Digital Marketing Strategist/Web Developer

The Digital Marketing Strategist/Web Developer reports to the Executive Director of Marketing, who leads the University’s Marketing Department. The Digital Marketing is responsible for developing innovative, reusable Web-based tools for progressive online activism and community building. The Web Developer will work closely with project managers, strategists and all internal and external design team members to develop specifications and make recommendations on the use of new and emerging technologies. Programming, graphic design and database administration are all elements of this position.  The Web Developer will also assist with social media platforms and video placement to engage the online user experience. The role requires an innovator, a trendsetter, and a progressive thinker who can connect digital to all other aspects of Life University and drive growth opportunities.

The Digital Marketing Strategist answers key questions such as how brands are communicated and experienced through digital interactions, and how digital interactions fit into broader customer experiences. This person handles the day-to-day operations of projects, including research, scope development, and job execution. This person serves as a vital role in promoting integration of cross-functional teams and ensuring a seamless delivery of all work to internal customers and external partners.

As a brand ambassador of Life University, a key element is to position Life University in any written or visual communications. To build our Life University brand strength, it is essential the current look and feel be upheld through visual and written communications throughout all channels and media so that the integrity of the brand is realized on campus, in the community, throughout the nation and around the world. What we have here at Life University is special; therefore, this position will maximize that potential by working together to stay on brand and unified in our verbal and non-verbal communications.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with internal Life University Web task force, IT, Marketing, Executive Office and other external members of the web development team, to develop detailed specification documents with clear project deliverables and timelines, and to ensure timely completion of deliverables.
• Produce project estimates during process, including expertise required, total number of people required, total number of development hours required, etc.
• Attend regular web meetings during the entire process and during development
• Work with Marketing and IT departments and project managers to build and refine graphic designs for websites. Must have strong skills in Photoshop, Fireworks, or equivalent application(s).
• Convert raw images and layouts from graphic designer into CSS/XHTML themes.
• Determine appropriate architecture and other technical solutions and make relevant recommendations.
• Communicate and report to Marketing with efficiency and accuracy on any progress and/or delays.
• Engage in outside-the-box thinking to provide high value-of-service to the Life Community on internal and external projects.
• Alert colleagues to emerging technologies or applications and the opportunities to integrate them into operations and activities.
• Be actively involved and regularly contribute to the development community of relevant CMS (Content Management Systems) by having expertise in WordPress but proficiency in others such as Drupal and Joomla.
• Ability to recommend new systems that could emerge in the future.
• Develop innovative, reusable Web-based tools for activism and community building.
• Ability to manage, respond and collaborate social media platforms for all University activity.
• Understanding of DNS, redirects, masking and IP naming systems.
• Develops unique strategies and builds upon current client strategies within the digital arena to meet/exceed objectives.
• Executes projects to be high quality, on time and cost-effective/on budget.
• Fosters timeline development and monitors progress, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Manages overall project scope and ensures staffing assumptions adhere to budget.
• Develops strong, trusting relationships between internal and external partners, providing leadership and support during strategy, ideation, and execution.
• Manages internal customers and external partners expectations, bringing issues/concerns to clients' attention before they become problems, offering potential solutions, and advising of potential delivery delays.
• Manages work of assigned web developer internal and external.
• Works with project managers to ensure team is aligned to internal customer and external partner requirements.
• Proactively keeps abreast of marketing and media plans, and provides technological solutions including rich media, site optimization, promotional ideas, mobile, social networks, viral, etc.
• Implement and Monitor effective tracking for measuring the impact of print, social, digital campaigns and search for ROI.
• Implement, monitor and adjust digital search display and retargeting ads.
• Writes communications briefs, analytic reports ensuring that creative and media are effectively integrated.
• Manages research studies that yield rich insights into consumer online behavior and key motivational/attitudinal behavior.
• Develops a total understanding of online target audience and mindset modes.
• Provides campaign performance reporting and analysis to Marketing Director.
• Ensures accountability is established during the project planning process.
• Manages GDPR and all compliance is met on life.edu and micro site.

Requirements: 

• Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least five (5) to seven (7) years of development experience using extensible web authoring tools.
• Must have strong skills in Photoshop, Fireworks, or equivalent application(s).
• Experience developing and implementing open-source software projects.
• Self-starter with strong self-management skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Master’s degree preferred in Computer Science or Information Systems. 
• Able to perform duties independently with general supervision.
• Must be able to travel (regionally) approximately 10-30% of the time.  
• Ability to operate standard office equipment and follow office procedures.
• Effective oral communication skills. Written skills must be excellent.
• Able to cultivate and manage key relationships, to negotiate with and persuade others, to speak in front of small and large groups and to communicate well.
• Must be a self-starter
• Ability to communicate with all levels.  
• Able to organize work, engage in a variety of tasks simultaneously and consistently meet deadlines.
• Computer skills; word processing and spreadsheet software capabilities.
• Must possess strong attention to detail.