Senior Communication & Digital Lead

Arden University; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days holiday

Aviva pension

Private Medical Insurance

Perkbox benefits

Study Arden courses

Job summary

Arden University seeks a Senior Communications & Digital Lead for its Students’ Association. You will shape communications, digital engagement and branding across the University, translating the rebrand into a consistent, high-impact approach for students.

You will deliver student-focused content, coordinate stakeholder engagement and oversee marketing platforms to ensure accessible, effective communications.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree or professional qualification or significant equivalent experience in communications, marketing, digital or a related field.
• Proven professional experience in a communications, marketing, digital or similar role.
• Experience developing and delivering effective marketing or communications projects and plans.
• Experience creating and delivering engaging digital and/or print content for defined target audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of high-quality, student-focused communications and digital content across the Association's projects, campaigns, services and priorities.
• Translate priorities into engaging communications and impactful digital assets that help students understand the role of the Association and how to engage with its work.
• Oversee processes for communication and design requests, briefing, project management support and forward planning, creating a consistent approach to communications activity.
• Horizon scan media developments to identify opportunities and issues impacting the Association and students.
• Manage marketing systems and digital platforms, ensuring accessibility and effectiveness for students and stakeholders, and supervise external contractors.

Job description

Salary: £35,000

Employment type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Reporting into: Students' Association Manager

Department: Students' Association and Government Relations

This role operates on a hybrid working arrangement that will require 1 day per week at your local Arden site. This may fluctuate in line with business requirements. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

About Arden University:

We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.

About the Students' Association:

The Students' Association works to ensure that student voice is represented, empowered and recognised across Arden University. Ultimately this is all with the mission of influencing as many decisions which impact students as possible. Our Students' Association team and elected Sabbatical Officers deliver high quality campaigns, research, student partnership, advocacy all in the interest of our diverse student population.

As the Students’ Association continues to develop, the team is strengthening its approach to communications, digital engagement and brand, helping to raise awareness of the Association to all students and demonstrate the impact that students can have on their experience. The team works closely with colleagues across the University to deliver accessible, engaging and effective communications that connect students with the support, opportunities and representation available to them.

About the Opportunity:

As the Senior Communications & Digital Lead, you will play a key role in shaping and leading the Students’ Association communications, digital engagement and brand activity. Working across the University and in partnership with the wider Marketing community, you will turn the findings from the Association’s rebrand into a clear and consistent approach that raises awareness, strengthens the Association’s identity and demonstrates its impact for students.

You will lead the development and delivery of high-quality, student-focused communications and digital content across the Association’s projects, campaigns, services and Officer manifesto priorities. Working with a range of stakeholders, you will translate priorities into engaging communications and impactful digital assets that help students understand the role of the Association and how they can engage with its work.

You will also lead the development of effective processes for communication and design requests, briefing, project management support and forward planning, creating a more consistent and coordinated approach to the Association’s communications activity. You will horizon scan relevant media and developments across the sector, identifying opportunities and issues that may impact the Association and its students.

A key part of the role will be overseeing the Association’s marketing systems and digital platforms, ensuring they remain up to date, accessible and effective for students and stakeholders. You will also manage external contractors and suppliers where appropriate, ensuring activity is delivered to a high standard and supports the Association’s priorities.

This is an opportunity to help shape the communications and digital direction of a developing Students’ Association, bringing strategic thinking, creativity and a strong understanding of student audiences to how the Association communicates, engages and builds its profile across Arden University.

About You:

Essential requirements:

• Relevant degree, professional qualification or significant equivalent experience in communications, marketing, digital or a related field.
• Proven professional experience in a communications, marketing, digital or similar role.
• Experience developing and delivering effective marketing or communications projects and plans.
• Experience creating and delivering engaging digital and/or print content for defined target audiences.
• Experience in design, copywriting or digital communications, with a good understanding of how to tailor content for different audiences and channels.
• Good understanding of design tools used to create and produce digital and print materials.
• Experience managing communications systems, digital platforms or content management systems, ensuring content is accurate, accessible and up to date.
• Proven experience proofreading and editing copy, reports and other communications materials to a high standard, with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with people at all levels.
• Experience extracting, analysing and presenting data from systems or other relevant sources to produce clear and useful reports.
• Experience organising and planning meetings, including coordinating arrangements and supporting effective outcomes.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, projects and deadlines, using effective time management and organisational skills.
• Demonstrable understanding of and commitment to the mission, vision and values of a Students’ Association, aligned with Arden University’s SPARK ethos.

Desirable requirements:

• Experience of working within a membership led or volunteer organisation
• Understanding of HE issues affecting HE students
• Experience of drafting reports.

Why Arden:

At Arden, you will become a part of a passionate and dedicated team who are committed to removing unnecessary barriers to learning and making education more accessible. Our people work hard to ensure our students journeys are the best they can possibly be, as such we want to reward our people with fantastic benefits. Employees benefit from:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure!
• A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
• BUPA Cash Plan
• Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)
• Access to Perkbox benefits
• Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
• Plus, otherexcellent benefits
• Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education
  

Our Values:

Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness,reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations.

Closing Date:

1st November (Interviews to take place WC 16th November.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible.

If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:

Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we make sure that our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups.

Sponsorship statement:

Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa, or fulfil the criteria we have for providing sponsorship. However we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route.