Position Summary: 

The Digital Marketing Strategist (DMS) is responsible for the development of the overall digital marketing strategy focused on increasing the number of annual donors and members to Colorado State University and engaging and activating alumni and donors. The DMS will grow the digital fundraising program through deploying effective strategies and techniques in digital advertising, administering the crowdfunding platform, developing a robust social media ambassador program, website promotions, giving days, and managing the texting platform. The Digital Marketing Strategist is responsible for increasing donors and dollars through online efforts to accomplish the mission of the Annual Giving unit and University Advancement. The DMS will use strong research and writing skills with exceptional organizational, analytical and project management skills to fulfill scope of work. The DMS will also commit to excellence surrounding the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring strategies engage constituents of all backgrounds and that constituents feel represented in programming and communications.

Required Job Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, Communications, Business, Engineering, or the Sciences
• Minimum of 2 years full-time professional experience, student experience considered, in annual giving, fundraising, communications, or a related field (alumni relations, or membership programs, social media)
• Proven experience with e-mail marketing, online giving processes, and systems.
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.

Preferred Job Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated knowledge of facets of fundraising in a University setting, such as annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, stewardship, etc.
• Experience with paid social advertising on social media platforms, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn.
• Ability to run web and email campaign analysis through analytics tools, such as Google Analytics.
• Experience with social media strategy and peer-to-peer social media ambassador programs.
• Experience with crowdfunding in a University setting and with working with Scalefunder or another crowdfunding platform
• Experience writing for development, particularly solicitations.
• Project management experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience working in a CRM or other relational database such as Advance or Raiser’s Edge (Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics for making data-driven decisions)
• Proficient in Adobe creative suite applications, and basic proficiency in video editing.
• Excellent communication skills, both orally and written.
• Ability to problem solve and adapt to rapidly changing situations and successfully manage multiple complex projects from start to finish
• Ability to work cross-functionally with academic and administrative leaders in a collaborative environment to conceive and implement innovative ideas

Diversity Statement: 

• Ability to advance the department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through research, teaching and outreach with relevant programs, goals and activities.

Essential Duties: 

Develop Robust Online Giving Strategies:

• Manage Colorado State University’s annual digital fundraising program to grow online giving and membership revenue, and overall donor and member counts, while achieving goals in audience conversion, engagement, and retention.
• Work alongside the Creative Strategist to develop the annual solicitation strategy, planning and implementing all digital tactics targeting diverse audiences of alumni, donors, members, parents, and faculty and staff by deploying cohesive content effectively utilizing data driven decisions to determine maximum impact; conduct audits to assess effectiveness of tactics.
• Project manage two large-scale giving days for the University: Giving Tuesday, and CSU’s Day of Giving in the spring, along with managing several digital donor/member sprints, and texting campaigns, and create and deploy web assets and toolkits to campus partners for various campaigns.
• Create engaging content through donor stories, and messages of impact to deploy on giving pages, in video projects, and other digital campaigns. Deploy content effectively, utilizing data driven decisions to determine maximum impact; conduct audits to assess effectiveness of tactics.
• Strategically solve advanced marketing challenges through segmentation strategy and implement A/B testing protocol and procedures.
• In partnership with the UA Engagement team, and UA’s Innovation Technology, Education and Analytics team, research new products, emerging technologies, and platforms and be the team expert making all digital recommendations.
• Responsible for managing both central and college/unit based electronic appeals.
• Serve as the key communication contact with campus partners in developing electronic solicitations and other advancement communications.
• Manage and create executive-level reporting for senior management regarding online activity and progress toward online giving objectives.
• Develop and own digital calendar
• Develop strategies to manage and continuously improve the donor experience.
• Ensure that strategy, programming, communications, and imagery are inclusive, accessible, and considers engagement of constituents of all backgrounds.

Social Media Management:

• Strategically act as a digital engagement officer using social channel tools to identify those whom influence and potential prospects, and identify colleagues to further engage.
• Develop a strategy for paid social advertising such as Facebook and Google ads, and sponsored posts, and develop and own a social calendar working alongside the Content and Creative Strategy team and CSU’s team social to weave strong fundraising language throughout our channels.
• Establish key performance indicators for each campaign for ongoing measurements (click through rates, and costs per click) toward future advertising activities.
• Proactively reimagine the CSU Social Media ambassador program by increasing member recruitment, content strategy, and managing relationships with University partners. The DMS will research and implement a new social media ambassador platform to focus on peer-to-peer fundraising and utilize social channels to identify influencers and prospects.
• Tactically work with multimedia tools to manage the University Advancement Social Media programs.
• Participate as an active member of the CSU Social Media committee.
• Ensure social outreach is representative of all backgrounds and consider how these tools can reach more unrepresented constituents.

Crowdfunding Management:

• Manage the CSU Crowdfunding platform, including administration of crowdfunding projects, enforcement of crowdfunding policies, and working with the administrator to enhance the platform.
• Cultivate and coordinate multiple crowdfunding projects annually and find ways to strengthen the relationship between university and donor interests.
• Solve issues that arise quickly and effectively, following through on project commitments assuring that critical timelines are met.
• Prepare for potential problems and look for fundraising opportunities in advance of launching a Crowdfunding project ensuring donors are being reached appropriately and the message content represents CSU in a favorable way.
• Responsible for procurement decisions and management of financial documents as it relates to the Crowdfunding project budget in association with the UA Finance office.

Develop Strategy for Annual Giving Growth:

• Contribute to the mission of the unit to increase dollars and donors through the efforts of digital fundraising; crowdfunding, online giving, and social media.
• Identify opportunities for growth in annual giving metrics through intensive data analysis
• Become an expert on Colorado State University and familiar with campus leadership to better respond to the needs of donors and staff.
• Actively participate as a staff member in the Division of University Advancement, attend Division-wide meetings and trainings, support Division-wide priorities and initiatives and serve on committees as time permits. Commit to growth on the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Actively participate as a staff member in alumni relations working events, programs, and volunteering time.

Special Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, all materials must be received by 11:59 pm (MT) on February 27th, 2022. Applications will be reviewed within two weeks of the full consideration date and all applicants will be notified of their status in the search.

Applicants should submit 1) a cover letter that demonstrates any and all of the required and preferred qualifications that they meet 2) a resume, and 3) three professional references noting name, phone number, email address, and professional relationship (one must be a current or former supervisor). References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.

Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action.