Senior Marketing Specialist

Azusa Pacific University is a comprehensive, evangelical, Christian university located 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California.

The Senior Marketing Specialist serves as one of the three core members of a work team, including a writer and a designer. The Senior Marketing Specialist manages project flow from start to finish and provides clarity to their work team. In addition, the Senior Marketing Specialist partners with the Assistant Director of Marketing to create marketing plans for each client, which in turn, are presented to the Executive Director of Marketing and Vice President for University Relations for feedback and input before final client presentation. The Senior Marketing Specialist partners at a higher level to establish benchmarks, ROI, and forecasts while also mentoring/managing a marketing intern. The Senior Marketing Specialist will also work on high-profile jobs by serving as the main contact and communicator with special projects as assigned by the Assistant Director of Marketing in consultation with the Executive Director of Marketing.

• Manages project-flow from start to finish through the office on behalf of its work team and its clients which requires the ability to work effectively in a multi-tasking environment while managing a diverse project load.
• Ensures that jobs are on schedule, move from team member to client and vice versa while meeting deadlines.
• Must troubleshoot accordingly with client and internal work team when key dates or time frames are missed or jobs go beyond the 3 rounds necessary to complete. Partners with production team to track progress of creative process and completion to ensure timely delivery of products and also notify client regarding repercussion when multiple rounds are necessary thus impacting schedule.
• Must immerse themselves in their clients’ product, target audience, etc., so that they are experts for their clients’ areas.
• This allows the Senior Marketing Specialist to anticipate comments and accurately represent the strategy and audience to their work teams. This helps avoid unnecessary comments/rounds by knowing audiences and client up front and representing a true extension of the clients’ needs to our internal work teams.
• This fosters trust on the client side as well as internally when the Senior Marketing Specialist can begin to function in this capacity and help carry out long-term vision and growth.
• Must excel in developing relationships with an integrated combination of face-to-face, phone, and email communication methods so that the client develops that trust with their representative.
• Conversely, the Senior Marketing Specialist must also develop that trust with their work teams by clearly communicating with them the strategies, tactics and be able to take that hard stance with the client or the work team when a tough decision needs to be made.
• Is responsible for the communication processes that enable the marketing and creative teams to access marketing information both for future planning and for the development of specific marketing tactics.
• Starting with the implementation of their clients’ marketing plan, the Senior Marketing Specialist takes the lead in communication for everything from development of creative brief for campaigns to clear communication regarding the strategies behind the marketing plan.
• Communication also extends internally with their work teams making sure they clearly understand the goals, strategies, tactics, target audience, etc. which should be contained in a creative brief for the beginning of a campaign.
• The Senior Marketing Specialist must also organize all information that pertains to the specific marketing plans for the university.
• Works with Executive Director of Marketing and Senior Creative and Internet Director to initiate/ coordinate team meetings between marketing and creative teams and clients necessary to development of marketing strategies or issues related to the branding of the university or various schools/departments within the larger brand.
• Evaluates effectiveness of proposed creative implementation toward proposed objectives and helps shape final product.
• Initiates the beginning stages of developing the marketing plan for various clients/schools and analyzing prior year successes/failures. Then partners with the Assistant Director of Marketing to add depth to the plan, maximizing opportunities for positioning that result from brokered deals.
• Monitors and confirms marketing budgets are on pace or remain within scope and or demonstrate ability to make suggestions since the plans are always in a fluid state.
• Conducts and communicates market research that informs the development of marketing plans and project decisions by either providing data or examples of competitive market place communications. Facilitates focus groups when appropriate and needed.
• Partners with office specialists (media relations, Internet, production) in the development of systems and templates that serve work teams and their clients that allow the integration of the marketing plan and effectively infusing all parts of the marketing mix.
• The Senior Marketing Specialist takes the lead and ensures that the specialists know what the marketing plans dictate so they can take advantage of venues from their perspective for a collaborative effort maximizing opportunities.
• Educates the university community regarding the role of University Relations and our mission while enforcing the integrity of the brand in all marketing venues and assists in providing solutions for potential challenges.
• Partners with Assistant Director of Marketing and Executive Director of Marketing to spearhead/lead appropriate projects and give marketing direction.
• Helps manage, coach, and mentor marketing interns as assigned by the Assistant Director of Marketing by allowing them to manage certain clients/projects.
• Manages high profile/special assignment jobs partnering with a member from the University Relations management team as assigned by the Assistant Director of Marketing in collaboration with the Executive Director of Marketing.
• Has the ability/training to make changes directly to the university website and give direction to web team on tactical projects.
• Regular, punctual attendance as required by the supervisor based on department needs.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Skills

• Computer skills required with ability to type 50 WPM with accuracy.
• Self-starter with strong organizational skills, initiative, flexibility, and excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong grammar, English usage, spelling, and composition.

Mental Demands

• Ability to handle fast-paced, high-stress, deadline-oriented environment with accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to function as a team player, multi-task, and work well under pressure. Learn procedures and retain information.
• In agreement with the purpose and mission of Azusa Pacific University in providing a Christian-based higher education for its students.

Physical Demands

• Requires repetitive motion and sitting at computer keyboard.
• Hearing and speaking on the telephone.
• Meetings may require walking and/or driving to various University locations.
• Ability to pull, push, bend, grasp, reach and lift up to 20 lbs.

Visual Demands

• Computer monitor and reading.

Environment

• Pleasant office setting, comfortable temperature.

Technologies

• Proficient in Google Apps, Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel.