Assistant Director, Engagement Marketing

Department: Alumni Relations & Development

Salary/Grade: EXS/6

Job Summary:

The Assistant Director for Engagement Marketing will execute email campaigns and registration/website pages to support groups, broad-based programs, and events. These initiatives will help strategically cultivate alumni and students in meaningful ways that result in engaged volunteers and donors. This role serves on the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) team within Alumni Relations and Development (ARD).

Reporting to the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement within the NAA programs team, this role is an integral part of NAA marketing and communications, with key priorities including, but not limited to, building content in email platform, generating audience lists, producing related webpages and/or event registration forms, and scheduling and final execution of all the aforementioned items.

Please note: The target budgeted salary for this position is $60,000 to $64,000 annually. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University.

Please note: This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, up to two days remote and three onsite.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Administers and maintains existing strategic plans.
• Recommends changes and improvements as needed to maximize and ensure effective communications and best practices ultimately leading to a culture of engagement and participation with the University.

Collaboration

• Involves significant level of collaboration with internal team and department partners to accomplish strategic goals.
• Examples of key partnerships and work involved below:
• NAA - supporting online engagement efforts for signature programs, events, and initiatives
• ARD User Services - assisting with audience data management and advanced troubleshooting
• ARD Marketing and Communications - implementing best practices including accessibility, inclusive language, editorial style, and brand
• Other ARD teams (including, but not limited to, Annual Giving, Special Events, Athletics) - (minimal) collaboration as assigned

Events

• Markets and promotes NAA signature events and programmatic initiatives by executing broadcast emails and building individual web pages.
• Processes and maintains online event information via registration pages.
• Assists with occasional event execution as part of NAA team.

Administration

• Organizes and executes administrative aspects of production and distribution of constituent communications.
• Includes data manipulation.
• Optimizes the use of technology for marketing, communications, and data reporting and analysis.
• Participates in NAA team meetings and ARD departmental meetings, and performs general administrative duties related to employment therein.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 2 years of development, marketing, sales or the equivalent experience is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• High level of organization - Manages multiple priorities effectively in a fast‑paced environment. Maintains clear systems for tracking tasks, deadlines, and information, ensuring reliability and follow‑through.
• Attention to detail - Produces accurate, high‑quality work with minimal oversight. Carefully reviews information, identifies inconsistencies, and ensures precision across all deliverables.
• Collaboration and accountability - Builds relationships across teams, departments, and stakeholder groups while demonstrating ownership and accountability for shared work and collective outcomes.
• Analytical thinking - Applies critical reasoning to think through problems and make sound decisions on next steps.
• Communication and Self-Awareness - Adapts communication approaches to foster understanding and build productive relationships while demonstrating awareness of personal communication style, strengths, and areas for growth.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• Experience working with Salesforce products (i.e. Marketing Cloud, Blackthorn Events) or similar database(s) preferred
• Experience working with a content management system for basic web editing (i.e. Cascade CMS) preferred
• Experience working with a constituent records management system preferred

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Strategic lens -Brings an understanding of marketing and communications and project management best practices and identifies potential opportunities for adjustments and improvements.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.