Graduate Studies Marketing and Recruitment Specialist

Location

Waterloo, ON | Canada

Job description

Responsible for establishing and managing the process and framework by which the Faculty of Health (HLTH) meets its overall enrolment management goals, including developing an integrated marketing, recruitment, and communications plan and conducting research and analysis to inform specific strategies, key messaging, and positioning. Plays a key role in engaging and educating HLTH faculty, staff, students, and alumni with respect to enrolment management, thus having a significant impact on the successful achievement of institutional enrolment management, retention, and revenue goals.

Responsible for providing expertise to develop and implement a marketing plan and recruitment strategy that will attract the best and brightest graduate students to enroll in the Faculty’s graduate programs

• Work with the Associate Dean and Graduate Associate Chairs/Directors in the academic units to establish enrolment priorities and develop an HLTH graduate program marketing plan and recruitment strategy
• Based on Faculty enrolment management goals, conducts research and analysis, and creates and effective research-based overall graduate, marketing, recruitment and communications plan aligned with HLTH goals, including but not limited to specific strategic objectives; key messages; resource allocation; positioning; and the operationalization of print, web, social media, relationship-building and event strategies
• Responsible for applying the UWaterloo recruitment brand and visual identity frameworks to HLTH graduate marketing and communications strategy development
• Responsible for developing effective solutions to problems that impact recruitment, for capitalizing on opportunities that help realize the Faculty’s enrolment management goals, and for determining initiatives that support a student-centred approach, focusing on high-touch customer service and conversations
• Identify and profile target audiences for the Faculty’s various graduate programs including, but not limited to, research-based programs, online course-based programs, and on campus course-based programs
• Identify and execute improvements to the recruitment and graduate student experience
• Identify and implement appropriate measures to evaluate success of the marketing plan and recruitment strategy
• Contributes HLTH expertise to inform institutional marketing strategies, providing an HLTH perspective at Graduate Studies Postdoctoral Affairs meetings, including but not limited to roundtable meetings, and leverages university-wide enrolment management strategies in the creation of the HLTH marketing, recruitment, and communications plan
• Identify, develop, promote and attend recruitment events and activities
• Provide event updates and liaise with appropriate individuals inside and outside the University
• Evaluate events and provide recommendations for improvement

Responsible for developing a research-based integrated graduate communications plan aligned with the HLTH enrolment management goals, including print, web, and new media strategies

• In consultation with the academic units, communication and undergraduate marketing staff, identify key messages for each program and target audience
• Manages all communications strategies from inception to successful completion, including but not limited to creating specific communications strategies for graduate recruitment, determining the mix and timing of communication strategies as well as the content and key messages to be included at all stages of the enrolment funnel, ensuring the accuracy of all information, and implementing a quality control process
• Develops and writes strategic, student-centred graduate recruitment communication, including but not limited to print pieces, content for graduate student section of the Faculty and academic units’ websites, and new social media initiatives, applying the UWaterloo positioning framework, ensuring that such initiatives reflect the university’s reputation for high quality and innovation, and verifying the integration of all strategies
• Leverages technology to achieve the objectives of the marketing, recruitment, and communications plan, including but not limited to the incorporation of new social media strategies to engage prospects in conversations
• Manages relationship with Creative Services, supervises and coordinates the production process, including the negotiation of production schedules, budgets, and the optimal way to communicate messages graphically
• Researches, writes and produces graduate studies promotional material
• Identifies and produces student, professor, employer, alumni and other appropriate testimonial stories in liaison with the academic units to create customized content to support a variety of research areas
• Writes and produces electronic and print advertising as required; identify and coordinate appropriate placement
• Develops and implements strategies for promoting graduate studies and maintaining contact with prospective students
• Plan and organize the launch of new graduate programs

Understands and applies current, relevant market research and institutional knowledge

