Technical Marketing Specialist – Extra Help
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Extra Help Services office is seeking individuals to join our Office team. Extra Help Services provides campus departments with skilled employees at various levels in the office professional, accounting, information technology (IT), and graphic design areas to meet various temporary needs in units across campus. Our goal at Extra Help Services is to provide departments with the best employees to meet their departmental needs.
Job Summary
Working with the initiative’s leadership team, the writer will develop content that tells the story of our software products, the Rokwire platform and the Illinois app and grows the user and developer communities. The Technical Marketing Manager will lead communication efforts to achieve the following objectives:
- Increase adoption of the Illinois app by stimulating user engagement
- Increase daily interactions with the app among University of Illinois students
- Acquire new adopters of the Rokwire open source platform at peer institutions through communications aimed at university administrators and technology professionals
- Acquire new open source contributors from the campus and beyond through outreach events (e.g., hackathons) and documentation support
Duties & Responsibilities
Writing and Digital Content Deployment
- Create and maintain descriptions of the Illinois app and the Rokwire open source platform in multiple versions appropriate for novices and technical developers
- Create digital content that aligns with our strategy for several audiences
- Produce, edit, and customize content for various platforms, including our website, LinkedIn, blog, and social media
- Participate in maintaining and contributing content to organization websites
- Produce blog posts, social media posts, event content, articles, user guides, customer stories, newsletters, and other content
- Tell user stories from the perspective of individuals, groups, and campuses
- Participate in the production of short videos, including script writing, screen capture
Research
- Conduct primary research for stories using data analytics and interviews
- Apply usage analytics to recommend marketing approaches that support our goals
Strategy
- Develop and execute a media communications strategy for the Rokwire platform, the Illinois app, and the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative
- Ensure that the communications strategy is carried out in a timely fashion
- Manage the editorial calendar for content planning and production, and regularly analyze content gaps
- Recruit writers from within our organization and from among users (e.g., students on our campus)
Internal Communications
- Present and articulate work to peers, partners, and organization leaders, with story, metrics, successes, findings
- Establish guidelines for brand voice, style and tone and oversee consistency in our content
- Connect with other communications staff on campus to develop co-marketing efforts
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Two or more years of marketing writing experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Candidates ideally will have a degree in Communications, Journalism, Advertising, Creative Writing or equivalent, with experience or education in software engineering, software marketing, or documentation. Experience leading campaigns, defining objectives and strategies, and executing on a plan.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Accomplished copywriting and storytelling.
- Able to adapt style appropriately to different audiences.
- A zippy, accessible writing voice.
- Able to collaborate: brainstorm, give constructive feedback, co-author, and edit collaboratively in a team
- In depth knowledge of content creation, data storytelling, social media
- Excellent knowledge of English and editing standards.
- Ability to produce accessible, engaging educational materials.
- Familiarity with consumer software development
Conditions of Employment
Rate of Pay
The rate of pay for Extra Help – Technical Marketing Specialist positions starts at $25 per hour and increases based on level of work.
Work Schedule
We offer short or long-term assignments up to 900 hours, which is about 6-months of full-time work. Employees can work either full or partial days and full or partial weeks.
Extra Help Positions
Extra Help employees are appointed to fulfill casual or emergent needs within units. The amount of time for which services are needed is not usually predictable and payment for work performed is on an hourly basis and based on actual hours worked. Extra Help employees do not receive holiday pay or paid sick or vacation leave.
Extra Help employees are required by State Universities Civil Service System rules to take a 30-calendar-day break after working 900 hours. At the end of the 30 days, you may begin another 900-hour employment cycle in a new position if available. Working Extra Help will in no way affect any other employment opportunities with the University of Illinois, including your position on and Civil Service register.
How to Apply
Apply by sending your resume, cover letter, and samples of your past work by email to:
Joe Grohens, Communications Director of the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.
