Marketing and Communications Manager

Department: Costello College of Business

Classification: Public Relations & Mktg Spec 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University is one of the largest business schools in Virginia, and is located near Washington, D.C., in Arlington and Fairfax, and at George Mason’s global campus in Incheon, South Korea. The college’s AACSB-accredited business and accounting curricula prepare undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe for career success in business and government. Its research-based faculty and focus on multi-disciplinary academic programs, inclusive entrepreneurship, modular education, experiential learning, and corporate partner engagement are transforming the landscape of business education and workforce development. Learn more at business.gmu.edu.

George Mason has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. Mason is highly ranked for its campus diversity and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2024 as the top-performing public university in Virginia for social mobility.

About the Position:

The Marketing and Communications Manager administers, manages and supports marketing and communications efforts that attract, inform, convert, and engage Costello College of Business stakeholders including, but not limited to: prospective and current students and their parents, prospective and current faculty and staff, alumni, prospective and current business partners, and various members of the community.

The primary purpose of this position is brand marketing, with a focus on driving brand awareness of, and preference for, the Costello College of Business. The Marketing and Communications Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the college's social media properties (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube). In collaboration with the Sr. Director of Marketing, the position creates and implements engaging social media campaigns. The Manager may interact and engage with business college stakeholders, cross-functional team members, agency resources, and vendors in-person and online, on a regular basis.

Responsibilities:

Social Media Marketing

• Independently manage and monitor Costello College of Business social media accounts, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube;
• Create engaging social content across all platforms; this includes idea development, copy writing, photography, and design of supporting graphics;
• Communicate and interact with relevant stakeholders and cross-functional team members, in-person and online. Prepare monthly analytics reports with interpretative remarks explaining performance and recommendations for optimizing; and
• Stay current on best practices and emerging trends in social media. 

Content Creation

• Generate written content for non-social media marketing and communications activities (such as the website, e-newsletters, and Impact Magazine) consistent with College messaging strategies, and marketing goals.  Written content may include:
  • Landing page copy;
  • Web page headlines, sub-headers, and body copy;
  • E-newsletter subject lines, headlines, sub-headers, and body copy;
  • Magazine ad copy; and
  • Media release headlines, body copy, and photo captions.

Analytics and Assessment

• Integrate data from multiple sources into a social media dashboard for monthly reporting; and
• Produce a monthly social media dashboard report that analyzes trends, interprets results, and recommends optimization tactics for driving improved performance and desired outcomes.

Budget Management

• Utilize the University eVA system and credit card as appropriate to process purchases for goods and services;
• Utilize the University Travel Request System to generate travel authorizations and reimbursements; and
• Utilize other University systems to aid the Marcom team with procurement needs as applicable (i.e., Sodexo Catering system, Food & Beverage forms, Payment Request Forms, purchasing card, etc.).

Special Projects and Additional Duties

• Executes special projects and additional duties as assigned to support the department. 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Experience creating on-brand, timely, engaging, and relevant content on a range of social media platforms, including writing and editing social media posts, optimizing for higher audience engagement, and leveraging organic social to drive brand awareness and preference;
• Experience creating compelling visuals (e.g., photography and graphic design) for use on social channels;
• Experience generating and interpreting regular analytics reports for tracking performance and optimizing for desired outcomes;
• Marketing Skills:
  
  • Understanding of brand management principles, photo and audio-visual storytelling principles;
  • Strong knowledge of optimal media and content mix for education marketing;
  • Knowledge of digital marketing and social media platforms;
  • Proficiency in various writing styles (news releases, articles, social media, email);
  • Proficiency with marketing analytics tools;
  • Strong oral and written communications skills; and
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced deadline-driven environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference to those with agency experience; and
• Knowledge and prior experience with graphic design software – Photoshop, Canva, InDesign, etc. -- and social media scheduling applications -- HootSuite.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Marketing and Communications Manager at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter, resume and portfolio (or list of social media sites managed for professional organizations or clients). 

Posting Open Date: March 5, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  March 19, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes