Communications and Content Manager

Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership InitiativeDepartment: Marketing and CommunicationsEmployment status: Full-time, exempt; 5-year term grant-funded position (2027-2031)Hours per week: 35Months per year: 12Work schedule: Princeton Seminary office hours; occasional evening and weekend work basedon network programmingReports to: Senior Director of Marketing and CommunicationsDotted-line relationship: Polaris Senior Program DirectorSalary Range: $81,000-88,000 (commensurate with experience)Submit Resumé and Cover Letter:

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Job PurposeThe Communications and Content Manager leads communications and marketingimplementation for the Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership Initiative which supports 1) thePolaris Young Adult Leadership Network, 2) the Polaris Research Initiative, and 3) the PolarisCollaborative. As a member of Princeton Seminary’s Marketing and Communications team, thisposition builds awareness of the network’s direct programs with young adult leaders, supportingprogram enrollment and increasing participation in story-sharing initiatives. The managertranslates program priorities into practical communications plans and develops content incollaboration with MarCom’s writing, social media, web, and photography staff and mediaproduction colleagues. The manager also cultivates a secondary audience of organizationleaders invested in young adult faith and leadership by highlighting research and featuredstories from the Polaris Research Initiative and the Polaris Collaborative.The position reports to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, who overseescommunications strategy, work priorities, and performance. A dotted-line relationship with thePolaris Senior Program Director supports coordination around program goals, schedules, andparticipant needs.
Essential FunctionsMarketing Strategy and Campaign Implementation | 30%• Develop and implement communications plans for Polaris programs and initiatives, definingtarget audiences, messages, channels, calls to action, timelines, and measures of success inconsultation with the Senior Director and program leadership. Ensure priorities align withbudget allocations.• Build campaigns that move audiences from awareness to inquiry, enrollment, andparticipation. Select and coordinate awareness campaigns, email nurture sequences, andconversion-focused outreach according to the goal and stage of audience engagement.• Work with MarCom colleagues and approved marketing partners to execute paid andorganic campaigns, aligning advertisements, landing pages, email follow-up, and registrationinformation.• Identify new media outlets, digital communities, distribution partners, and paid placementsthat can reach young adults and the people who influence their participation. Recommendopportunities based on audience relevance, cost, and likely results.• Apply participant feedback, market research, direct audience engagement, and professionaljudgment to refine messaging and test new approaches.
Content Development and Story Sharing | 35%• Identify and develop stories that highlight young adult Christian leaders in diversecommunities and contexts, connecting their experiences to Polaris’s purpose andopportunities for involvement.• Develop secondary audience of institutional and organizational leaders who championyoung adults. Feature Polaris research and related interdisciplinary research about youngadult faith formation and leadership development. Highlight exemplary Polaris Collaborativeorganizations along with stories featuring young adults.• Maintain an editorial calendar that coordinates stories, program promotion, and ongoingnetwork communications across video, social media, web, email, and newsletters.• Write and edit audience-focused copy, develop creative briefs, and gather interviews,background information, and other materials needed for production.• Collaborate with MarCom’s writer, social media staff, web producer, photographer, andmedia production colleagues to develop and adapt content for each channel. Coordinatecontributions and reviews through established team workflows and agreed timelines.• Plan distribution and reuse of stories across Polaris and Seminary channels, working withchannel owners to identify appropriate placements and connect content to clear audienceactions.• Ensure content is accurate, accessible, consistent with Seminary and Polaris brandstandards, and appropriate for the audience. Coordinate participant permissions andapprovals as needed.• Coordinate external creative vendors when specialized expertise or additional capacity isneeded, with approval from the Senior Director and within established budgets.
Program Partnership and Audience Relationships | 20%• Meet regularly with Polaris program directors to understand upcoming offerings, enrollmentgoals, story-sharing priorities, and emerging communications needs.• Translate program needs into actionable briefs for MarCom, clarifying audiences,deliverables, deadlines, and decisions required. Develop feasible plans with colleagues andcommunicate agreed priorities and progress to program leadership.• Build and sustain relationships with participants, alumni, Christian leaders, creators, andcommunity partners who can contribute stories, inform outreach, or introduce the networkto new audiences.• Stay engaged with the interests, language, media habits, and communities of young adults,particularly those ages 23–32. Recognize differences within this audience and identifytrusted voices and organizations that influence their decisions.• Surface opportunities that may not arrive through formal project requests, includingemerging stories, relevant conversations, partnerships, and gaps in the participantexperience.• Participate in relevant Polaris and MarCom meetings and attend Polaris gatherings asneeded to support relationships, storytelling, and communications.
Performance Measurement and Team Operations | 15%• Track campaign and content performance, including audience reach, engagement, inquiries,registrations, and enrollment, where applicable. Summarize findings and recommendspecific adjustments.• Work with colleagues responsible for CRM and email systems to support audiencesegmentation, campaign tracking, and timely follow-up with prospective and currentparticipants.• Maintain project information, content schedules, and campaign records in MarCom’s sharedsystems. Flag missing information, competing deadlines, and resource needs early.• Contribute to program and grant reporting by providing communications results, campaignsummaries, and examples of network reach and participation.• Participate in departmental planning and relevant institutional initiatives, and perform otherrelated duties assigned by the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications.
Required Qualifications and Skills• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism, or a related field, or anequivalent combination of education and relevant experience.• A minimum of three years of marketing and communications experience, including hands-onimplementation of integrated digital campaigns.• Experience marketing educational programs, membership networks, nonprofit initiatives, orleadership development opportunities.• Experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, WordPress, and or comparableplatforms.• Experience collaborating on video production, including interviewing, story development,and adapting video for digital channels.• Candidates must demonstrate work that connects content and outreach to audiencegrowth, inquiries, registrations, or comparable outcomes.• Demonstrated success engaging young adult audiences, supported by current familiaritywith their digital communities, cultural interests, media habits, and trusted sources ofinfluence.• Strong writing, editing, storytelling, and creative briefing skills.• Practical knowledge of social media publishing and paid promotion, email marketing,website content, and campaign analytics.• Ability to interpret audience research and performance data while exercising sound editorialand marketing judgment, proposing ideas, and testing assumptions.• Strong relationship-building and listening skills; ability to work effectively with Christianleaders and audiences with varied theological, cultural, and professional backgrounds.• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across specialties, work within shared priorities,incorporate feedback, and carry projects from planning through delivery.• Experience using email marketing platforms, content management systems, CRM tools, andbasic design tools.• Strong organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects and meetdeadlines.• Ability to maintain confidentiality, steward sensitive information, and exercise care whensharing participants’ stories.• Commitment to Princeton Seminary’s mission and to equity, inclusion, diversity, and antiracism.
Physical and Environmental Demands• Remote/Hybrid flexibility. xzbcwsv • Ability to be on campus to support key initiatives throughout the year.