Director of Advancement Communications and Marketing
Denison University

Position Type:

Administrative Staff

Administrative Staff

Director of Advancement Communications and Marketing

A00452

AD 01

Competitive based on education and experience

Institutional Advancement

S 121301413

Full Time

12

1

This is a salaried, exempt position with the occasional night and weekends for fundraising events.

The Director of Advancement Communications and Marketing will proactively drive a strategic communications and marketing program that generates philanthropic support and engagement for Denison University.

Advancement communications should create and improve a culture of philanthropy, elevate the University's profile, and align with institutional needs. The Director will be responsible for ensuring that communications to alumni, families, donors, prospective donors and other key stakeholders deliver a consistent, clear and compelling message about the University's value and the impact of philanthropy. Duties include serving as a partner and liaison for the central University Communications team, leading a small team and managing consultants as needed to build out advancement capacity, development of messaging strategy, campaign planning, content creation and distribution, analysis of results, and strategic event communications.

- Write, plan, and/or edit content for key Institutional Advancement
communications, including but not limited to: solicitations, donor proposals,
stewardship/impact reports, invitations, event programs, targeted emails and
event scripts. (20%)
- Manage relationships and oversee the work of consulting
partners/contractors, who support the writing and development of
advancement communication and collateral materials. (35%)
- Manage communication, marketing, and collateral projects ensuring
all internal and external partners are aware of and effectively executing
project plans, while meeting deadlines. (15%)
- Collaborate with advancement team and internal stakeholders to announce
significant gifts, garnering strategic visibility for current and prospective
donors. (10%)
- Coordinate with University Communications to incorporate key advancement
messages into broader communications and marketing activities, including
talking points, presentations, reports, video production, social media efforts
and other channels. (5%)
- Make data driven decisions to inform strategy, determine priorities, and
measure performance. (5%)
- Manage a team of communications professionals to ensure that they are
meeting goals and adhering to best practices. Evaluate staff performance on
an ongoing basis. (10%)

Bachelor's degree in writing, communications, marketing or related field with a minimum of 7 years of demonstrated professional experience.
Must have a current, valid driver's license and must be insurable under Denison's liability insurance policy.

An exceptionally qualified candidate will have:

• A commitment to strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Excellent writing, proofreading, and editing skills
• Ability to work independently, under deadlines.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), with the capability to master new software applications and technologies, including content management systems.
• Proven record of leadership, management, and supervisory skills and experience in recruiting, managing, training, and leading professional teams and external resources like consulting partners and contractors to reach their full potential and to achieve goals
• Communications or marketing within higher education, development/advancement and fundraising campaigns.
• Knowledge of university advancement best practices related to communication, engagement, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.

The position will require some evening and weekend commitments.

Billie Handa

740-587-6730

handab@denison.edu

11/15/2024

12/31/2024

Yes

Please apply by December 31, 2024 for full consideration.

For the references document requirement, please provide contact information for three (3) work-related references, including name, address, phone number, and email address.

The final candidate will undergo a background check as a conditional offer of employment, including a driving check.

To achieve our mission as a liberal arts college, we continually strive to attract and hire candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. Denison fosters a campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. For additional information and resources about diversity at Denison, please see our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism (IDEA) at https://denison.edu/campus/denison-forward