Reports to: Assistant Vice President for Recruitment Marketing

Job Status: Exempt

Position Summary

HBU seeks a dynamic, creative, self-motivated individual with experience and skills in web content management, writing and editing for the web, and presenting information visually. The digital content editor is a new position with two key responsibilities: 1) leading content strategy, analysis and creation for the institutional HBU.edu website and 2) directing content strategy for enrollment-focused web pages, printed collateral, mass email campaigns, trigger and drip email campaigns, text messages and other forms of digital communication for prospective students, their parents, high school counselors and other influencers.

The successful candidate will serve as an exemplary digital content producer, consistent with our university’s Christian values and mission. The Digital Content Editor will integrate search engine optimization research findings and recommendations into the web content writing and editing as a daily concern.

Job Responsibilities:

• Edit existing material for online reading or viewing, ensuring accuracy, clarity, conciseness and relevance. Proactively review content and check links on the most popular HBU.edu pages.
• Determine internal subject matter experts and collaborate with them for the creation or update of externally facing content.
• Lead acquisition, creation or selection of photographs, images, graphics, videos and infographics to support text. Guide the development of these supporting elements by working collegially with the web/UI designer, university photographer and/or web developer.
• Lead the creation, editing and improvement of high visibility HBU.edu web pages, emails and social media posts.
• Coordinate the review of draft pages with subject matter experts and stakeholders.
• Ensure key messages are prominent.
• Using our search engine optimization (SEO) platform, research opportunities for increasing the visibility of HBU.edu pages in organic search. Implement recommendations from the platform into web pages on your own or with a team member. Work collaboratively with faculty and staff to edit, expand or write new material to take advantage of identified SEO opportunities.
• Manage the home page photo feature by handling requests and identifying broad appeal topics, working with the subject matter expert(s) to update or create the linked supporting web page if needed. Write headline and short copy for the feature and assist the web/UI designer in finding photography and images and/or guide efforts to design graphics and animation that will work at both desktop and smartphone dimensions.
• Work collaboratively with faculty and staff to review and edit mass emails for brevity, clarity, accuracy, relevance to the selected audience(s) and maximum user-friendliness on smartphones. For incomplete requests, assist in gathering copy, subject line, sender address, event details and links. Write and edit subject lines for appeal.
• Regularly review popular HBU.edu web pages to fact check, link check, update for accuracy and relevance, and improve their appeal and user-friendliness. Regularly monitor keywords being searched on the HBU.edu internal search engine to ensure topical relevance of search results on the public-facing website.
• Stay abreast of new trends in online marketing and communication to positively influence the direction of colleagues’ work. Also monitor other universities’ online communications and share interesting observations with the team.
• Occasionally produce social media posts to include acquisition, selection, cropping and optimizing of image(s) and text. Work collaboratively with web/UI designer, video production specialist and director of Innovation and Strategic Marketing to shape colorful posts about HBU with an eye to maximizing shares.
• Review print collateral requests submitted to external vendors for congruence with online communications. Edit material for accuracy, relevance, conciseness and clarity.
• Assist in development of web and email style standards.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree preferably in journalism, English, communications, marketing or related field
• Demonstrated experience editing, writing or creating outstanding online marketing and/or institutional communication materials for an organization
• Exceptional web editorial skills including the ability to conceive new web pages or emails and guide the work of a designer and/or developer to design and produce
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Outlook
• Knowledge of marketing and communication trends
• Strong verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written communication skills
• Ability to utilize various social media platforms
• Ability to collaborate well with others

Preferred Qualifications:

• Three to five years of demonstrated experience editing, writing or creating outstanding online marketing and/or institutional communication materials for an organization
• At least one year of experience working collaboratively with a designer and/or developer in the selection of elements for and layout of web pages and designed emails
• At least one year of experience working with Wordpress for web content management (experience with other web content management systems will be considered)
• Knowledge of key topics and current issues in higher education
• Social media editing and management for an organization, higher education preferred
• Any experience as an online video producer – coordinating talent, scriptwriting, editing, etc.
• Demonstrated experience writing or editing materials for brevity and user-friendliness on smartphones
• Understanding of HTML tags preferred
• Search engine optimization experience

Additional Information:

Applicants are encouraged to submit examples of web content and/or mass emails.

Houston Baptist University is committed to maintaining a teaching faculty and staff who share an active Christian faith. The Preamble to the By-Laws of the University sets forth a statement of belief which each University employee is expected to support and personify. Your submittal of an application for employment indicates your acceptance and affirmation of these statements.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements of personnel.

**Disclaimer**

Background checks are performed on every new hire. If your application is selected to continue with the interviewing process, you will be required to submit a Background Check form. If you decline, your application may be denied. By proceeding with the online application, you understand and accept this process.