Associate Director, Digital Marketing, Office of Alumni Relations

The Associate Director, Digital Marketing is responsible for the communications, marketing, and public affairs functions for a relatively small to moderately complex department or center and typically supervises a team. The Associate Director, Digital Marketing will shape and advance the communications strategy, messaging, and brand for local, state, national, and/or international audiences.

Working collaboratively across Alumni Relations and university partners, the Associate Director shapes audience-centered marketing strategies, oversees integrated campaign planning, and develops data-informed approaches to alumni engagement across the full alumni lifecycle. This position serves as a key advisor to Alumni Relations leadership on marketing strategy, promotion performance, audience development, and marketing best practices.

The Associate Director of Digital Marketing serves as the strategic lead for integrated marketing initiatives within the Central Office of Alumni Relations and the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association (JHAA). This role is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies that advance alumni engagement, strengthen brand visibility, and drive measurable outcomes across signature events, lifelong learning programs, and career engagement initiatives.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement creative, broad, tactical communication and/or marketing plans and approaches (e.g., online or print media, giveaways, radio/television) to increase visibility of the area’s programs and initiatives.
• Participate in strategic planning and assist in defining and formulating key messages and identifying overall communication and marketing approaches.
• Provide consultation and advice to program leadership on a variety of communications and marketing needs.
• Write and edit communication and marketing materials, including speeches, presentations, news releases, etc. on behalf of area leadership.
• May have media responsibility for media contact based on overall needs of the area and the internal resources available.
• Manage the communications and marketing team within area of oversight, including supervision of non-exempt and/or exempt staff.
• Provide vision, leadership and counsel for communications and marketing efforts, including overseeing an integrated communications plan.
• Create original content such as web content and e-newsletters across a variety of platforms, based on the overall needs of the area and the internal resources available.
• Formulate and manage a comprehensive media relations strategy and program at the local, state and national levels to garner coverage in print, television, radio, online and social media outlets, in collaboration with other internal resources.
• Provide fiscal oversight of internal and external stakeholder communications, marketing, and media plans.
• Engage with key media outlets, both proactively and reactively, based on the overall needs of the area and the internal resources available.
• Lead communications outreach and logistics for special events.
• Identify strategic communications opportunities with internal and external partners.
• Develop benchmark criteria to regularly track and evaluate the effectiveness of communications strategies.
• Adhere to the university and school branding guidelines for all projects.
• Other duties as assigned.

In addition to the duties described above, the Associate Director, Digital Marketing will:

• Oversee marketing strategy and integrated campaign planning and execution across email, web, social media, print advertising, text applications, and digital platforms for key signature and regional events, lifelong learning programs, career and mentoring engagement, etc.
• Develop audience segmentation strategies based on demographics (age, class year, life-stage and school affiliation) and/or behaviors such alumni engagement + participation history and communication behavior. Design targeted, automated outreach and acquisition campaigns to reconnect alumni while creating tailored engagement journeys that strengthen connections with young alumni/other audiences through deeper levels of participation, volunteerism, lifelong learning, and philanthropic engagement.
• Proactively evaluate and leverage developments in the digital marketing landscape, including evolving email deliverability standards, platform changes, audience behaviors, and emerging engagement channels.
• Develop marketing analytics and reporting frameworks by defining key performance indicators (KPIs), establishing benchmark criteria, and analyzing audience engagement, digital performance, and promotion metrics across communication channels. Translate data insights into actionable recommendations that inform strategic decision-making, optimize future marketing efforts, and support leadership in evaluating engagement trends, program effectiveness, and overall marketing performance.
• Serve as a collaborative strategic partner across the Office of Alumni Relations and the broader university community to develop coordinated communications and marketing strategies that advance institutional priorities and alumni participation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Five years of related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education permitted by the JHU equivalency formula beyond high school diploma/ graduation equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing multi-channel communications campaigns and audience segmentation strategies; CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce); email marketing + marketing automation platforms (e.g. Salesforce Marketing Cloud, MailChimp, Acoustic); Analytics tools (e.g. Google Analytics, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, SproutSocial); Project management platforms (e.g. Slack, Asana, Teams); Paid social media advertising (e.g. Meta, LinkedIn)
• Salesforce + Salesforce Marketing Cloud; Website development tools (e.g. Drupal, WordPress); Design tools (e.g. Canva, Adobe Suite); text-based marketing platforms (e.g. Scale to Win)
• Attendance at Alumni Weekend (Spring) and Leadership Weekend (Fall) as well as occasional attendance at other signature events is required

Technical Qualifications or Specialized Certifications:

Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency:

• Branding: Advanced
• Communications Planning: Advanced
• Content Management: Advanced
• Editing: Advanced
• Media Monitoring and Analysis: Advanced
• Media Relations: Advanced
• Project Management: Intermediate
• Workflow Management: Intermediate
• Writing: Advanced

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

Classified Title: Communications & Marketing Manager

Job Posting Title (Working Title): Associate Director, Digital Marketing, Office of Alumni Relations

Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PE

Starting Salary Range: Targeted salary: $85,000-$95,000; commensurate with experience

Employee group: Full Time

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8;30am-5:00pm

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Mount Washington Campus

Department name: 10001651-Alumni Relations

Personnel area: University Administration

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