Staff Job Openings

Job title:

FLSA Classification:

Reports to:

Director of Communications

Exempt

VP of Campus Life and Student Affairs

Position goal:

The goal for each member of the USW campus community is to believe and live consistently by the principles of the mission of the University. The USW mission is as follows:

University of the Southwest is a Christ-centered educational community dedicated to developing men and women for a lifetime of servant leadership by emphasizing individual faith, responsibility, and initiative.

Teaching at University of the Southwest adheres to belief in God, in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and in the separation of church and state.
University of the Southwest strives for excellence in academic curriculum, campus life programming, and student activities in a supportive educational community where freedom of thought and expression is honored and the demonstration of faith in acts of service is encouraged.
At University of the Southwest, students are instructed and mentored by a faculty and staff who demonstrate Christ-centered values and maintain an environment where students can live and work cooperatively, valuing the multiple cultures from which they came.
As a community of initiative, University of the Southwest challenges graduates to become enterprising members of our society contributing to the common good by advocating and participating in the productive commerce of free enterprise, the constitutional privilege of self-government, and the practical contributions of community service.

Position Summary:

The Director of Communications is responsible for developing and implementing strategic communication initiatives that enhance the university's brand, promote student engagement, and support institutional goals. This position oversees content creation, social media management, marketing campaigns, photography, videography, public relations efforts, and storytelling initiatives that showcase the university experience to prospective students, current students, alumni, and community stakeholders.

Essential Functions:

Develop and execute comprehensive communication and marketing strategies that align with institutional priorities.
Provide leadership over institutional communications strategy.
Oversee outside vendors.
Assist with crisis communications.
Create and manage annual communication plans, campaigns, and content calendars.
Ensure consistency in university branding, messaging, and visual identity across all platforms.
Collaborate with campus departments to promote programs, services, and events.
Produce engaging written content for digital and print publications, including newsletters, press releases, and promotional materials.
Identify and develop compelling stories that highlight student success, campus initiatives, alumni achievements, and university milestones.
Manage content distribution across multiple communication channels.
Oversee the university's social media presence and engagement strategy.
Create and schedule content across social media platforms.
Monitor analytics and assess the effectiveness of communication campaigns.
Stay current on emerging social media trends and best practices.
Capture and edit high-quality photographs and videos for university marketing and communication purposes.
Develop multimedia content that showcases campus life, student experiences, academic programs, athletics, and special events.
Create and manage video production projects from concept development through final editing and distribution.
Maintain an organized digital archive of photography and video assets.
Ensure visual content reflects the university's brand and mission.
Draft and distribute press releases and media advisories.
Provide communication support for campus events, orientations, commencements, student activities, and special programs.
Coordinate event promotion strategies and post-event communications.
Capture photo and video content at university events.
Monitor communication metrics and evaluate the effectiveness of marketing and communication initiatives.
Provide oversight of departmental budgets and make budgetary decisions within established institutional policies and approved funding levels
May provide supervision, training, and evaluation of student employees, including work-study students, as assigned.

Other responsibilities:

Participate in campus activities
Performs other related duties as assigned

Education, experience, & skills required:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Media Production, or a related field.
Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience in photography and videography, including shooting and editing digital content.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, InDesign, or similar software).
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Experience managing social media platforms and digital marketing campaigns.
Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to attend and cover events during evenings and weekends as needed.
Ability to transport photography and videography equipment.
Ability to move throughout campus and event venues for content capture.

Preferred:

Master's degree in Communications, Marketing, Higher Education, or a related field.
Experience working in higher education.
Experience with website content management systems.
Knowledge of graphic design principles and branding strategies.
Experience with drone photography/videography and advanced video production techniques.

APPLY NOW!

PDF applications should be submitted via email to Veronica Torrez (vtorrez@usw.edu). Applications completed via portal will be automatically submitted.