Strategic Marketing & Communications Leader

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking a Marketing Associate within the Extension Marketing and Communications team. The role oversees strategic messaging, media relations, and brand reputation, while supervising staff and interns across statewide campaigns.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree and at least five years in marketing or communications, with leadership experience and a strong track record in strategic initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area that included experience leading strategic communications initiatives.
• Experience supervising, managing, or providing direct leadership to staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and prioritization of feature stories and other strategic content, balancing organizational priorities with the needs of multiple stakeholders and audiences.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to develop and distribute integrated communications across platforms.
• Define communications and publicity goals and use performance data to inform content strategy, channel selection, and future efforts.
• Develop reporting mechanisms and processes that support consistent analysis and data-informed decision-making.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Media relations

Brand management

Leadership

Strategic communications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or closely related field

Master's degree in communications, marketing, education, business administration, design, international relations, public relations, or closely related field

Job description

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking a Marketing Associate within the Extension Marketing and Communications team. The role oversees strategic messaging, media relations, and brand reputation, while supervising staff and interns across statewide campaigns.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree and at least five years in marketing or communications, with leadership experience and a strong track record in strategic initiatives.