Director, Engagement Communications

Title: Director, Engagement Communications Division Name: University Advancement Department: Alumni and Donor Engagement

Job Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement, the Director of Engagement Communications leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive communications strategy that inspires alumni and donor engagement, participation and philanthropy. The Director coordinates communications across the three functional areas of Alumni Engagement, Philanthropic Engagement, and Donor Relations and Stewardship, ensuring that outreach is audience-centered, strategically timed and aligned around a cohesive constituent experience.

In addition to providing strategic leadership and supervising communications staff, the Director maintains significant hands-on responsibility for digital communications execution. The position directly develops, builds, launches, monitors and optimizes email campaigns and multistep constituent journeys within Salesforce Marketing Cloud and other digital platforms. The Director creates integrated engagement-to-philanthropy journeys that move constituents from awareness and connection to participation, giving, stewardship and deeper investment in Illinois State. This work includes audience segmentation, journey mapping, message and content development, email production, personalization, testing, automation, social media, targeted digital advertising and performance assessment.

The Director manages the team’s communications calendar and production processes and partners with data, technology, fundraising, engagement, stewardship and campus communications colleagues to deliver coordinated and measurable outreach. Success in this role is demonstrated not only through communications performance, but through increased engagement, event participation, donor acquisition and retention, philanthropic participation and long-term relationship growth.

Additional Information

Alumni and Donor Engagement is an integrated team within University Advancement that brings together alumni engagement, philanthropic engagement, donor relations and stewardship, engagement communications, and data and insights to strengthen lifelong relationships with Illinois State University. Guided by the belief that intentional engagement inspires impact, the team creates coordinated opportunities for alumni, donors, students, parents, employees and friends to connect with the University, participate in its community, contribute their time and expertise, and invest in its mission.

Engagement Communications serves as a strategic and execution-focused function connecting the work of Alumni Engagement, Philanthropic Engagement, and Donor Relations and Stewardship. The team develops coordinated communications strategies and digital experiences that help constituents understand the impact of Illinois State, discover meaningful ways to participate and move through intentional pathways from initial connection to engagement, giving, stewardship and deeper philanthropic investment. Its work includes engagement and fundraising communications, Salesforce Marketing Cloud journeys, email marketing, audience segmentation, social media, targeted digital advertising, web and digital content, storytelling, testing, automation and performance assessment.

University Benefit Highlights:

• Insurance benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life
• Retirement and supplemental retirement planning options
• Tuition waiver benefits available to staff as well as their eligible dependents
• Paid holiday/administrative closures during Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
• Paid benefit time

Additional University Benefit information, including information regarding eligibility to participate in the State Universities Retirement System and the State of Illinois Group Insurance program, can be reviewed here: https://hr.illinoisstate.edu/benefits/

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

$70,000 to $75,000 annual

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, digital media, nonprofit management or a related field.
2. Three (3) or more years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising communications, digital marketing, advancement communications, constituent engagement or a closely related field.
3. Valid Driver’s License
4. Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated communications strategies designed to increase constituent engagement, philanthropic participation, donor acquisition, retention or revenue.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Significant experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, particularly Journey Builder, Content Builder, Automation Studio, audience segmentation, dynamic content and performance reporting.
2. Experience designing engagement-to-philanthropy journeys that move constituents from initial connection through participation, first gift, renewal, upgrade and deeper philanthropic investment.
3. Experience developing communications for annual giving, giving days, leadership annual giving, crowdfunding, donor stewardship, alumni engagement or comprehensive fundraising campaigns.
4. Experience using a constituent relationship management system such as Salesforce, Ellucian Advance, Blackbaud CRM or a comparable advancement database.
5. Familiarity with SQL, AMPscript, HTML and CSS as they relate to email production, personalization and Marketing Cloud functionality.
6. Experience integrating email, text messaging, web content, digital advertising and other channels into coordinated constituent journeys.
7. Experience developing communications governance, intake processes, editorial calendars, audience-contact standards or quality-control procedures.
8. Experience supervising professional communications staff and developing team members’ digital, writing and project-management capabilities.
9. Knowledge of CASE and AFP advancement communications, alumni engagement and fundraising practices.
10. Experience working with engagement scoring, predictive analytics or audience insights to develop personalized communications segmentation strategies
11. Experience producing and editing short-form video content for email, social media, websites and digital fundraising campaigns using tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Express, Canva, Final Cut Pro or comparable platforms.
12. Experience developing and managing an integrated social media strategy that supports constituent engagement and fundraising goals, including organic content, audience growth, platform management and coordination with broader communications campaigns.
13. Experience planning and executing targeted paid social media or digital advertising campaigns, including audience selection, budget management, creative development, conversion tracking, performance assessment and optimization.
14. Demonstrated ability to evaluate social media and digital advertising performance using measures such as reach, engagement, click-through rates, conversions, registrations, gifts, revenue and return on investment.

Work Hours

Core work hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Occasional nights and weekends will be required.

Functional Expectations

Must be able to complete the following with or without a reasonable accommodation:

1. Remain at a workstation for extended periods
2. Move about in various locations across campus as needed to complete day-to-day work.
3. Effectively communicate on a daily basis.

Proposed Starting Date

2026

Required Applicant Documents

Resume Cover Letter Reference List Writing Sample - recent communications project/piece

Please Note: These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Optional Applicant Documents

Transcripts - See Special Instructions to Applicant section for additional options Certification of Retirement Annuity

Please Note: These documents may be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Special Instructions for Applicants

Please fully complete the entire application including, but not limited to, the education and work history portions. Be specific on your work history, including employment dates (if part-time you must list the number of work hours) and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Please do not put "see resume" in the duties and responsibilities section of the work history. This will be considered an incomplete application, and incomplete applications will not be considered.

College or university transcripts (may be unofficial) must be submitted prior to the application deadline to receive full consideration. Transcripts can either be uploaded with your application or submitted via the options listed below.

A Writing Sample from a recent Communication piece/project executed must be included with the application.

To be eligible for Veteran's Preference points on the exam, appropriate military service documentation such as a DD-214 must be submitted prior to the application deadline.

Transcripts, and/or military service documentation may be faxed or mailed to Human Resources by the application deadline:

Fax: 309.438.0011, Attn: Breanna Crippen Address: Illinois State University Human Resources Campus Box 1300 Normal, IL 61790-1300

The Civil Service examination for this classification is based on your application materials and responses to the supplemental questions. No participation other than submission of applicant materials is required from applicants that qualify to take the exam. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score calculated based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register by exam score. After the application deadline, the names within the top three scores will be referred to the department for interview. The active register for this classification will be voided when the position is filled.

Illinois State University is authorized to do business within the State of Illinois. All work under this appointment is required to be performed from within the State of Illinois. If hired, out-of-state candidates must establish Illinois residency within 180 calendar days from the start date for this position. Illinois residency requires proof of a valid Illinois driver’s license or a valid State of Illinois ID card. Failure to produce the required documentation within 180 calendar days will result in immediate termination of employment.

Sponsorship: Applicants for this position must be currently legally authorized to work for Illinois State University in the United States. Illinois State University will not sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity. Illinois State University is not a qualifying employer for the STEM OPT benefit: only the 12-month OPT may be used to work at Illinois State University.

Contact Information for Applicants

Breanna Crippen Human Resources 309-438-8315 bcplese@ilstu.edu

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311.