About the position
This position serves as a dedicated marketing and communications lead for WVU Hospitality Group, a unit that oversees campus dining services and catering. The Marketing Strategist will work closely with the Marketing Manager for WVU's food service vendor to collaboratively plan and execute marketing strategies, write communications plans and announcements, and promote dining events, services and initiatives to WVU students, families, faculty and staff. The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and a skilled communicator with experience developing communications plans, creating email campaigns, supporting events, handling media inquiries and working with cross-functional teams. This role is key to shaping how students experience dining at WVU and involves close collaboration with campus partners and the food service vendor to ensure messaging is accurate, timely and engaging.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development and implementation of strategic marketing and communications plans for WVU Hospitality Group, including annual and semester-based campaign strategies.
- Handle day-to-day development and management of communications and plans.
- Manage projects from beginning to end and monitor progress and outcomes based on goals and deadlines.
- Develop and execute seasonal campaign planning for the fall, spring and summer semesters.
- Conduct post-campaign analysis, develop reports, and identify best practices.
- Represent WVU Hospitality Group at New Student Orientation, Discover WVU, Decide WVU and other campus events throughout the year.
- Organize and execute WVU Hospitality Group events, including occasional evenings and weekends, to support student engagement and assist with capturing content.
- Make updates to the WVU Hospitality Group website and social media accounts, as needed.
- Manage digital signage to run on monitors across campus using the University's signage management system.
- Design and schedule HTML email communications to students with dining plans using Mailchimp.
- Write announcements and promotional content for distribution through Unews, E-News, the WVU calendar, Mountaineer Parents Club, Student Life newsletters and other campus channels.
- Manage and approve all vendor-designed digital and print materials that use WVU branding to ensure brand compliance.
- Foster and build excellent partnerships with internal WVU units such as Student Life and Mountaineer Parents Club to ensure consistent messaging.
- Work with the campus dietitian to promote nutrition and allergy services available to students.
- Serve as the primary communications contact for WVU Hospitality Group and liaison to the food service vendor.
- Collaborate with Strategic Communications on external media inquiries related to WVU Hospitality Group.
- Lead regular marketing meetings with WVU Hospitality Group and the food service vendor to align on goals and campaigns.
- Stay current on marketing trends and develop creative strategies to increase engagement.
- Ensure all content aligns with University brand standards and supports strategic goals while meeting vendor needs.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations or a related field.
- A minimum of two (2) years of related professional experience.
- Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
- All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.
Nice-to-haves
- Familiarity with WVU brand guidelines and communication channels.
- Experience working in higher education or with a student audience.
Benefits
- 37.5-hour work week.
- 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar).
- 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave).
- 18 sick days per year.
- WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits.
- 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks.
- Wellness programs.
