Job Details
Location : Main Campus - Homewood, AL
Job Type: Staff Full Time
Job Number: FY2400206
Division: Advancement & Marketing for Staff
Department: STA-Executive Director for Univ Market
Opening Date: 05/10/2024
FLSA: Exempt
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Description
This position will provide leadership for strategic social media management university-wide. The Social Media Manger will be responsible for stewarding and monitoring the presence of Samford University in social media, assuring the mission, brand and reputation of Samford University is well represented across all social media platforms. The position will be responsible for tracking best practices in social media across all university operations. This includes the central management of software to schedule and monitor all university social media communications; ongoing measurement of analytics and key indicators of engagement; and response to negative commentary, complaints and grievances in social media. This position will provide expert advice to university leadership related to social media management, will develop and oversee consistent training, host workshops and communicate guidelines for all employees who oversee any official university social media account, including the establishment of metrics for evaluating the performance of all official accounts. Further, this position will establish and manage the training for all student interns and external influencers who work with university social media accounts. This position will be a member of the crisis communication team and will be responsible for advising university leadership on social media communication and public relations impact in times of crisis.
Job Duties
- Create and manage Samford's social media strategy to support major university objectives related to student recruitment, alumni engagement, and reputation management.
- Understand and develop the voice of the Samford brand across all social media platforms and communicate messaging to internal stakeholders.
- In close collaboration with the AVP for University Marketing and Public Relations, the Executive Director of Broadcast Media, the Director of University Communication and the Director of University Marketing, create, manage and continuously improve a cohesive and integrated content strategy that delivers strategic messaging to target audiences through appropriate social media channels.
- Manage the university's central social scheduling and listening software, including its onboarding and renewal and negotiation of contract pricing and process, used to monitor all university social media communications.
- Directly manage activity on Samford's "flagship" social media accounts, as well as Samford alumni channels.
- Keep pulse on new management systems, coordinate demonstrations and vet potential new partners.
- In close collaboration with the AVP of University Marketing and Public Relations, exercise discretion and judgment in responding to negative commentary, complaints, and grievances in social media from students, employees, alumni, or other constituents.
- Design and oversee a system of ongoing measurement of analytics and key indicators of engagement across all university social media accounts.
- Lead the university planning efforts related to strategic growth and ongoing improvements for university social media, including student recruitment, public image, and alumni engagement.
- Provide collaboration and counsel to Samford Athletics and Enrollment Management social media managers when needed.
- Identify best practices in social media management and develop and maintain university policies and procedures for Samford University's presence in social media across all university operations.
- Provide training, guidelines and onboarding for all university colleagues, student workers and interns responsible for overseeing any official university social media account. Partner with marketing and communication colleagues around campus to align social strategies, channels and throughout all social platforms. Provide tangible tools in addition to oversight of their content.
- Oversee, proof and review marketing colleagues' social content (as well as web and story content as needed).
- Be a visible, dynamic and involved participant in the life of the university community. Develop relationships with areas of academic, spiritual and student life.
- Oversee and manage social media interns' work.
- Serve as a functional advisor and mentor to students in leadership roles to empower students and enhance partnerships across campus.
- Develop, implement and manage the measurement of key analytics to assess the performance of all university social media accounts.
- Provide guidance, in collaboration with the Digital Marketing Specialist, on paid social campaigns for school-based colleagues and for central marketing initiatives and on other paid promotions.
- Lead and develop Samford's Influencer strategy to partner with Samford fans and external influencers to promote the brand and reputation of Samford.
- Provide expert advice related to social media management to university leadership; serve as a subject matter expert and social media evangelist to internal stakeholders.
- Build and maintain social content calendars to promote programs, events, and brand initiatives that foster engagement in key audiences of interest.
- Establish a content calendar and process to collaborate with the web services team for homepage updates.
- Formulate and manage effective social media campaigns university-wide in order to engage in active conversations with owned platform/community members, prospects and stakeholders to enhance and protect the university's reputation and grow Samford's following.
- Drive creative direction for social media-specific initiatives.
- Open, establish and manage new avenues and social channels in the digital space where Samford doesn't have a presence yet.
- Serve as a member of the crisis communication team to advise university leadership about university response in social media during times of crisis. Provide collaborative public relations counsel as it relates to not only social media, but Samford's holistic brand and reputation.
- Benchmark Samford's presence in social media relative to peer institutions in higher education.
- Monitor global trends and stay current with creative content trends, emerging technologies, platforms and best practices related to strategic social media management, with an emphasis on higher education.
- Serve as a photographer, videographer, designer and editor.
- Manage parts of the digital marketing billing process.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated work experience in social media, public relations, marketing or a communication related field.
- Ability to work independently and exercise prudent judgment in a fast-paced environment.
- Exceptional skills and demonstrated work experience in professional writing and editing for a variety of media, including all social media platforms.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously to work with a wide variety of constituents and priorities.
- Individual must have the ability to work nights and weekends, and on-call, as needed to ensure appropriate coverage of events and activities.
- Strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work well with others.
- Strong creative abilities.
- Self-motivated with demonstrated ability to work independently with limited direction.
- A high level of professionalism, with an appreciation for market-orientation and customer service.
- Proactive self-starter with a strong results orientation.
- Must be detail-oriented, well-organized, focused, and goal-oriented, with a high level of initiative.
- Maintain a strong commitment to the Christian mission of Samford University.
Preferred Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Communications or a related field, preferred.
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
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Do you have a Bachelor's degree or higher?
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Do you have at least three (3) years of demonstrated work experience in social media, public relations, marketing, or a communication-related field?
Required Question