Communications Specialist (Higher Education / Marketing Automation)

Tempe/Scottsdale, AZ (Hybrid) | Full-Time | $71,500 - $74,000/yr About the Role A major public university's digital learning division is hiring a Communications Specialist to join its Student Journey team. The division focuses on the design and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models, serving students across the globe through online and traditional pathways. This role designs, implements, and manages targeted communication campaigns that guide prospective students from inquiry through enrollment and support current students through registration, financial aid, and degree completion. The specialist delivers the right message at the right time across email, SMS, app notifications, and other channels, reaching national and international audiences. The position uses AI-driven personalization tools (including Salesforce Marketing Cloud's Einstein and Claude) to deliver segmented and 1:1 campaigns at scale. What the Role Covers Developing and managing end-to-end communication flows from college choice through enrollment and degree completion, including corporate partner-specific messaging on eligibility and benefits Championing AI-driven personalization at scale using Marketing Cloud's Einstein and other emerging tools to deliver segmented campaigns Creating, designing, scheduling, and optimizing campaigns across email, SMS, dialer, app notifications, and ringless voicemail Building and troubleshooting email templates with dynamic content, AMPscript, interactive content, personalization logic, and segmentation Using a data-first approach to identify student pain points, run multivariate tests, validate audience targeting, and track engagement and ROI Performing meticulous QA testing on campaigns covering personalization, dynamic content, segmentation rules, and compliance with CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CCPA, CASL, and TCPA Partnering with stakeholders across academic units, support services, CRM teams, enrollment centers, and data teams to build comprehensive communication strategies Implementing targeted re-engagement strategies for both prospective and current students Developing contextual, motivational content including college-specific resources, alumni success stories, and milestone celebrations Qualifications Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of experience and training Experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, including Journey Builder Proficiency creating mobile-responsive email communications and templates using HTML, CSS, and AMPScript Proven record developing, executing, and analyzing marketing communication campaigns across email and SMS, preferably in higher education Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously Experience analyzing campaign data and translating findings into actionable insights Passion for new technologies, including AI tools and their application to student communications Ability to thrive and re-prioritize in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment Must be eligible to work in the U.S. (no sponsorship available) Application deadline: August 18, 2026 #J-18808-Ljbffr Nashville Public Radio