Communications & Marketing Officer
Job Description
Job Title: Communications and Marketing Officer
Department: Development
Reports to: Development Director, with a secondary reporting line to the Head of Communications
Contract Type: Permanent, full-time, 35 hours per week (some weekend and evening work, with time off in lieu)
Role and Context
Selwyn is a friendly, ambitious Cambridge college, with a global community of more than 7,000 alumni. Our communications play an important role in connecting alumni with the life of the College, celebrating the achievements of our students and Fellows, supporting fundraising, and giving prospective applicants an authentic sense of what it means to belong here.
This is an opportunity for a creative communications professional to work across a varied portfolio of print, digital and events-related communications. You will develop a range of skills across editorial, digital, visual and strategic communications, with mentoring from an experienced Development Director and Head of Communications.
This role sits within the Development Office and works closely with the Head of Communications. The post holder will build strong relationships across the College, helping them identify and develop interesting stories.
Main duties and responsibilities
Publications and editorial content
Lead the production of Selwyn’s annual publications: Annual Report (April), Magazine (July) and Calendar (October), including working with contributors, designers, printers, and suppliers
• Ensure quality and brand consistency across all publications
• Manage publication budgets
• Produce and develop regular e-newsletters to alumni
• Support the production of fundraising/campaign literature and materials
Marketing and events
• Plan, design and create marketing materials for alumni events
Support alumni relations officers with event promotion, segmenting audiences where appropriate to maximise engagement
Act as a day-to-day champion for brand consistency across all materials, working within guidelines set by the Head of Communications, with scope to develop a suite of templates for recurring event and marketing needs
• Attend events (some evenings/weekends) and provide on-site support, including live-streaming when required
Storytelling and digital content
• Spot and develop college stories, assessing for potential use online, on social media, e newsletters or in printed publications.
• Produce engaging content, including copy, images and video, for use in digital communications and social media
• Build a library of images from College events to be used in publications
• Maintain organised digital asset library, liaising with Archivist
• Manage the alumni pages of the College website, ensuring accuracy and relevance
Support other departments across the College with photography and design needs where required
Data, reporting and administration
• Ensure comprehensive record keeping on the alumni database (Raiser's Edge)
• Respond to alumni enquiries as appropriate, deepening their engagement with Selwyn
• Review the success of communications activity and make recommendations to improve engagement
• Support the wider Development Office team during busy periods
The post holder will be expected to carry out any other duties as may be reasonably requested by the Development Director and/or Head of Communications. This job description may change from time to time in consultation with the post-holder.
Person specification
We're looking for someone who:
• Has a natural curiosity about people and their stories
• Has a love of language and is visually creative with an excellent eye for photography
• Is well organised and can manage multiple projects across different timeframes
• Pays close attention to detail and accuracy
• Is a self-starter who can manage their own workload and make sound judgments independently
• Is flexible and works collaboratively across teams
• Can balance competing priorities from multiple stakeholders
• Is enthusiastic about higher education and building community engagement
Requirements
Essential:
• Good first degree or equivalent experience
• Excellent photography skills
• Desktop publishing proficiency (Adobe InDesign, Photoshop)
Social media content creation experience
General office and IT skills
Desirable:
Video editing skills
• Experience of relationship management software (Raiser’s Edge)
• Website CMS experience (Drupal or WordPress)
• Understanding of higher education or charity sector
• Live-streaming or AV skills
Understanding of data protection
There is no expectation that the postholder will have all of these mastered already. New starters receive a structured induction and regular one-to-one support to build these skills.
Working arrangements:
• The primary workplace is Selwyn College. Occasional working from home or variable hours will be considered.
• The role requires attendance at some evening and weekend events, and time off in lieu will be given
Career development: This role offers exposure to the full communications mix (editorial, digital, visual, strategic) with mentoring from an experienced Development Director and Head of Communications. There will be plenty of opportunities to develop skills in video, live-streaming, and strategic communications, writing and producing for different audiences.
Where you fit in the structure: