Associate Director, Communications

About the Department

Enrollment representatives within Cornell's colleges, schools, and units regularly collaborate and partner with the Enrollment Division to accomplish the University's enrollment goals.

The Enrollment Communications team plays a key collaborative role in advancing the university name and brand, and a significant role in shaping Cornell University enrollment.

The Opportunity

The Associate Director, Communications will interface directly with various offices within the Division of Enrollment - which includes financial aid, registrar, and undergraduate admissions - as well as other areas of the University, to develop creative and compelling ways to share important information with prospective students and influencers as well as current and former students.

In partnership with the Director of Enrollment Communications, the Associate Director, Communications will manage, plan, and implement our communications strategy for students throughout the enrollment lifecycle, including outreach to prospective students, applicants, school counselors, student supporters, enrolled students, and alumni. The Associate Director, Communications will be responsible for researching and analyzing communications technology used within the Division of Enrollment, peer and competitor trends, and audience insights; managing various time-limited and ongoing communications projects; and recommending communication strategies to connect to the division's mission, goals, and priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Communications and Marketing: For assigned projects, develop and formalize project requirements/scope, set project deadlines, and conceptualize project specifications. Specific projects include but are not limited to high school counselor communications, website strategy, admissions texting strategy, internal transfer communications, and yield strategy. Based on data and analysis, propose and develop adjustments to messaging and tactics that will improve the overall user experience and help enroll and retain an increasingly high-achieving and diverse student body across academic disciplines.
• Digital Asset Updates and Maintenance: Create and edit web pages for the portfolio of sites maintained by Enrollment Communications (Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Employment, Registrar, Internal Transfer, and Enrollment Compliance). Manage new video projects for Enrollment, including research, concept & content design, casting, production support, captioning, and publishing/posting.
• Writing and Editing: Write, edit, proofread, design, improve, and maintain communications and marketing materials for the Division of Enrollment.

This position will be considered for a fully remote work location within the United States, with occasional travel to campus. However, we would be delighted to welcome applicants interested in fully onsite or hybrid work arrangements.

What We Need

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field and 3-5 years or more of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate challenges and obstacles effectively.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Strong research and analysis skills; ability to translate market research and data into actionable insights.
• Must be able to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to provide exceptional service to partners.
• Ability to learn and apply institutional brand standards consistently.
• Ability to shepherd projects from ideation to completion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and persuasively to a variety of stakeholders.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it's ok if you don't:

• Experience in a higher education setting.
• Experience in Slate CRM and Drupal CMS.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit the following:

1. A resume.
2. A writing sample in the form of an email draft (no longer than 250 words) addressed to prospective first-year students. The email should introduce them to a key aspect of the university, such as an academic program, campus resource, or student service.

Rewards and Benefits

• The position is located in Ithaca, New York. The position may allow for the flexibility to work remotely at a location of employee's choosing within the United States. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the remote work arrangement at any time.
• The New York Convenience of employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholdings for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside New York State.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: https://hr.cornell.edu/benefits-pay.
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: https://hr.cornell.edu/jobs/your-total-rewards.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation, up to 2 floating holidays and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

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Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell's non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell's union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

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For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu.

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EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.