Spertus Institute. 100 Years of Jewish learning for a better world
Spertus Institute. 100 Years of Jewish learning for a better world

Assistant Director for Digital Marketing

Summary

Can you picture yourself promoting graduate and professional programs that provide the skills to build stronger Jewish communities?

Spertus Institute, a Chicago-based center for higher Jewish learning, seeks an adept and creative Assistant Director for Digital Marketing.

We are looking for a results-driven marketer with hands-on, cross-platform experience, ready to roll up their sleeves and help us grow.

About the Position

This position will be responsible for marketing Spertus Institute’s acclaimed graduate, professional, and public programs, which are the heart of Spertus Institute’s mission. These programs are for adult learners, with many of our students and alumni serving in vital roles in Jewish communities worldwide.

The work of the Assistant Director for Digital Marketing is critical to Spertus Institute’s brand awareness, institutional engagement, student recruitment, and fundraising. We will look to the person in this position to maintain successful initiatives from our current marketing and expand to new channels to drive growth.

We are looking for a social media-savvy strategic thinker with strong communication and collaboration skills. The Assistant Director of Digital Marketing will have a proven track record of developing and executing successful digital marketing campaigns and strong project management skills.

This is a hybrid position with at least three days per week spent onsite at Spertus Institute’s award-winning downtown Chicago facility.

Responsibilities

Website Content

The Assistant Director for Digital Marketing will be Spertus Institute’s key staff member in charge of website content, including editorial voice, design consistency, quality, and user experience. They will work in close partnership with the Director of Academic Communications, our in-house Website Developer, and staff members across the institution to:

  • Develop market-based goals for website usage, engagement, and growth
  • Drive digital content creation, including graphics, photography, audio, and video
  • Keep abreast of marketing trends, SEO best practices, and advancements in technology, introducing new initiatives as relevant to our audiences and communications needs
  • Maintain brand creativity and consistency

Email Marketing

  • Manage busy, effective email marketing campaign schedule, closely tied to academic and program calendars
  • Write copy, spec images, manage templates, and maintain schedule for emails that drive engagement, enrollment, and fundraising, working closely with academic and development colleagues
  • Manage lists and set segmentation strategy

Social Media

  • Develop an integrated social media plan (including organic and paid posts) tied to brand building, student recruitment, fundraising, and alumni relations
  • Produce and/or oversee social media postings to grow impact on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, including creating video content for reels and stories
  • Create and grow a Spertus YouTube channel to support communication goals
  • Through daily usage, grow social as a key communications tool that drives website traffic and enhances student recruitment
  • Monitor conversations, analyze performance, and optimize social media presence

Advertising

Manage all aspects of Spertus Institute’s digital advertising. This includes:

  • Create annual advertising plan and budget
  • Work with advertisers (primarily Jewish digital media) to manage schedule, placements, prices, and vendor relations
  • Write copy, work with designer(s) on creative execution
  • Manage fulfillment, payment, and evaluation
  • Plan, produce, and post social media advertising
  • Monitor key performance indicators to track the success of campaigns and optimize performance, using Google Analytics and other tools

Evaluation

  • Set objectives and monitor performance across communications channels
  • Conduct marketing research through strategies such as A/B testing to guide decision making
  • Manage tracking systems and analytics to evaluate marketing effectiveness
  • Learn from usage patterns and foster data-driven growth

Qualifications

The Assistant Director for Digital Marketing will have:

  • A track record of success in the creation and execution of marketing strategies that generate results
  • Exceptional project management skills with proven ability to plan and successfully manage simultaneous projects with numerous components and firm deadlines
  • Proven experience executing successful email marketing campaigns, including understanding of segmentation and list management
  • Social media savvy with ability to integrate social into a comprehensive communication strategy
  • Proficiency in analytics tools to track performance metrics and optimize campaigns for better results
  • Graphic design experience or understanding of graphic design and experience working with designers
  • Ability to problem-solve and grow with limited on-site technical assistance

Technical Requirements

  • WordPress proficiency
  • Experience with Microsoft Suite, Adobe Suite including Photoshop, and Canva
  • Experience with CRMs and MailChimp or similar email marketing software
  • Experience managing media assets (especially photography and video)
  • Basic photography and video expertise (advanced video production expertise a big plus)

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, or a related area
  • Five or more years of progressive marketing experience
  • Experience working in higher education or the nonprofit sector
  • Proficiency with search engine optimization
  • Basic proficiency with Google Ads and Google Analytics (advanced proficiency or certification a plus)
  • Proficiency with design software and HTML
  • Ability to work weekend or evening hours if required for programs, events, and/or media production
  • Jewish community knowledge, familiarity, or interest

Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $60,000-75,000

Attractive benefit package includes:

  • Vacation and paid sick leave
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Retirement savings/401K plan
  • Employee assistance program
  • Early Friday closures and Jewish and secular holidays

The Assistant Director for Digital Marketing will report to the Director of Academic Communications.

To Apply

Submit a resume, cover letter, and 3-5 samples of your work representing copywriting, social media, and videos. Applications will be reviewed as received until the position is filled.

Apply

Spertus Institute is an established DBA for Spertus College of Judaica.

 

About Spertus Institute Programs

Degree & Certificate Programs: At our core are degree and certificate programs in which students engage with Jewish ideas in the service of personal growth, community leadership, and professional advancement. These offerings, which merge theory and practice, educate Jewish professionals, community leaders, and those who seek quality, reflection-driven Jewish Studies scholarship. They serve students and organizations around the world.

Many Ways to Learn: Our academic and professional offerings are complemented by onsite and online programs, in an array of formats that invite people of all backgrounds and denominations to experience the richness of Jewish learning and culture. These programs are open to all. Every year thousands of participants increase their understanding of Jewish history, culture, and beliefs.

Why Work at Spertus?

Spertus Institute is a nondenominational institution of higher Jewish education, proudly based in Chicago and increasingly serving students around the world. Its offerings include graduate degree programs in Jewish Studies, Jewish Education, and Jewish Professional Studies, as well as a range of sophisticated professional and public programming.

Founded in 1924 as Chicago’s College of Jewish Studies, Spertus Institute today offers dynamic learning opportunities, rooted in Jewish wisdom and culture and open to all. These opportunities enable personal growth, train future leaders, and engage individuals in exploration of Jewish life. Spertus Institute is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is guided by core values that inform its operations and programming.

For Spertus, this is a time of exciting opportunity and growth. Tied to a new Strategic Plan, we are building our standing as a leading center for thoughtful and relevant applied Jewish learning, with programs that address current and emerging needs. About to enter our second century as an academic institute with renewed vigor and vision, we are expanding the Spertus team to achieve ambitious academic and global expansion goals.

What is it like to work at Spertus? Here is what our staff has to say.

In our most recent employee survey, 9 out of 10 employees agreed that:

  • Their work contributes to the organization’s mission, strategy, and goals.
  • They have what they need to be successful in their roles.
  • They are comfortable asking for help from others on their team.
  • They have confidence in the leadership of the organization.
  • Spertus demonstrates care and concern for its employees.

If this is what you would like to be saying about your workplace, Spertus just might be the place for you.

Spertus Institute provides equal opportunity in all employment practices to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, ancestry, color, religion, gender, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, marital status, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, transfer, disciplinary action, layoff, return from layoff, training, and social and recreational programs. All such employment decisions will be made without unlawfully discriminating on any prohibited basis.