Manager, Communications and Digital Content Operations

Department: Office of University Branding Classification: Public Relations & Mktg Spec 3 Job Category: Classified Staff Job Type: Full-Time Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk) Location: Fairfax, VA Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship Pay Band: 04 Salary: Salary commensurate with education experience Criminal Background Check: Yes About the Department The primary purpose of the Office of University Branding is to advance the good reputation of George Mason University through increasing public awareness, understanding, and advocacy of the university. The organization serves as the university's central steward of institutional brand strategies, policies, guidelines, expertise, and resources, used to promote the university's newsworthy and noteworthy educational, research, and service efforts that support the fulfillment of its mission. In addition, University Branding is the central resource for communication internally and between the university and its various publics. About the Position The Manager, Communications and Digital Content Operations serves as the operational backbone for the university’s communications and digital strategy, coordinating the end-to-end lifecycle of internal and external campaigns—from initial concept to multi-platform distribution and analysis. This role manages the master editorial calendar to ensure the timely production and delivery of news, executive messaging, and major initiatives like the Grand Challenge Initiative. Beyond workflow management and productivity improvements, the successful candidate will uphold brand integrity and support on strategy development by reporting on core themes and areas of coverage, production timelines, content performance, and audience engagement. Responsibilities Content Operations and Lifecycle Management System Design Architects and manages the end-to-end lifecycle of internal and external communications, moving projects from concept to production, distribution, and analysis; Campaign Management: Coordinates the development, asset delivery, team meetings and assignments, calendar and measurement for high-profile campaigns and major announcements, including the Patriot Plan for Safety, AI initiatives, and the Grand Challenge Initiative; and Multiplatform Formats: Coordinates deliverables across news stories, executive speeches, press releases, social media, and web development. Project Management and Editorial Planning Calendar Ownership Develops and maintains a master editorial calendar in Wrike, serving as the single source of truth for the university’s communications and digital editorial planning; Workflow Optimization: Manages deadlines and routes all central office stories through appropriate approval chains to ensure on-time delivery; and Asset Maximization: Ensures all content is optimized for multi-platform exploitation (web, social, email) to meet measurement goals. Cross-Functional Collaboration ("Liaison") Central Hub Serves as the primary "traffic controller" inside OUB connecting writers, editors, web developers, and creative teams (video/photo) with stakeholders to ensure review, partnerships, approvals, etc.; and Problem Solving: Proactively identifies and resolves production bottlenecks, resource conflicts, or delays before they impact the publishing schedule. Quality Assurance and Brand Stewardship Brand Integrity Acts as a guardian of the university's brand, ensuring all content adheres to style guidelines and visual identity standards; Compliance: Manages permissions for images and materials, collaborating with the Brand Manager to troubleshoot issues; and Accuracy: Implements rigorous proofing processes to ensure zero-defect content delivery. Reporting and Analytics Key Insights Develops a shared topline editorial calendar for visibility across key university stakeholders aligned to strategic direction and measurement goals; and Performance Tracking: Collaborates with the analytics team to prepare reports on content performance, offering data-driven recommendations to senior management to improve audience engagement. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field; Experience in project management (typically 3-5 years), creative operations, or traffic management, preferably within an in-house agency, higher education institution, marketing firm or affiliated membership organization; Demonstrated experience managing editorial calendars and complex content lifecycles (from concept to multi-platform distribution); Experience interpreting data visualization tools to track project health and content performance; Technical Skills: Project Management Software: Advanced proficiency in Wrike is strongly preferred (or demonstrated expertise in similar tools like Asana, Monday.com, or Basecamp with an ability to adapt quickly). Content Tools: Familiarity with Content Management Systems (CMS), social media scheduling tools, and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace suites. Core Competencies: Traffic and Workflow Management: Proven ability to act as a central liaison between creative teams (writers, designers, video, media relations, social media, etc.) and stakeholders to resolve bottlenecks; Brand and Quality Control: Strong attention to detail with experience adhering to brand and editorial guidelines; Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to manage expectations and negotiate deadlines with senior leadership and academic partners; Attention to Detail: A meticulous eye for detail to ensure accuracy and quality in all content and processes; Problem-Solving Skills: Capacity to identify issues, develop actionable solutions, and adapt to unexpected changes or delays; Team Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with various departments to achieve common goals; and Time Management: Expertise in managing time efficiently to keep projects on schedule and prevent delays. Preferred Qualifications Certification in Project Management (PMP, CAPM); Experience working in Higher Education or large non-profit environments; Experience managing campaigns related to crisis communications or large-scale organizational initiatives. Equity Statement George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr