Director of Content Marketing

Title: Director of Content Marketing

Position Purpose:

The Director will develop and execute a multi-platform content strategy while also taking a hands-on role in crafting compelling, high-impact copy. This position will lead the development and implementation of an integrated content strategy to attract and engage prospective students and their families, alumni, and other key stakeholders. 

Job Duties:

• Develop and Lead Content Strategy: Create and implement a multi-platform content strategy that enhances the college's reputation, supports enrollment goals, and aligns with the institutional mission.
• Plan and Execute marketing initiatives: Work with our key collaborators (admission and advancement) to establish priorities, explore marketing opportunities, develop campaigns and usher them through to completion. Initiatives could include (but are not limited to) an audience-centered update of Bates’ academic department web pages, the development of a suite of admissions marketing materials, or the creation of cases for support or solicitations for advancement.
• Create High-Impact Copy: Act as the lead copywriter for marketing initiatives, crafting engaging, persuasive, and informative content for the website, email campaigns, admissions materials, advancement projects, social media, video scripts, and digital advertising.
• Oversee Content Creation: Manage all stages of content creation, from ideation and research to writing, editing, and distribution to ensure a consistent, high-quality output across all channels.
• Brand Voice and Narrative: Serve as the guardian of the Bates College brand voice. Ensure that all written content maintains a consistent tone and style that reflects the college's values and mission.
• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor an advancement writer and serve as a trusted collaborator with our multimedia, design, digital and editorial teams, fostering a culture of creative excellence and teamwork.
• Performance Analysis: Use data and analytics to measure content performance, including engagement and conversion rates, and use these insights to optimize future strategies.
• Stay Current on Trends: Maintain a deep understanding of current trends in digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), AI, and higher education to keep Bates' content strategy innovative and effective.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

A bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, or a related field is required.

Experience

• A minimum of 7-10 years of experience in content marketing, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership or managerial role.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional copywriting skills is essential.

Skills And Knowledge

• Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
• Exceptional copywriting with demonstrated ability to craft clear, compelling, and persuasive copy for various audiences and platforms.
• Proven ability to develop and execute a strategic content plan that meets specific institutional goals.
• Strong research skills and the ability to find and tell compelling stories that bring the Bates experience to life.
• Proficiency with content management systems (CMS), email marketing platforms, and social media management tools, along with a solid understanding of SEO best practices.
• Proven leadership and team management abilities.
• The ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders across campus and manage external vendor relationships.

 

Benefits:

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free workplace.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff.  Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations.  All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu.

About Bates:

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.