About Donnelly

Donnelly College, located in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic institution of higher education founded by the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The college was established in 1949 to meet the needs of urban immigrants and the working class with a special concern for those who might not otherwise be served. Today, Donnelly continues that tradition by providing the most accessible and affordable Catholic college education in the country. Our community participates in the mission of Jesus Christ in our time by making the love of God tangible in our world. Through a strong core curriculum and general education, Donnelly College offers programs leading to bachelor’s and associate degrees and certificates. To find out more, please visit www.donnelly.edu.

Job Summary

Donnelly is looking for a Director of Marketing and Communications to increase awareness and reputation of the College, especially to drive enrollment and philanthropy. This position develops and implements strategy and tactics to help the college achieve its mission and vision by reaching key target audiences (prospective students and families, alumni, institutional partners, investors and the public). 

Responsibilities

· Responsible for creating, executing and evaluating a multi-faceted strategic marketing and communications plan that clearly and consistently delivers institutional messages across all Donnelly platforms (web, print, social media, video, audio, advertising, media exposure, etc.) that assist the College in reaching its institutional, admissions and philanthropic goals.

· Supervise the Communications Specialist and work studies/interns; while also managing freelancers.

· Collaborate closely with the Director of Admissions and work across departments and institutional stakeholders to solidify messages that communicate the College’s values, niche and impact to strengthen brand and reputation among various constituencies.

· Measure the impact and effectiveness of the overall marketing strategy by employing existing methodology, tracking campaigns and integrating new metrics as strategies evolve.

· Manage the department budget and expenses, including creating annual budget requests/plans.

· Serve as webmaster for the College website, with a focus on AI optimization, search engine marketing and SEO efforts while working with college departments to maintain updated content.

· Serve as key content producer (photographer, videographer, writer, editor) and content manager, including overseeing production of the Donnelly Digest, a bi-annual magazine for alumni and friends.

· Oversee engaging videos for recruitment needs, general institutional information, special events or other institutional needs (either in-house or with outside video vendors).

· Provide marketing for College events with external audiences, and occasionally production support.

· Provide or delegate copyediting and media editing (video, photo, graphic design) support.

· Serve as lead media contact for the college and coordinate all media requests as needed. Oversee media relations efforts to yield earned media to advance the profile of the College.

· Serve as a member of the Board’s Development Committee, and college Leadership Team Committee, Administrative Council and other institutional committees as needed.

· Give regular presentations to the board of directors, staff and leadership.

· Assist with special projects or other duties, as assigned.

· Flexibility to work some evenings or weekends, as needed.

· Bachelor’s degree required. Preference given to candidates with degrees in marketing, communications or journalism.

· Minimum of four years of progressive marketing, communication, public relations, journalism or related experience and demonstrated skills within a complex organization required.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Previous published writing experience preferred.

· Excellent project manager that is self-motivated and attentive to details to complete simultaneous projects in a fast-paced environment.

· Proactive, big-picture thinker willing to pivot when necessary.

· Ability to creatively leverage available resources and limited budget.

· Ability to think, act and communicate cross-departmentally.

· Working knowledge of photography and video production required.

· Working knowledge of social media platforms and management and CMS required.

· Working knowledge of web design platforms required.

· Working knowledge of Adobe Suite programs helpful.

·Committed to diversity and serving a diverse population.  

·Philosophically aligned with the mission and values of the College.

·Practicing Roman Catholic preferred or able to support Catholic identity.

                       ·For more information on Catholic identity please visit https://www.donnelly.edu/staff/careers >   

                         Click “Questions” and review the article “Catholic Teaching on Special Issues of Concern”

·Must be able to pass a background check and complete VIRTUS Training through the Archdiocese of 

Kansas City in Kansas.

Salary: $55,000-$60,000 annually

Compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s qualifications, relevant experience, education, and internal equity.

How to Apply

Please complete the on-line application

·Cover Letter: How do you understand the Donnelly College mission and how would you contribute to it: Donnelly College’s mission, vision, and value

·Upload your current resume reflecting education and professional background

·Names and contact information of three professional references