducted by our faculty. The Digital Content Manager hones the online voice of SIS, helping develop SIS’s brand and message across multiple platforms.

The Digital Content Manager targets audiences and communicates with them through digital channels. The incumbent decides which assets best serve a project, be it text, video, photo, .gifs, or infographic, and works to create or collect them. (S)he creates content both independently and in collaboration with others and analyzes the impact of her/his efforts. This position prioritizes and manages a varied workflow; stays organized; and communicates well with team members, others in SIS, and colleagues in the larger AU community.

The Digital Content Manager may supervise Federal Work Study students and will consult with other university publishers, writers, photographers, and videographers.

Essential Functions

  1. Content strategy and creation: Under the direction of the Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, and in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Communications for Digital Platforms, develop SIS’s overarching digital content plan, including regular updates of web content. Create and curate stories from faculty, alumni, staff, and student. Communicate with departments to identify events and initiatives that are content-generating and determine the school-level promotion plan. Develop, distribute, and repurpose content to electronic channels. Be a content conduit for the Communications and Marketing team.
  2. Analyze Outcomes: Stay up-to-date on best practices to identify possible changes in communication strategies.  Regularly prepare social media analytics and study websites and email analytics, using the information to brief the team and help inform goals, strategy, and decision making.
  3. Liaison to Central Units: Coordinate with other SIS units and UCM to ensure content is distributed through SIS and AU communication channels. Lead a bi-weekly meeting including SIS comms staff, SIS research staff, and AU media relations staff. Coordinate with UCM and other campus units to ensure that all news stories are properly tagged and appearing in the proper feeds.
  4. Perform departmental tasks including coordinating meetings and other administrative duties as assigned.

Work Environment

  • The Digital Content Manager is an integral part of a five-person team. Expected hours of work are 9-5, Mondays-Fridays, with very occasional (~5-7 times/year) evening and weekend event attendance required.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

  • Full-Time
  • Exempt
  • Sr. Coordinator/Analyst B
  • Hybrid

Salary Range

  • Commensurate with experience

Required Education and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 3-5 years of relevant experience
  • Superb writing, editing and proofing skills
  • Demonstrated ability to absorb and dissect complex topics, translating them to a wider audience in a relevant way
  • Strong project management skills. Deadline-conscious and results-driven
  • Excitement about shaping the digital strategies of a top-notch international affairs school
  • Must possess integrity, self-motivation, creativity, desire to learn, and ability to problem-solve
  • Proficiency in relevant software, including Adobe Creative Suite products (e.g. InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator) and Canva
  • Demonstrated social media platform management fluency (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn), including community building, analytics, and campaign strategy and management
  • Knowledge of best practices in online communications, including email writing, testing, and analysis 
  • Ability to think creatively about communicating key messages
  • Strong knowledge of information architecture and web best practices to make recommendations about digital content organization, hierarchy, and presentation
  • Experience with website editing and web content management systems; a basic understanding of HTML.
  • Experience with email software like Mailchimp or Constant Contact

Preferred Education and Experience

  • Master’s degree
  • 4-6 years of relevant experience
  • International affairs, higher education, or non-profit communications background a plus
  • Experience shooting high-quality photos and shooting/editing video, preferably with Adobe Premiere, preferred
  • Experience recording and editing audio for podcasts preferred
  • Familiarity with online measurement and assessment platforms and tools, such as Google Analytics, CrazyEgg, Facebook Insights, and experience in digital data analysis preferred
  • Experience creating eye-catching data visualizations and infographics is a plus

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

Others

  • Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.