Marketing & Communications Specialist

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Communications Office is a creative and talented group of professionals who work hard and collaborate with partners across the institution. We’re committed to informing, inspiring, and engaging our communities by telling compelling, creative, and authentic stories that support and amplify the College’s mission and values.

The Opportunity:

The Marketing & Communications Specialist helps conceptualize, coordinate, and implement marketing projects that inspire and engage prospective students and families, college counselors, community-based organizations, alumni, donors, and the external Swarthmore community. They will understand the prospect-to-matriculant-to-alumni cycle and be a key communicator throughout all phases.

The position requires strong writing and editorial skills; knowledge of digital marketing practices such as email campaigns, web content, and/or online advertising; and the ability to manage multiple projects at the same time.

The Marketing & Communications Specialist reports to the Director of Enrollment Marketing & Communications to primarily support Admissions & Financial Aid communications efforts. This flexible role also assists the Director of Advancement Marketing & Communications with various Advancement initiatives.

Enrollment Communications

Working with the Director of Enrollment Marketing & Communications, the Specialist assists in promoting Swarthmore to prospective students and their families, as well as high school college counselors and community-based organizations. This includes assisting with email and digital campaigns, print materials, and web content for admissions and financial aid. The specialist will also assist with marketing and communications needed for major events like admitted student days (which may require extra on-campus attendance).  The Specialist is a resource for copy editing and brand support for Admissions staff.

This role requires strong attention to detail and fact-checking skills needed for maintaining accuracy about the College with external resources (such as U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, etc.).

The Specialist helps ensure that admissions and financial aid information is communicated in ways that are accurate, accessible, and easy to understand, regardless of the audience’s background or familiarity with the process

Advancement Communications

In collaboration with the Director of Advancement Marketing & Communications and Associate Director of Advancement Marketing & Communications, the Specialist supports efforts to create content that engages, inspires, solicits, and stewards alumni, families, and friends of the College.  That includes aiding in the creation, review, and approval of email campaigns and print materials,  maintaining websites, and helping execute event engagement strategies for Alumni and Garnet Weekends (reunion and homecoming/family weekend). The Specialist is a resource for copy editing and brand support for Advancement staff and identifies and creates templates and resources for gift planning, donor relations, the President’s Office, and other programs. 

Essential Responsibilities

• Research, create, and be the project manager of content for Admissions and Financial Aid audiences across platforms, including email campaigns, websites, marketing campaigns, and video scripts, as well as listings and content for partner organizations (Coalition for College, the Princeton Review, etc.).
• Assist in brainstorming, fact-checking, and proofreading Admissions, Financial Aid, and Advancement materials following the College’s brand guide and style guide. Rewrite complex processes or information into simple language for everyday users. Review Enrollment and/or Advancement email and other marketing campaigns, including testing functionality, copyediting, and ensuring brand alignment.
• Work with Enrollment and Advancement to create assets for programs and events such as Swatlight/Swatstruck, Garnet and Alumni Weekends, including drafting email and web copy, event agendas, and working with Enrollment and Advancement colleagues to gather and fact-check information for key print and digital projects.
• Work with Admissions, Financial Aid, and Advancement staff to identify Admissions, Financial Aid, alumni, parent & family, and giving webpages to update, redesign, or unpublish.
• Serve as a resource for all Admissions, Financial Aid, & Advancement partners to answer questions related to copy editing, brand assets, and the style guide. Collaborate with graphic designers to identify the need for new templates and manage access and edits to those resources.
• Act as the main point person for Admissions and Financial Aid Offices when the Director of Enrollment Marketing & Communications is absent
• Identify and carry out research on best practices, peer institutions, and industry trends for new marketing and communication initiatives

Additional Responsibilities

• Manage numerous projects simultaneously, upwardly manage approvals, and meet deadlines.
• Ensure projects adhere to high standards of excellence regarding visual design, attention to detail, and accuracy.
• Help to ensure alignment of messaging with institutional priorities and consistency with College style and brand guidelines.
• Assists in vendor vetting/research
• Print production
• Understand the student lifecycle from prospect to alumni
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Who You Are:

• Creative
• Detail-oriented
• Process-based
• Collaborative
• Organized

What You Bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• At least three years of professional experience in public relations, marketing, fundraising/development, admissions and enrollment, or related fields
• Excellent writing and editing skills, including the ability to translate complex information into common terms.
• Demonstrated website content management experience (e.g., Drupal, Wordpress, etc.) and email marketing provider (e.g. Slate, Emma, Constant Contact, etc.) experience.
• Demonstrated graphic design experience or experience working with graphic designers, from conceptualizing visuals based on requirements to creating layouts using design software, including Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience with project management software (e.g., Wrike, Asana, Basecamp, etc.)
• Familiarity with AP style.
• Comfortable using Google Suite, including Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working at a college or university with knowledge of either fundraising or admissions in a college or university environment.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume, including a cover letter, by October 24, 2025. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

The market range for this position is $65,00-$82,000 per year, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.