Description

Senior Recruitment Marketing Coordinator
Office of Marketing & Communications
The Grainger College of Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Office of Marketing and Communications in The Grainger College of Engineering seeks applicants for a Senior Recruitment Marketing Coordinator position. This position is responsible for assisting in developing, executing, and measuring strategic marketing communications plans that recruit and yield top students and support the Grainger Engineering brand. This position plays an integral role in connecting our activity to impact by optimizing the coordination and production of student recruitment marketing activities and initiatives for Grainger Engineering; producing marketing content; coordinating and conducting market research and regularly delivering performance data reports that inform strategic direction; and assisting in providing quality assurance for college recruitment marketing materials.

Duties & Responsibilities

Marketing Coordination

• Produce and implement marketing activities and initiatives that deliver on Grainger Engineering recruitment goals and strategic plans, ensuring that they are executed within budgets and deadlines. Manage project progress, identify potential issues and proactively communicate updates to key stakeholders.
• Create, write and coordinate marketing tactics including emails, direct mail, ads, webpages, print materials, collateral, social and paid media, etc. in support of recruitment marketing goals.
• Propose and implement new marketing strategies to positively impact unit goals
• Work within OMC project management software (Asana) and system, maintaining accountability for projects and tasks.
• Initiate, organize and engage stakeholders within OMC and across college units to ensure seamless coordination and alignment of marketing initiatives. Foster strong working relationships and promote effective communication across teams.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for paid advertisement in support of graduate program recruitment, building strong collaborative relationships with vendors and campus colleagues.
• Actively monitor marketing industry trends, best practices and emerging technologies. Present as needed to OMC leadership, staff and academic leaders on insights and recommendations and collaboratively implement to enhance marketing strategies and tactics.
• Provide quality assurance on marketing materials produced for academic units and the college.

Strategy and Planning

• Coordinate with MarCom colleagues and manage relationships with external vendors and agencies (including media buyers, digital marketing consultants, etc.) to generate strong recruitment marketing campaigns and programs across paid and owned media.
• Strategize, develop, monitor, analyze and refine paid media for recruitment marketing.
• Serve as a marketing strategic partner/liaison to foster strong relationships between college units and OMC. Proactively communicate, collaborate, and regularly present on marketing activity and performance metrics to stakeholders.
• Manage and execute marketing efforts and derive maximum benefit from unit partnerships to reach unit and college recruitment goals.
• Coordinate annual recruitment marketing planning and priority setting for academic units in concert with the Graduate Programs Office and OMC leadership.
• Lead the ideation, coordination and execution of various unit marketing campaigns, particularly campaigns centered around recruitment. Ensure alignment with Grainger Engineering and University of Illinois brand and marketing strategies and guidelines.

Tracking and Reporting

• Proactively coordinate and develop success metrics, organize channel performance data, and provide regular reports on campaign progress.
• Manage data dashboards as needed for college and collaborating units.
• Manage marketing campaigns and activities to ensure activity correlation to impact through appropriate digital tracking and regular reporting.

Other

• Assume additional duties related to marketing and communications to further the mission of The Grainger College of Engineering.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations or a closely related field.
• Three (3) years of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management or a related professional area.
• Demonstrated experience with social media management, web analytics tools and/or data-driven decision making.
• Demonstrated experience managing digital advertising and/or paid media campaigns in a marketing communications environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in marketing and/or communications for higher education.
• Demonstrated experience with CMS platforms, design software (Adobe Creative Suite, Canva), email marketing platforms and CRM systems (Slate).
• Master’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills with demonstrated ability to engage a variety of audiences across multiple platforms and channels.
• Expertise in paid digital marketing with the ability to develop, optimize and analyze campaigns while leveraging owned, earned and paid media for integrated marketing strategies.
• Knowledge of AP Style and ability to maintain consistency in quality, tone and style following college brand and editorial standards.
• Demonstrated organizational and time-management skills with the ability to handle multiple complex projects simultaneously, meet tight deadlines and adapt to changing priorities.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to work both independently with initiative and collaboratively in team environments. Includes the ability to develop effective working relationships with faculty, staff, vendors and stakeholders.
• Excellent customer service and public relations skills with commitment to supporting internal and external stakeholders effectively.
• Strong analytical skills with proven ability to derive insight from data to inform strategic marketing decisions and optimize campaign performance.
• Cultural competency and awareness of diverse audiences, including the ability to apply cross cultural insight to audience segmentation, messaging strategy, and campaign development across varied communities and markets.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5004 - Marketing Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. The budgeted salary range for this position is $65,000- $70,000. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity. Hybrid work options may be available for this position, with the ability to be on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus as needed per the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy. This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on November 8, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Please upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact Rachael Coleman at rfoll2@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - the state’s flagship public university and one of the world’s leading research institutions - every staff member helps shape what’s next. Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you’re empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal, or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 1038421
Job Category: Professional and Administrative
Apply at: jobs.illinois.edu