Assistant Director, Marketing Communications (Office of Corporate Relations))

Job Summary

Support all strategic marketing activities of the Office of Corporate Relations (OCR) and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (OVCRI) including internal and external communications to drive an increased awareness of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign among companies and other stakeholder groups.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS – 
• Develop and implement marketing communications plans for the OCR and various campus units and
leverage organic and commercially available communications tools to increase awareness among external
partners and potential partners of relevant expertise and strengths of the campus, and prospect for new
corporate engagement opportunities. Execute strategic marketing communications for the OCR and OVCRI
(this position has a dotted line to the Director of Research Communications, OVCRI) to both internal and
external partners that includes promoting the vast campus capabilities with a strong focus on research,
philanthropy, student engagement, and the Research Park to our corporate partners and prospects via
effective communication tools including copywriting, website content, newsletters, marketing materials, and
social media campaigns that are consistent and in line with the marketing & communication goals of the
OVCRI and academic units.
• Share best practices for communicating to corporate partners through mentorship to campus units
and university-level units, including the DPI, by supporting the growth and development of their marketing
efforts.
• Track marketing analytics and report on effectiveness of communication strategies.
• Liaise with communications professionals at our corporate partners to develop and amplify
compelling joint story telling of our mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Communicate campus capabilities and success stories through news media, press releases, social
media, newsletters, reports, flipbooks, and other innovative mediums.
• Utilize the marketing integration tool of the corporate relations CRM system (Salesforce) to maintain
contacts, leads and communication materials for external and internal communications.
• Develop marketing campaigns with the strategic relationship managers through LinkedIn Sales
Navigator with the goal of attracting new corporate partners.
• Compile campus-wide programmatic data, images, videos and analyze and use charts created by OCR
researchers to create content for stewardship reports.
• Create marketing campaigns and materials for company visits, OCR events, and campus special events
with a corporate focus.
• Develop and maintain the OCR website and website content and LinkedIn and Twitter.
• Create annual report for the OCR and support any other campus units as needed.
• Contributes to the overall success of the OCR team by performing other essential duties as assigned.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS – 
• Manage OCR internal mailing lists and curate them based on requests from OCR staff and unit staff.
Set up, organize, and manage internal communication/ project management tools like Account Engagement
and Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, One Drive, and WebTools.
• Support the marketing needs of the Corporate Relations Network, a network of corporate relations
professionals from across the UIUC campus.
• Prepare and send out monthly internal newsletters utilizing our CRM, Salesforce.
• Serve on Campus Communicators Council, Social Media Directors Council, and Research
Communications Council.
• Create briefs and marketing packets for Illinois staff for company visits.
• Ensure timely and accurate responses to marketing and communications related requests for
information from OCR senior professional staff and unit-level corporate relations officers.
• Support economic development activities of the OCR, specifically programs related to marketing the
local community to potential partners.
• Select and create logoed promotional items for corporate relations professionals based on University
guidelines.

MENTORING AND COORDINATING GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNS –
• Conceptualize design outcomes and layouts for stewardship and annual reports, flipbooks, and
campus overview documents by keeping abreast of design trends.
• Recruit and hire graphic design interns as needed. Train, supervise, and oversee task assignments for
students.
• Guide graphic design interns to create engaging artwork by strategizing the best way to visualize
content.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field. Three (3) years of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area that including developing business relationships. Demonstrated experience in strategic marketing and project management.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in marketing, Communications, Business, or related field. Work experience in a higher education environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Effective leadership, communication, team oriented, organizational, and personal relations skills, including a comfort level with interacting with various constituents within an organization at all levels. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and guidance. Good understanding of marketing concepts, strong content writing skills, self-motivation, confident and creative. Strong decision-making skills, the ability to prioritize tasks, and the ability to leverage and manage resources, both internal and external. The ability to balance multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines is required. Project management skills.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5004 – Marketing Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after closing date. Salary is commensurate with experience.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on 9/5/23. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. Qualified candidates must upload a letter of which details qualifications noted above, resume and the names and contact information of three professional references.  All requested information must be submitted for your application to be considered. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.  For further information, please contact Erica Hanson, Human Resources, [email protected].

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on 9/5/23. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. Qualified candidates must upload a letter of which details qualifications noted above, resume and the names and contact information of three professional references.  All requested information must be submitted for your application to be considered. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.  For further information, please contact Erica Hanson, Human Resources, [email protected].

For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.