Marketing Director Dell Social Innovation Challenge Austin, Texas, United States

Full-time position (40 hours/week)

Salary range: $75,000 - $85,000/year

Reports to: Executive Director

Apply here: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/hr/jobs/nlogon/120921018619

The Dell Social Innovation Challenge is the largest global social innovation competition for university students. Currently the program engages about 25,000 university students from over 100 countries. Our mission is to transform university students into active social innovators through our competitions, educational programs and our global online community. Our program and operations are global. For more information please visit www.dellchallenge.org

The Marketing Director will oversee all aspects of an integrated marketing and communications plan for the Dell Social Innovation Challenge and its evolving partner brand, Verb. He/She will be responsible for achieving specific performance targets in year one and beyond. More detailed responsibilities are outlined below. The Marketing Director will have a support team of Marketing Specialists and Graduate Assistants.

Key responsibilities and activities to include:


• Oversight of all marketing and communications related to the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, including:

- deploying effective global integrated marketing and communications initiatives to drive key performance indicators;

- testing and refining the marketing, social media and PR campaigns to maximize effectiveness and resource efficiency;

- working closely with Dell, the DSIC Account Manager and Verb team to set marketing and communications goals, align strategies and maximize available resources;

- developing and authoring an effective marketing strategy for the challenge, including customer segmentation, analysis of past and present marketing strategies, clearly defined marketing objectives and planned marketing strategies for the year ahead;

- identifying and initiating market and consumer research to enhance program design and marketing initiatives;

• Oversight of all marketing related to the Verb platform and global community, including:

- creating and coordinating program messaging to establish the “voice” of the brand and maximize marketing effectiveness. The Marketing Director will be responsible for ensuring that all Verb communications are consistent with the brand voice, including web copy, marketing messages, PR communications, public speaking and more;

- developing a Verb marketing and messaging strategy that - maximizes the reach and impact of a “family” of challenges, leverages a growing global community, and positions the program as an industry leader.

- Oversee all Verb marketing and messaging initiatives, including social media, digital media assets (video, web-site), events (including Verb Awards).

- Participation in development of the PR strategy along with Executive Director and contracted PR firm.

- Manage key contractors, such as creative and branding agency, event production company, video and digital media asset companies, and PR firm.

- Work closely with Dell and other key strategic partners to coordinate messaging and marketing initiatives and to maximize leverage of partner resources to meet program objectives.

- Work with Director of Operations to continue to develop and refine web platform design and functionality. Make use of marketing, branding, messaging and social media expertise to suggest refinements and enhancements that advance program objectives;

- Based on learning from the Dell Challenge, creation of a Verb “Marketing Toolkit” to enable partner competitions to successfully implement and grow their programs.

• Will require both domestic and international travel.

Required Disposition, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree + 7 years of experience or Master’s Degree + 5 years

• Must have operational experience actually creating and deploying integrated marketing and communication initiatives. Candidates will be asked to produce a portfolio of previous work.

• Must have a proven track record of successful campaigns. Candidates will be asked to report on success metrics of previous campaigns.

• Must have experience marketing and/or communications to university students

• Must have experience with a variety of online and digital media, including web-site development, video production, social media.

• Must have strong messaging and copywriting skills.

• Must have strong quantitative skills, including collection and analysis of marketing data.

• Must have previous management experience.

• Must be quick learners and well suited to working in a fast-paced “start-up” environment with short timeframes, rapidly changing requirements and expectations, and limited resources

• Must be able to set a course of work and mobilize the necessary resources (people, etc.) to realize it


• Must be a self-starter and able to produce very high-quality work with limited direction and/or guidance

• Must have a positive, can-do disposition, including readiness to take on a variety of responsibilities, including unexpected projects or assignments.

• Must have a high degree of emotional maturity including exceptional interpersonal skills. Successful candidates will be able to interact successfully with high-profile stakeholders as well as with direct reports and other team members.

• Must have exceptional oral, written and presentation communication skills. Must have a very strong design aesthetic.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience marketing and communications to global audiences.

• Experience in public relations and/or managing a public relations firm.

• Experience in event production and/or oversight of event production for large, high-profile events.

Interested candidates should submit: a resume of no more than two pages along with a cover letter narrating persuasively why the candidate would be an excellent fit for the position.

Apply here: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/hr/jobs/nlogon/120920018619