Director, Institutional Communications & Content

Denison University; Granville Township (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

10% retirement contribution

22 paid vacation days + 3 floatinghols

Free parking and gym membership

Free classes for employees

Full tuition coverage for dependents

Job summary

Denison University in Granville, Ohio, seeks an experienced marketing communications professional to lead institutional communications and content. Reporting to the AVP, this director will guide a writers team and collaborate with social, design, digital, and web colleagues to shape editorial content and persuasive marketing materials.

The ideal candidate has at least seven years in internal and external communications, with strong writing, project management, and partnership-building skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Seven years of experience in content planning and marketing communications.
• Experience creating internal and external communications.
• Experience managing projects with on-time delivery.
• Strong editing and AP style knowledge.
• Familiarity with evolving digital discoverability practices.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with campus leaders to develop communications strategies.
• Translate university priorities into internal and external communications plans.
• Develop internal communications for email, web, and print.
• Improve consistency and coordination of campus communications.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy and quality with attention to detail.
• Lead the editorial calendar and cross-functional content projects.

Skills

exceptional writing

detail-oriented project management

communications planning

partnership building

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Google Workspace

Drupal

Hubspot

Asana

Emma

Slack

Job description

Denison University seeks an experienced and skilled marketing communications professional to serve as its next director of institutional communications & content. Reporting to the associate vice president of university communications & marketing, the director of institutional communications & content is a key partner on communications matters across Denison’s campus and routinely leads high-impact projects alongside talented and collaborative cross-functional teams. With content creation and management being a primary focus, this role leads a group of talented, experienced writers and works closely with a team of exceptionally creative University Communications & Marketing colleagues, including social media, photo/video, design, digital, and web development professionals.

Denison seeks applicants with at least 7 years of experience implementing internal and external communications and marketing content strategies for brands, including developing thoughtful communications plans, compelling editorial content, and persuasive marketing materials. The ideal candidate will possess advanced skills in the following four areas:

• exceptional writing and editing (both editorial and marketing)
• detail-oriented project management
• communications and content planning
• a demonstrated ability to build collaborative, effective partnerships

Division Overview

University Communications & Marketing advances Denison's strategic priorities through integrated marketing, communications, and brand management. The department develops strategies and campaigns that strengthen the university's reputation, support student recruitment, deepen alumni engagement, and increase visibility among key audiences.

Responsibilities

Campus Communications Management (30%)

• Collaborate with leaders across campus on communication strategy
• Translate university priorities into communications plans that inform internal audiences.
• Partner with departments to develop internal communications for email, web, and print.
• Improve the effectiveness, consistency, and coordination of campus communications.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy and quality with an attention to detail.

Marketing Content Development (25%)

• Create and execute marketing content plans with cross-functional creative teams.
• Create compelling, persuasive audience-centered promotional copy and content.
• Contribute to the development of channel-optimized brand content experiences.
• Guide narrative structure, message hierarchy, user journeys, and multimedia integration.
• Learn and apply the latest AEO, SEO, and digital content optimization best practices.

News, Publication, & Editorial Storytelling (25%)

• Develop news articles about campus announcements and updates for web and print.
• Showcase the experiences of Denison’s audiences in digital news stories and features.
• Maintain UCM’s editorial calendar aligned with key events and tentpole moments.
• Support the planning, writing, editing, and production of Denison Magazine.

Content Planning & Project Management (20%)

• Manage workflows, editorial calendars, project deadlines, and content coordination.
• Provide strong editing support and feedback to strengthen audience impact.
• Use analytics and audience insights to learn from and strengthen content effectiveness.
• Monitor trends in internal communications, AI, digital storytelling, and audience behavior.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Exceptional writing (editorial and marketing), editing, and organizational skills.
• At least seven years of experience in content planning and marketing communications.
• Experience creating communications for both internal and external audiences.
• Experience developing project timelines and managing projects for on-time delivery.
• A demonstrated ability to build deeply collaborative and effective partnerships.
• Experience as both a supervisor and a manager of cross-functional teams.
• Strong knowledge of editing and AP style, and an attention to detail.
• Demonstrated understanding of AEO, SEO, and evolving digital discoverability practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, corporate communications, or agency environments.
• Magazine, publication, and print collateral development experience.
• Proactive and reactive media relations and reputation management experience.
• Social media content development and digital advertising experience.
• Experience analyzing content performance data and developing monthly reports.
• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Drupal, Hubspot, Asana, Emma, and Slack.

Why Choose Denison?

Denison University is a leading private liberal arts college located in Granville, Ohio, just 25 minutes east of Columbus, Ohio, one of the fastest-growing innovation economies in the Midwest. Founded in 1831, Denison is nationally recognized for its rigorous academics, strong career preparation, and commitment to experiential learning. Through programs such as Denison Edge and partnerships with regional employers, startups, and civic organizations, Denison actively connects talent to opportunity across the central Ohio economy.

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

• 10% contribution to your retirement
• 22 annual paid vacation days + 3 floating holidays
• Free parking and gym membership
• Free classes for employees
• Full tuition coverage for dependents

Salary Range: 90,000 - 100,000

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.

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].

Want to learn more about us? Visit Denison.edu for more information.