JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Communications Manager, reporting to the Senior Director of University Communications, will develop and deploy timely and relevant strategic communication targeting internal audiences - staff, faculty, current undergraduate, graduate students, PTUG and online students - and curates content, in collaboration with Student Development and with other co-curricular departments, designed to help students navigate through their time at Biola and succeed in their college and career goals. Coordinates communication between administrative and academic departments and maintains a content calendar of various messages being disseminated to students. Effectively utilizes current digital communication systems and applications and explores new solutions to enhance communication. Writes, edits and formats institutional messages for students, in addition, to provide strategic oversight for all communication sent to students. Ensures that the content of internal messages aligns with the goals of the university’s efforts and keeps up on best practices, innovative approaches to diverse communication strategies to students from varying generational backgrounds and experiences. Also ensures consistency with Biola’s branded tone and style when communicating with all internal audiences.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Communications Manager assesses, plans, implements and evaluates applicable communication initiatives and efforts to support Biola University and supports Student Development’s co-curricular communication plan and objectives. This position is responsible for maintaining Biola's webpages for students, the employee intranet, developing Biola’s student e-newsletters, managing content on the Biola University mobile app and creating content for various programs and events.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Establishes and maintains efficient and effective methods for coordinating and tracking communications to a diverse and inclusive student body from Biola, ensures that messages are delivered to students in a timely manner, and in keeping with the goals established by the Office of University Communications.
2. Meets regularly with Student Development leadership and program planners to provide strategic insight, direction, support and to implement divisional communication plans.
3. Serves on the SHAWC committee to support the student well-being initiatives.
4. Partners with co-curricular departments across campus to develop an annual co-curricular communication plan in order to increase student awareness, promote student engagement and sense of belonging.
5. Leads a committee of co-curricular program planners in order to execute co-curricular communications plans.
6. With the Senior Director of University Communications, co-leads a steering committee of co-curricular leaders to provide strategic oversight on co-curricular communication.
7. Utilizes the digital signs across campus, student email CRM, social media tools and other relevant technology to ensure consistent, strategic and timely delivery of messages to students.
8. Collaborates with co-curricular and service departments across campus to produce accurate, relevant and well-written content, as needed.
9. Manages the digital signs across campus by executing a strategic plan for effectively using them and reviews and approves content submitted by stakeholders from around campus to be displayed on the signs.
10. Creates and manages a content calendar for university student communication, annually.
11. Serves as a champion to execute mass email communication targeting current undergraduate and graduate students in collaboration with all departments across campus.
12. Works closely with the Office of the Registrar and Student Accounts to draft and disseminate communication to students about enrollment during the two peak seasons in the fall and spring semesters.
13. Monitors and responds to posts on the Biola Classifieds.
14. Manages the content on the Student Life blog and provides strategic direction for how it is meeting the communication needs of students including reviewing the Google analytics in order to adjust strategies.
15. Manages the weekly Student Life Newsletter, including curating and collecting content for it, targeting undergraduate students and analyzes the metrics in order to determine its effectiveness.
16. Maintains a pulse on the communication needs of students, undergraduate and graduate through surveys, focus groups, etc.
17. Writes all types of informational and promotional content for a variety of online and digital channels targeting internal audiences.
18. Provides strategic oversight of the Biola University mobile app and manages/publishes content on the app. This includes creating different experiences on the app and managing the app administrators from across campus.
19. Partners with our mobile app vendor in order to stay up-to-date on the university mobile app’s features.
20. Partners closely with Information Technology to manage and troubleshoot mobile app integrations.
21. Consults with student-serving departments and co-curricular areas on mobile app content strategy in order to best serve students.
22. Trains administrators for the mobile app and monitors usage.
23. Works with University Marketing to develop visual assets for the Biola App and the digital signs.
24. Develops and executes mobile app communication strategy, in conjunction with all communications strategies.
25. Serves on the leadership team for Biola’s EAB Navigate platform as a content administrator.
26. Assists the social media specialist with curating social media content targeting different student populations.
27. Responsible for tracking all recurring or seasonal messages, evaluating the effectiveness of student communication channels and campaigns on an annual basis in order to adjust ongoing efforts, and providing monthly KPIs on the communication sent out from different departments.
28. Facilitating regular status meetings with key stakeholders across campus.
29. Reviews and approves posters from stakeholders to be displayed at designated areas on campus.
30. Assists the Office of the President with curating content for the president’s Facebook and Twitter.
31. Manages content on the employee intranet targeting faculty and staff.
32. Drafts announcements/articles for the employee intranet.
33. Collaborate with the Alumni and Family Office to facilitate parent communication when issues arise and during crisis situations, with leadership from the SD of Communications who will set the crisis communication strategy.
34. Curates the Campus-wide News and Community News email for faculty and staff three times a week. 
35. Serve on the crisis communication team and manage student communication.
36. Support the Senior Director of University Communications in other internal communications efforts, as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in public relations, communications or related field; must have 3+ years of experience in a communication role; must have strong writing and interpersonal skills; must have exemplary public relations and presentation skills; must be highly organized and interested in detail-oriented tasks. Demonstrated understanding of the needs of diverse students and methods of communicating with traditionally underrepresented students (e.g. first-generation, commuters, global students, etc.). Relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis. Writing experience required. Knowledge of AP style and HTML preferred. Holds personal theological beliefs that are in agreement with the Biola Doctrinal Statement. Maintain a lifestyle in consonance with sound Christian principles and those promulgated by the institution.

SUPERVISION:

Reports to the Senior Director of University Communications. However, given the strong support to student communications the Vice President of Student Development will also serve in an indirect supervisory role.

Hours Per Week: 40

Months Per Year: 12