• Keeps fully informed and knowledgeable about all aspects of programs, admissions, student life, visual identity and branding, success after graduation, and other issues related to prospective graduate HLTH students, applicants, and admitted students, including all relevant research, communications, recruitment initiatives, and how any changes impact the strategies for which they are responsible
• Maintains a clear understanding of generational characteristics, the needs of all audiences at different stages throughout the enrolment management funnel, and the motivations of current prospective graduate students
• Researches and recommends continuous improvements to HLTH marketing strategies and policies, and keeps current with respect to best practices, the individual differentiating strengths of each HLTH program, and the most effective methods of recruiting students to HLTH programs
• Keeps up to date with trends in recruitment, marketing, and communications; significant developments that impact the marketing of HLTH to all audiences; and the recruitment and communications practices of HLTH competitors
• Understands the role of research in evidence-based strategies, and with the collaboration of the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies as appropriate, establishes objectives, and designs, conducts, and analyzes research to inform decision-making, strategy development, messaging, and budget; to determine the optimal methods of evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the strategies for which they are responsible; and to ascertain and recommend the most effective enhancements
• Conducts quantitative and qualitative surveys, such as but not limited to questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and secondary data analysis
• Effectively interprets research findings to determine relevance to the HLTH marketing, recruitment, and communications plan and specific communications strategies, presents the results to HLTH stakeholders to gain buy-in for the HLTH recruitment approach, and makes informed and actionable recommendations to guide HLTH in achieving enrolment and retention goals

Collaborates, advises, and consults

• Advises the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and works collaboratively with Dean’s office team members to advance HLTH enrolment goals
• Works collaboratively and provides advice with a Faculty perspective with Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs team members who provide support, expertise, and resources to inform the UW marketing, recruitment, and communications plan
• Interacts and collaborates with Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, HLTH communications, faculty members, and colleagues; and staff from other departments to provide and obtain advice and to gather information to effectively inform the development and delivery of a comprehensive HLTH marketing plan, including specific recruitment and communications strategies
• With recognition and understanding of the disparate priorities and opinions of HLTH departmental personnel, proactively negotiates and builds effective relationships with HLTH stakeholders, such as faculty, staff, current students, and alumni, to engage and educate them with respect to key value propositions and the importance of a student-centred approach to recruitment
• Proactively and effectively manages and balances the expectations of HLTH faculty members to achieve HLTH enrolment management goals.

Project manages work flow and business practices

• Assumes project management and problem-solving responsibilities for all initiatives, including personnel, resources, time, and budget, ensuring proper monitoring and control of expenditures that result in the prudent use of institutional resources, value for money, and fiscal control so that the strategies for which they are responsible are delivered on budget
• Determines and applies appropriate key metrics for measuring the success of HLTH graduate initiatives
• Build data driven cyclical report on Faculty recruitment to develop and enhance marketing plan and recruitment strategy
• Report the outcomes of recruitment efforts, and incorporate recommendations for improvement into the marketing plan and recruitment strategy
• Creates and updates an annual tactics document that details the activities for which they are responsible
• Develops, writes and follows Marketing Action Plans that accurately documents all components of each particular marketing strategy for which they are responsible, and shares with graduate studies stakeholders across the Faculty

Other recruitment and administrative functions, including but not limited to:

• Understand admission requirements of each graduate program and maintain knowledge of internal and external graduate funding sources as well as post-graduation career options
• Represent HLTH graduate recruitment interests at meetings (e.g. university wide recruitment committee) and program activities as appropriate to ensure accuracy and currency of knowledge
• Facilitate faculty visits to promote graduate student recruitment
• Other duties as assigned

• University degree required; Master’s or equivalent strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience preparing marketing plans that have been informed by market research
• Proven writing ability in a variety of formats including web, brochures, advertising, and media
• Experience in student recruitment, preferably at the graduate level is an asset
• Independent judgement in areas of time management, task prioritization and decision-making
• Proven ability to manage a large volume of work, conflicting priorities and deadlines
• Strong verbal communication ability and presentation skills
• Thorough understanding of social media is essential
• Imagination and creativity
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Negotiating skills
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to work independently and as a collaborator
• Strong verbal communication ability and presentation skills
• Thorough understanding of social media is essential
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Negotiating skills
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to work independently and as a collaborator

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations .

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at  [email protected] or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.

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