The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is hiring a results-oriented digital marketing individual to join our team. The Polsky Center is the University of Chicago's dedicated resource for supporting entrepreneurs affiliated with the University of Chicago (students, faculty, staff, alumni) across the globe as well entrepreneurs in Chicago, especially on Chicago's South Side. We are home to the national-ranked accelerator, the Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge, which has helped launched companies such as Grubhub, Braintree, Simple Mills, Benchprep, Tovala, Foxtrot, and more! We support faculty and scientists in commercializing their research (e.g., Pyxis Oncology, Oxalo Therapeutics, Seurat Therapeutics, ClostraBio, etc.). We also operate a 34,000 square foot incubator and coworking space on 53rd Street in Hyde Park. Learn more at polsky.uchicago.edu.

DREAM JOB ALERT:

We are hiring an Assistant Director of Digital Marketing and Communications who will be an integral part of the Polsky Center marketing team. This person is primarily responsible for employing a range of marketing strategies to achieve the Center’s goals for events and programs serving a wide variety of audiences, including University of Chicago alumni, students, faculty, staff, community- based entrepreneurs, and external partners. The Assistant Director will also execute on best-in-class digital marketing communications and leverage data and analytics to drive event and program goals, raise awareness of the Polsky Center, and achieve overall business results. He/she will also develop dynamic visuals, print materials, and communications to bring the Polsky Center brand to life and in a consistent way across a variety of online and offline channels.

Primary Duties:

Event and Program Marketing / Email Marketing:

• Execute event and program marketing strategy across the Polsky organization.
• Implement email marketing plan, including drafting and scheduling emails in MailChimp (or similar software) and create customized event pages and email communications via EventBrite.
• Develop eye-catching headlines and copy to increase interest in events and drive open rates, ticket sales, and event registrations. Use A/B testing to validate effectiveness of communications.
• Manage multiple lists to ensure audiences are segmented.
• Create weekly dashboard of email marketing schedule and weekly report of event RSVPs and take proactive steps if event registration is below target.   
• Maintain events page(s) on the Polsky Center website and other external channels where Polsky events are featured and promoted.
• Work across campus to get events listed in department-level newsletters and mail lists. Work closely with other departments and international offices, which may require evening or early morning calls.
• Coordinate with external partners on joint marketing efforts to ensure events are promoted in a variety of outside channels.
   

Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Analytics:

• Keep up to date with the latest in digital marketing trends, including emerging social media platforms and tools.
• Collaborate with marketing colleagues to support the implementation of the social media strategy and help publish event and non-event based content across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Attend a variety of Polsky Center and ecosystem events to produce live content and coverage.
• Use active listening to develop and expand online community and influencer outreach. Analyze key engagement metrics and implement recommendations to improve performance and KPIs.
• Help execute organic and paid social media strategy, related to events and programs. Recommend, design, create, and manage the Polsky Center’s paid digital marketing promotions and social advertising campaigns to drive awareness and conversion.
• Measure performance and report on key metrics related to event and program data, looking at YOY metrics, target goals, audience trends, and other data to recommend tactics to achieve better performance and a higher level of personalization and targeting.

Marketing and Communications, Design, and Newsletters:

• Develop Polsky Center e-mail and printed newsletters related to specific programs that engage with highly targeted audiences.
• Work with program managers and oversee interns to support the creation of all event and program materials including posters, one-pagers, event handouts, social media graphics, etc. that can be used for Polsky Center events, campus-wide marketing campaigns, office signage, and storytelling purposes.
• Collaborate with marketing and program teams to source content related to existing programs, startup milestones, faculty research, science innovation, and alumni successes.
• Help design original art and graphics that can be used across Polsky Center digital screens and office displays and can be used for various Polsky campaigns and thought leadership initiatives as part of the Polsky Center’s content strategy.
• Support website updates, and/or email marketing projects, as needed.
• Contribute to long-form content pieces (news stories, profiles, press releases, etc.) that highlight Polsky Center programs and entrepreneurs, as assigned.

Skills/Competencies

• Understanding of the Polsky Center’s programs, resources, mission, and goals.Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).  
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; ability to identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes.
• Excellent critical thinking, resourcefulness, creativity, analytical, and detail-oriented skills.
• Understanding of targeting, split testing, and different ad formats.
• Video development and editing skills.
• Ability to effectively handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines and ask questions as necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty and corporate contacts in a multitude of communication methods i.e., in person, email, phone.
•  Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.
• Ability to travel between Hyde Park campus, downtown Chicago, and the Polsky Exchange on 53rd Street required, and flexibility to occasionally work late or start early for the Polsky Center events.

Education and Experience:

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, Public Relations, Journalism.

Experience

• Minimum two years of digital marketing, communications, or related experience.
• Writing engaging copy and headlines, developing and managing email campaigns and e-newsletters.
• Email marketing and event management tools and technology (MailChimp, Eventbrite, or similar).
• Prior experience working with Adobe Creative Suite or other graphic-creation programs.
• Social media management products (Sprinklr, Hootsuite, or similar).
• Representing a brand via social channels, especially Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Instagram.
• Creating and overseeing paid media advertising campaigns for targeted audiences.