Communications Coordinator

University of St. Francis; Joliet (IL); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

University of St. Francis is seeking a Communications Coordinator to lead enrollment communications across all student populations. The role supports recruitment, application completion and enrollment conversion, reporting to the Admissions Operations Manager.

The position emphasizes CRM management, multichannel messaging and content optimization. The coordinator will develop, deploy and assess email and SMS campaigns, coordinate with Marketing Services to ensure branding alignment, and help

Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, marketing, communications or a related field.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication and organizational skills.
• Detail‑oriented; can work independently in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities with accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead enrollment communications aligned with priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Build and deploy email and SMS campaigns across enrollment stages.
• Assess campaign performance and recommend improvements based on data.
• Maintain the enrollment communication calendar and ensure timely execution.
• Collaborate with admissions and campus stakeholders to align messaging with goals.
• Maintain CRM content blocks, templates and audience messaging.

Skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Self-starter

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Communications Coordinator

Position Summary

The Communications Coordinator is an hourly, non‑exempt position that provides independent leadership and operational execution for enrollment communications supporting all student populations across the university. This position reports to the Admissions Operations Manager and is responsible for developing, coordinating, deploying, and assessing multichannel communication strategies that support recruitment, application completion, and enrollment conversion. This role oversees communication planning, campaign execution, content management, and workflow optimization within the university's customer relationship management (CRM) system environment while ensuring all messaging aligns with institutional priorities, branding standards, and audience needs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for enrollment communications, ensuring alignment with divisional priorities and accountability for measurable outcomes related to recruitment and retention.
• Build, schedule, and deploy email and SMS campaigns designed to support movement of students through key stages of the enrollment lifecycle supporting all enrollment populations.
• Assess communication effectiveness and recommend improvements based on campaign performance data, enrollment trends, and identified operational needs.
• Maintain the comprehensive enrollment communication calendar and ensure timely execution of all scheduled communication initiatives.
• Collaborate with admissions staff and campus stakeholders to align communication priorities with enrollment goals and student engagement strategies.
• Maintain and update communication content blocks, templates, audience‑specific messaging, and communication asset libraries within the CRM.
• Partner closely with Marketing Services to ensure enrollment communications align with institutional branding, messaging standards, and marketing priorities.
• Support the development of event‑related communication content, landing pages, and promotional messaging.
• Build forms, portals, event pages, content snippets, and additional CRM components as directed.
• Maintain communication workflows and operational processes within the CRM to support efficient movement through enrollment pipelines.
• Provide regular reporting and recommendations to admissions and enrollment leadership regarding communication effectiveness and strategic opportunities.
• Oversee all outgoing letters, postcards, and brochures to prospective students.
• May assist with the supervision, training, and coordination of student workers supporting communication and content‑related projects.
• Assist with data entry for new student applications as needed.

Minimum Requirements

• Experience in higher education, marketing, communications or a related field
• Experience with Microsoft Word and Excel
• Experience using a CRM or campus information system (CIS)
• Excellent written/interpersonal communication and organizational skills
• Detail‑oriented, functions independently, self‑starter
• Ability to work accurately in a fast‑paced environment
• Strong prioritization skills
• Willingness to support the Catholic and Franciscan values of the university

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with SCT Banner (or other educational enterprise resource system) and Element451 (or other customer relationship management system)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
• Bachelor's degree

Hours / Shift / Work Schedule

Work is typically conducted Monday‑Friday, between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., but may also require some evenings and weekends as necessary.

Physical Requirements

Work is performed in an office setting with minimal exposure to health or safety hazards. Substantial time is spent working on a computer. This is sedentary work which requires the following physical activities: sitting, walking, bending, stooping, finger dexterity, repetitive motions, talking, hearing and visual acuity.

Notice of Nondiscrimination

The University of St. Francis does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs on the basis of any protected class. The University also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or harassment or participating in any internal or external investigation or complaint process related to allegations of misconduct. For a complete copy of USF's Policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Nondiscrimination for All Faculty, Students, Employees and Third Parties or for more information, please go to https://www.stfrancis.edu/titleix/ or contact the Title IX Coordinator at [e-mail].

Benefits

https://stfrancis.edu/employment/