Communications and Content Manager

Job Description

Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership Initiative

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Department: Marketing and Communications

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Employment status: Full-time, exempt; 5-year term grant-funded position (2027-2031)

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Hours per week: 35

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Months per year: 12

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Work schedule: Princeton Seminary office hours; occasional evening and weekend work based

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on network programming

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Reports to: Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

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Dotted-line relationship: Polaris Senior Program Director

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Salary Range: $81,000-88,000 (commensurate with experience)

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Submit Resumé and Cover Letter: View email address on ziprecruiter.com

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Job Purpose

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The Communications and Content Manager leads communications and marketing

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implementation for the Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership Initiative which supports 1) the

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Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network, 2) the Polaris Research Initiative, and 3) the Polaris

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Collaborative. As a member of Princeton Seminary’s Marketing and Communications team, this

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position builds awareness of the network’s direct programs with young adult leaders, supporting

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program enrollment and increasing participation in story-sharing initiatives. The manager

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translates program priorities into practical communications plans and develops content in

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collaboration with MarCom’s writing, social media, web, and photography staff and media

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production colleagues. The manager also cultivates a secondary audience of organization

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leaders invested in young adult faith and leadership by highlighting research and featured

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stories from the Polaris Research Initiative and the Polaris Collaborative.

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The position reports to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, who oversees

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communications strategy, work priorities, and performance. A dotted-line relationship with the

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Polaris Senior Program Director supports coordination around program goals, schedules, and

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participant needs.

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Essential Functions

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Marketing Strategy and Campaign Implementation | 30%

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• Develop and implement communications plans for Polaris programs and initiatives, defining

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target audiences, messages, channels, calls to action, timelines, and measures of success in

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consultation with the Senior Director and program leadership. Ensure priorities align with

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budget allocations.

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• Build campaigns that move audiences from awareness to inquiry, enrollment, and

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participation. Select and coordinate awareness campaigns, email nurture sequences, and

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conversion-focused outreach according to the goal and stage of audience engagement.

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• Work with MarCom colleagues and approved marketing partners to execute paid and

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organic campaigns, aligning advertisements, landing pages, email follow-up, and registration

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information.

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• Identify new media outlets, digital communities, distribution partners, and paid placements

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that can reach young adults and the people who influence their participation. Recommend

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opportunities based on audience relevance, cost, and likely results.

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• Apply participant feedback, market research, direct audience engagement, and professional

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judgment to refine messaging and test new approaches.

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Content Development and Story Sharing | 35%

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• Identify and develop stories that highlight young adult Christian leaders in diverse

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communities and contexts, connecting their experiences to Polaris’s purpose and

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opportunities for involvement.

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• Develop secondary audience of institutional and organizational leaders who champion

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young adults. Feature Polaris research and related interdisciplinary research about young

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adult faith formation and leadership development. Highlight exemplary Polaris Collaborative

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organizations along with stories featuring young adults.

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• Maintain an editorial calendar that coordinates stories, program promotion, and ongoing

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network communications across video, social media, web, email, and newsletters.

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• Write and edit audience-focused copy, develop creative briefs, and gather interviews,

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background information, and other materials needed for production.

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• Collaborate with MarCom’s writer, social media staff, web producer, photographer, and

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media production colleagues to develop and adapt content for each channel. Coordinate

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contributions and reviews through established team workflows and agreed timelines.

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• Plan distribution and reuse of stories across Polaris and Seminary channels, working with

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channel owners to identify appropriate placements and connect content to clear audience

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actions.

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• Ensure content is accurate, accessible, consistent with Seminary and Polaris brand

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standards, and appropriate for the audience. Coordinate participant permissions and

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approvals as needed.

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• Coordinate external creative vendors when specialized expertise or additional capacity is

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needed, with approval from the Senior Director and within established budgets.

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Program Partnership and Audience Relationships | 20%

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• Meet regularly with Polaris program directors to understand upcoming offerings, enrollment

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goals, story-sharing priorities, and emerging communications needs.

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• Translate program needs into actionable briefs for MarCom, clarifying audiences,

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deliverables, deadlines, and decisions required. Develop feasible plans with colleagues and

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communicate agreed priorities and progress to program leadership.

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• Build and sustain relationships with participants, alumni, Christian leaders, creators, and

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community partners who can contribute stories, inform outreach, or introduce the network

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to new audiences.

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• Stay engaged with the interests, language, media habits, and communities of young adults,

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particularly those ages 23–32. Recognize differences within this audience and identify

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trusted voices and organizations that influence their decisions.

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• Surface opportunities that may not arrive through formal project requests, including

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emerging stories, relevant conversations, partnerships, and gaps in the participant

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experience.

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• Participate in relevant Polaris and MarCom meetings and attend Polaris gatherings as

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needed to support relationships, storytelling, and communications.

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Performance Measurement and Team Operations | 15%

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• Track campaign and content performance, including audience reach, engagement, inquiries,

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registrations, and enrollment, where applicable. Summarize findings and recommend

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specific adjustments.

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• Work with colleagues responsible for CRM and email systems to support audience

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segmentation, campaign tracking, and timely follow-up with prospective and current

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participants.

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• Maintain project information, content schedules, and campaign records in MarCom’s shared

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systems. Flag missing information, competing deadlines, and resource needs early.

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• Contribute to program and grant reporting by providing communications results, campaign

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summaries, and examples of network reach and participation.

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• Participate in departmental planning and relevant institutional initiatives, and perform other

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related duties assigned by the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications.

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Required Qualifications and Skills

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• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism, or a related field, or an

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equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

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• A minimum of three years of marketing and communications experience, including hands-on

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implementation of integrated digital campaigns.

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• Experience marketing educational programs, membership networks, nonprofit initiatives, or

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leadership development opportunities.

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• Experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, WordPress, and Monday.com or comparable

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platforms.

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• Experience collaborating on video production, including interviewing, story development,

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and adapting video for digital channels.

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• Candidates must demonstrate work that connects content and outreach to audience

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growth, inquiries, registrations, or comparable outcomes.

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• Demonstrated success engaging young adult audiences, supported by current familiarity

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with their digital communities, cultural interests, media habits, and trusted sources of

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influence.

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• Strong writing, editing, storytelling, and creative briefing skills.

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• Practical knowledge of social media publishing and paid promotion, email marketing,

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website content, and campaign analytics.

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• Ability to interpret audience research and performance data while exercising sound editorial

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and marketing judgment, proposing ideas, and testing assumptions.

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• Strong relationship-building and listening skills; ability to work effectively with Christian

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leaders and audiences with varied theological, cultural, and professional backgrounds.

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• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across specialties, work within shared priorities,

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incorporate feedback, and carry projects from planning through delivery.

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• Experience using email marketing platforms, content management systems, CRM tools, and

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basic design tools.

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• Strong organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects and meet

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deadlines.

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• Ability to maintain confidentiality, steward sensitive information, and exercise care when

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sharing participants’ stories.

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• Commitment to Princeton Seminary’s mission and to equity, inclusion, diversity, and antiracism.

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Physical and Environmental Demands

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• Remote/Hybrid flexibility.

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• Ability to be on campus to support key initiatives throughout the year.