Assistant/Associate Director, Advancement Comm & Marketing

Denison University; Granville Township (OH); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement contribution 10%

22 vacation days

3 floating holidays

Healthcare benefits

Campus closure during holidays

Free parking and gym membership

Free employee classes

Job summary

Denison University in Granville, Ohio, invites applications for the role of Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement Communications and Marketing. This position writes, edits, and proofs compelling content that supports Institutional Advancement priorities across print and digital channels, serving as a key writing resource on the ACM creative production team.

It helps coordinate schedules, deadlines, and handoffs to keep work moving efficiently while aligning with Denison's brand.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, business, or related field
• Exceptional writing (editorial and marketing), proofreading, and organizational skills
• Experience collaborating across teams
• At least 1-3 years of relevant experience
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends

Responsibilities

• Write original content for Institutional Advancement communications and marketing projects, including fundraising and stewardship materials, alum and donor communications, event marketing materials, emails, web content, newsletters, feature stories, and other print and digital products.
• Edit and proofread communications produced by ACM and IA partners for clarity, accuracy, consistency, tone, grammar, and adherence to Denison brand and editorial standards.
• Facilitate the day-to-day flow of projects for the entire team through the internal ACM creative production process using approved project management platforms and related tools.
• Develop and improve the systems, reporting, and workflows that support efficient creative production, including dashboards and automations.

Skills

Exceptional writing

Organizational skills

Experience collaborating across teams

Evenings and weekends availability

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, business, or related field

Tools

Monday.com

Asana

Job description

The Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement Communications and Marketing develops, writes, edits, and proofreads compelling content that supports Institutional Advancement (IA) priorities across print and digital channels. This role serves as a key writing and editorial resource on the ACM creative production team, creating and refining communications for alums, donors, families, and friends of Denison. Equally, the position helps facilitate the flow of work across the writing, email, social media, and graphic design functions by coordinating project schedules, monitoring deadlines and deliverables, supporting effective handoffs, and maintaining the systems and processes that keep work moving efficiently across the entire ACM team. Working collaboratively with ACM colleagues, IA partners, and campus stakeholders, this position combines strong writing and editorial judgment with exceptional organization and project-management skills to help the team deliver high-quality communications on time and in alignment with Denison's brand and advancement goals.

Department/Division Overview:

Institutional Advancement plays a vital role in furthering Denison University's mission by inspiring meaningful engagement and philanthropic support among alums, families, and friends. Our work is centered on building lasting relationships that strengthen the Denison community and create opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and alums to thrive. We connect Denisonians to one another and to the university, helping ensure that a Denison education — with all of its lifelong impacts — remains accessible to talented students regardless of their financial circumstances. As a member of Institutional Advancement, you will join a collaborative, mission-driven team that values partnership, creativity, and shared success. Colleagues across the division work together to deepen constituent engagement and secure the resources that advance the university's priorities. This is an especially exciting time to join the team as Denison continues the momentum of What We Can Be: The Denison Campaign, a bold effort to strengthen opportunities for students and fortify Denison's position as a leading innovator among liberal arts colleges. Every role in the division contributes to building a stronger, more connected Denison community and a brighter future for generations of students and alums.

Responsibilities:

Content Creation and Development (30%)

Write original content for a range of Institutional Advancement communications and marketing projects, including fundraising and stewardship materials, alum and donor communications, event marketing materials, emails, web content, newsletters, feature stories, and other print and digital products as assigned. Work from briefs, source materials, interviews, and institutional priorities to produce clear, engaging copy tailored to specific audiences, channels, and communication goals. With manager guidance, identify compelling angles and develop stories that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and strengthen connections among Denisonians.

Content Production (20%)

Edit and proofread communications produced by ACM and IA partners for clarity, accuracy, consistency, tone, grammar, and adherence to Denison brand and editorial standards. Help strengthen messaging and ensure finished work is polished, audience-focused, and ready for publication. Stay up-to-date and fluent in AP style guidelines.

Project and Workflow Management (30%)

Facilitate the day-to-day flow of projects for the entire team through the internal ACM creative production process using approved project management platforms and related tools. Maintain accurate project boards, production schedules, and calendars; track milestones, deliverables, approvals, and dependencies; and coordinate handoffs among writing, email, social media, and graphic design. Monitor team progress against established timelines and proactively communicate with team members about deadlines, capacity, potential hurdles, and information needed to keep work moving toward completion.

Process Improvement (20%)

Develop and improve the systems, reporting, and workflows that support efficient creative production. Build and maintain dashboards, automations, dependencies, templates, and other functionality that provide visibility into project progress, volume, team capacity, and process trends. Analyze project data to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement, and partner with ACM leadership and creative team colleagues to refine intake, documentation, workflow, and production processes. Explore and apply AI and other emerging tools appropriately while maintaining sound professional judgment and human oversight.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, business, or related field
• Exceptional writing (editorial and marketing), proofreading, and organizational skills
• Experience collaborating across teams
• At least 1-3 years of relevant experience
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends

Preferred Requirements:

• Background in higher education or nonprofit marketing and communications
• Experience using and optimizing project management tools such as Monday.com and Asana

Why Choose Denison?

Denison University is a leading, fully residential liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, located just outside the Columbus metro area. Established in 1831, Denison blends a rigorous academic foundation with an award-winning approach to student mentorship and career readiness. With a vibrant campus community of 2,400 students and around 1,000 employees, Denison offers employees a supportive work environment dedicated to educational excellence and professional growth.

Denison provides a number of staff-focused benefits, with some highlights:

• 10% contribution to your retirement
• 22 vacation days
• 3 floating holidays
• Comprehensive and inexpensive healthcare benefits
• Paid campus closure from Christmas to New Years
• Free parking and gym membership
• Free classes for employees

Additional Background Information

Denison University is an independent, coeducational, residential college of liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1831, Denison is one of the earliest colleges to be established in the old "Northwest Territory," west of the Allegheny Mountains and north of the Ohio River. Denison University is a leading liberal arts college where faculty and students collaborate in research, civic engagement, & cultivation of independent thinking. As a leader among the nation's top residential liberal arts colleges, Denison has earned a reputation for academic rigor that is rivaled only by its commitment to preparing students for a lifetime of personal, professional and civic success.

EEOC Notice

Denison is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Title IX Notice

Sex discrimination is prohibited by federal law through Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Denison does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that it operates including admissions and employment. For Denison's official Notice of Non-Discrimination, please visit https://denison.edu/forms/non-discrimination-notice. You can learn more about Title IX at Denison at https://denison.edu/campus/title-ix.

Reasonable Accommodation

Job seekers who may need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should contact the Office of Human Resources at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].