Editorial & Content Strategist

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary: 06/30/2025
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $75,000 - $79,000

Position Summary

University Life works in collaboration with students, faculty and staff throughout Columbia to share information, resources, events and initiatives that enhance the student experience. Our efforts all connect to core values for the Columbia community:

• Inclusion and belonging
• Health and well-being
• Sexual respect
• Community citizenship

University Life has significant reach: its primary audience of 30,000+ includes Columbia students (graduate and undergraduate across all schools and colleges), with secondary audiences that include faculty, staff, and alumni.

University Life is seeking a qualified and experienced communications professional to play a pivotal role in executing its communications and marketing strategy. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Administration & Operations, the Editorial & Content Strategist will create content to support both the promotion and awareness of University Life's work and to build the student community across the University's 17 schools. The Editorial & Content Strategist will help plan, draft, edit and coordinate both the daily flow of communications through University Life and will manage key strategic communications priorities and campaigns.

The Editorial & Content Strategist will be responsible for planning, drafting, editing and sharing content across University Life's robust web presence and messaging portfolio (eg. newsletters, annual reports, crisis messaging, web copy, blogs). University Life's digital platforms help connect students to important Columbia resources, find relevant information about student engagement opportunities and help educate them about the community's core values (inclusion and belonging, health and well-being, sexual respect, community citizenship). The Editorial & Content Strategist will manage the University Life's website, editorial calendar and create content for the other key communications, including weekly email blasts to students and crisis response messaging.

The Editorial & Content Strategist is the primary point of responsibility for the University Life websites, and partners with key partners and the Student Life team to develop and execute innovative and timely communication campaigns to lift up programming, events and projects across University Life and the broader University.

Responsibilities

The Editorial & Content Strategist will work within the communications and marketing team, and collaborate with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to:

• Plan, draft and ensure high quality traditional and digital content, including one-off emails to the community, weekly newsletters, website updates and printed marketing materials.
• Project manage large initiatives as they arise within the Communications team such as periodic campaigns or projects.
• Organize and support the communications lead in managing the Communications Team's editorial calendar.
• Create a division-wide annual report in collaboration with University Life team.
• Ensure that all promotional and marketing materials meet the standards of the University Life brand and voice.
• Work collaboratively on document reviews and incorporate any edits to internal or external communications.
• Serve as a back-up to support in-person and virtual events, including livestreaming and documentation on an as-needed basis.
• Oversee Student Voices storytelling project, including written articles and exploration of multimedia formats.
• Manage student Communications Assistant(s) to support the creation of additional website content.
• Support executive communications and media inquiries. Monitor media for the University Life team. Write talking points and media prep documents for University Life leadership.
• Oversee University Life inboxes and inbox assignments.
• Managing outgoing communications to key student constituents, including the Student Leadership Engagement Initiatives.
• Track website and email communications metrics and report to University Life team and leadership.
• Provide guidance to University Life leadership on communications policy and strategic planning.
• Support rapid responses/crisis communications, including using University databases to generate geo-targeted student contact lists, drafting, and sending messages.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience.
• Passion for University Life's mission and values.
• Experience with Drupal, Email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp or CiviCRM, Google Analytics, G Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud (in particular, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop).
• Excellent verbal, writing and editing skills; finalists will be asked to respond to written thought exercises.
• Proficiency in social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), Sprout and similar platforms.
• An understanding of how to leverage newsletters, marketing materials, websites and e-newsletters to meet strategic communications objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Achievement orientation and demonstrated success in tracking projects from inception to completion.
• Ability to be available as needed during off hours for rapid responses/crisis communications.
• Developed exemplary verbal and written communications skills and attention to detail.
• A strong understanding of workflows, processes and systems to keep the work organized and prioritized.
• Strong computer skills including mastery of Google products.
• Experience leading through influence and experience in a collaborative team environment.
• Have strong organizational skills.
• Use sound judgment to drive communications initiatives and campaigns.

Other Requirements

• The successful candidate will bring a passion for detail, innovation and an ability to listen carefully and build lasting relationships with internal 'clients', partners and team members, driven by an overarching goal of ensuring consistent excellence across the University Life's content channels.
• The incumbent must demonstrate the ability to work independently while effectively managing multiple responsibilities and projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. A strong client service orientation is essential.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.