Communications and Public Relations Manager

Job Summary: 

Reporting to the Director of Marketing, the Communications & Public Relations Manager is responsible for executing an effective media and public relations program developed with the Director to generate and maintain a strong public presence for the college and help fulfill the goals of the Office of Enrollment Management & Marketing. They assist in the planning and execution of marketing-related content in graphical and editorial formats, both in print and digitally, as well as coordinate a range of institutional messaging and public relations functions as needed. This position collaborates closely with the members of the Office of Enrollment Management & Marketing, as well as members of the institutional Advancement department and the Office of the President to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of branding and positioning efforts for the college, both internally and externally.

 Supervisory Responsibilities: 

None

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Plan, create and implement all internal and external public relations communications to inform constituents both on campus and off campus of the programs and achievements of the
• Review media opportunities and maintain press
• Serve as a liaison with journalists and craft story pitches for feature
• Identify and target media sources and opportunities to increase donor and public awareness of and interest in Elms
• Participate in marketing strategy sessions and execute marketing initiatives, ensuring currency of Elms College content on social media and in including the creation of additional content.
• Develop content for social media and electronic communications, coordinate the official Elms College YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Instagram Provide oversight on other college social media accounts, such as Presidential, departmental, athletic team, academic program, and student & faculty Facebook groups/pages, Twitter feeds, Instagram accounts, blogs, and more.
• Manage public relations opportunities for campus events, readings, and
• Assist the Director of Marketing as needed with researching, writing, editing and supporting Marketing initiatives including, but not limited to, email campaigns, print and web-based magazines and communications, communications from the Office of the President, newsletters, and content development.
• Writes and edits copy as needed for clarity, grammatical correctness, and consistency with Elms College's style
• Other duties as needed 

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong public relations (PR) capabilities.
• Demonstrated expertise in writing and editing publications, web and social media
• Working knowledge of Associated Press style
• Experience with copywriting and multimedia marketing
• Project management experience
• Experience with content generation for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Adobe design suite, general photograph-editing software
• Working understanding of communications concepts
• Excellent writing, editing skills and proofreading skills. Ability to shift writing style for different audiences
• Excellent computer skills with Office Suite, Creative Suite, Google apps and audio/video editing software
• Creative thinker with demonstrated initiative, must be a motivated self-starter who can work independently with minimal supervision as well as collaboratively on teams
• Excellent presentation and verbal skills; ability to communicate and present oneself in a professional manner
• Strong planning, organizational time management and management skills
• Proven ability to write and edit quickly and style
• Must be able to independently through on assignments/responsibilities demonstrating persistence and a sense of urgency
• Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced work environment, as well as flexibility to work on a wide range of assignments, projects, and willingness to learn and use various technologies
• Good listening skills
• Ability to read, observe and interpret a wide variety of information
• Ability to form and maintain effective working relationships with Enrollment Management & Marketing team, Institutional Advancement, SGPS, vendors, independent contractors, news media and others, including a diverse population of students, faculty, administrators and support staff
• Ability to adhere to FERPA regulations and all college policies. Ability to protect highly confidential information; strict adherence to college policies including the confidentiality policy
• Maybe required to work some nights and weekend hours on occasion
• Background check will be conducted for this position. Valid driver’s license with good driving record is required

Education and Experience:

• Education: Minimum of a bachelor's degree in English, liberal arts, journalism, or related field.
• Experience: Minimum of four (4) years' relevant work experience, preferably in higher

Physical Requirements: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Use of general office equipment in an office

• Requires an equal amount of standing, sitting, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, climbing multiple levels of stairs, light lifting, near vision and manual dexterity to perform essential job functions.

• Requires ability to travel between buildings on campus with exposure to inclement weather

• May require driving or traveling to locations in the local and outside the local area on official college business including transportation by automobile, air, train, and bus

• Occasional weekend and evening work may be

• Background check will be conducted upon hire and on a routine basis Valid driver's license required