Job Title

About The UniversityWe have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.About The College/DepartmentOur External Relations team is responsible for promoting and raising awareness of our University’s brand in the UK and overseas. From creating all messaging and content for external campaigns and our website, to social media, and managing events – ours is a highly complex and expert marketing,PR and Internal Comms environment, key to making the University shine.This role sits within the Alumni and B2B team, where our focus is on building strong relationships, through industry engagement and growing our alumni community. We encourage alumni to stay engaged with the University and give back to support our students, while also assisting colleagues with graduate outcomes, student recruitment, and enhancing the overall student experience. We partner with industry across a range of sectors to ensure our research delivers real world impact and our curriculum is aligned to employer needs.About The RoleThis role will project manage the development and delivery of integrated marketing campaigns that are inspiring and impactful, to raise market awareness and drive quality lead acquisition and conversion in order that targets are met.You will support the Alumni and Business Marketing Manager in delivering marketing activities focused on building and enhancing relationships with businesses and alumni. You will lead and contribute to marketing campaigns across content marketing, digital marketing, social media, copywriting, and more. The role involves creating campaign plans, managing enquiries, gathering market intelligence, and producing engaging copy for a range of channels.You’ll collaborate with internal teams and external partners, contribute to cross-University marketing strategies, track and analyse campaign performance, and share best practice across departments. Acting as a positive University ambassador at events, you will also champion a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and adherence to best practices in marketing.This position is offered on a fixed-term basis to cover a period of maternity leave, with the contract due to end in early May 2026. There may be the potential for the contract to be extended beyond this date, however this cannot be guaranteed.About YouWe are seeking a motivated individual educated to undergraduate degree level or with equivalent experience, who has a proven track record of success in a similar role. The ideal candidate will have experience in creating and delivering integrated marketing campaigns using both traditional and digital methods, while managing multiple projects and keeping stakeholders informed throughout. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, with the ability to confidently interact with people at all levels in various situations.A customer service ethos which matches the University’s Values and Behaviours is essential; outstanding persuasion and influencing skills are a must, as is a passion for continuous improvement and a determination for excellence. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability and genuine interest in keeping abreast of the external environment with regards to relevant marketing, industry and higher education developments.Principal accountabilitiesSupport the Alumni and Business Marketing Manager in the planning and delivery of all aspects of marketing activity, specifically aligned to developing and enhancing relationships with businesses. Deliver marketing campaigns that will encompass, amongst other elements, content marketing, digital marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media, copywriting, and event delivery. Create plans for and lead on the delivery of specified elements of enquiry generation and ensure the CRM is effectively utilised as part of the process. Contribute to the development of effective campaign plans through intelligence gathering, market analysis and the reporting of tactical recommendations to senior colleagues. Write copy for a wide range of marketing channels, from digital profiles and case studies, to engaging social media content and publication copy to drive business relationships. Support the establishment of effective marketing models and protocols, implementing best practice across a range of delivery channels. Work with internal and external agencies and stakeholders to deliver and implement marketing activities. Contribute to the development of cross-University strategies through intelligence gathering, analysing the market and making recommendations to senior colleagues. Ongoing liaison with marketing colleagues across the University to ensure all campaign activities are co-ordinated effectively. Support the tracking, analysis and reporting of all campaigns activity against agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), drawing conclusions and making recommendations for future campaign delivery. Regularly meet with other Marketing Officers across the department to share best practice and ensure the optimisation of activities. Support the establishment of effective marketing models and protocols through implementing best practice and rolling this out across the University. Act with due care for Health and Safety of self and others. To be a positive ambassador for the University, representing it at events including Open Days, recruitment fairs and Schools and Colleges visits. Fully embrace a culture of continuous improvement which encourages team members to question the norms, try new things and be innovative and creative in their approach. Carry out any other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of the post as agreed with Line Manager.Person specificationEssential CriteriaQualificationsUndergraduate degree or equivalent experienceExperienceExperience and demonstrable success within a similar role Experience of developing and delivering effective integrated marketing campaigns – using both traditional and digital marketing methods Experience of digital marketing including website development and social media activities Experience of managing multiple projects and keeping key stakeholders regularly updated on progress Experience of reviewing campaign activity, reporting on outcomes and making recommendations to senior colleagues Experience of providing marketing advice to non-marketing colleaguesSkills, Knowledge And AbilitiesStrong ability to effectively manage multiple projects and activities within specified timeframes Highly organised with the ability to prioritise work & meet deadlines Creative flair, with innovative ideas and attention to detail Driven, self-motivated, pro-active and self-reliant with a positive and proactive manner, solutions focused and adaptive to change Not phased and thrives in a busy environment whilst able to work flexibly on own initiative and as part of a team Persuasive and resilient with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to confidently interact with people at all levels in a variety of situations Strives for excellence whilst fostering a team spirit which motivates and engages others to be innovative and to perform effectively Customer service ethos matching the University values and behavioursBusiness requirementsWillingness and flexibility to working hours (there will be a requirement to work occasional evenings / weekends on a pre-arranged basis and there may be occasional travel with overnight stays while attending planned external events) Willingness and ability to travel and work between University sites will be required Ability to work outside of normal working hours (including some evenings and weekends), to support the business during key University events, such as Graduation, Clearing and Open DaysDesirable CriteriaQualificationsCIM qualificationExperienceLine management and supervisory experience Experience working within Higher Education sector Experience providing reports and management information Experience organising marketing oriented events including webinars / virtual events Experience liaising with Media agencies and negotiating advertising packages and managing campaign deliverablesSkills, Knowledge And AbilitiesStrong understanding of GDPR regulations and their effects on marketing Excellent creative skills including copy writing, editing and proof-reading and an innovative approach to marketing Able to create graphics and images and digital media using a range of design tools and packages Able to create social media campaigns that are engaging and innovative Ability to work within brand style guideline Ability to monitor and review, analyse, evaluate and report on campaign performanceBenefitsGenerous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata) Local Government Pension Scheme Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers Discounted onsite gym Cycle to Work scheme A flexible working environment A commitment to personal and professional developmentFind out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefitsKey contactFor further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Marie Lawrence-Wilson, Alumni and Business Marketing Manager via enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via informationVisa Sponsorship EligibilityThe University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.Please visit Applying from Overseas for more information.Equity, diversity and inclusionThe University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.A university that celebrates youA university that celebrates youEnvironmental SustainabilityAt the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.Environment and sustainabilityEnvironment and sustainability #J-18808-Ljbffr