Engagement and Retention Coordinator

Employment Opportunity: Engagement and Retention Coordinator (full-time, three year contract, subject to a probationary period)

Established in 1789, the University of King's College is Canada's oldest chartered university and is associated with Dalhousie University. A small and extraordinarily lively academic community located in Halifax (Kjipuktuk), Nova Scotia, King's is known nationally and internationally for its highly acclaimed interdisciplinary programs in the humanities, including its renowned Foundation Year Program, its professional programs in journalism and its fine arts programs in creative writing. King's is a community where students, faculty, alumni, and staff work to bring greater understanding, creativity, and compassion to the world.

The Engagement and Retention Coordinator (ERC) plays a crucial role in enhancing the student experience at the University of King's College (UKC). The ERC plays a key role in creating an engaged campus community where students feel like they belong leading to retention from registration to Encaenia.

The ERC contributes to an institutional focus on retention by setting and achieving goals in two major pillars of work; Student Communications and Student Engagement. As a communications leader for the Dean's office, the ERC uses online and print communication tools to strategically promote and support students' academic and personal success and overall experience while at King's.

As an engagement leader for the Dean's office, the ERC organizes student engagement/ transition & orientation activities and contributes to the engagement efforts of other units, including faculty, staff, and students through organizations like the King's Student Union (KSU), the Day Student's Society (DSS), the Wardroom/Galley, the Racialized Student Collective (RSC) and others. This position reports to the Dean of Students.

Work Requirements:

Pillar 1 - Student Communication

Activity A: Communications Planning

• Develop and implement a Communications Plan for the Enrollment and Student Life Office focused on engagement and retention.
• Review current student communications and redesign them to align with institutional goals.

Activity B: Communications Integration, Content Creation, and Maintenance/Archiving

• Establish and lead a UKC Communications Committee to integrate all existing communications plans.
• Produce Multi-Platform Content: Create and curate content for multiple channels, including newsletters, social media (e.g., UKC Residence Life Instagram), and the university website, ensuring consistency and relevance.
• Timely Message Distribution: Utilize current Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system as well as manage external supplier, Simplycast (CRM software) to send out critical, time-sensitive information.
• Maintain Distribution Lists: Keep accurate and up-to-date distribution lists, sourced from the Assistant Registrar - Institutional Research and Awards.
• Design, launch, and maintain ongoing communication tools, including the "What's Next?" Web Hub, and annual "What's Next?" guide.
• Establish and maintain a searchable archive of past communications making them accessible to the UKC community.
• Stay Informed and Update Website Content: Keep informed of emerging practices and trends in student communications, recruitment, and retention, use this information to update student communications and web content resulting in an increase in student engagement for UKC programs.

Activity C: Communications Assessment

• Monitor and Manage Engagement Metrics: Track open and click rates for communications, using these insights to optimize future messaging.
• Generate and Present Reports: Produce detailed reports on engagement metrics and communication efficacy, providing actionable insights for continuous improvement.

Pillar 2 - Student Engagement

Activity A - Campus Community

• Applies Student Engagement methodology (based on evidence and current research) to coordinate the development, implementation and assessment of student engagement programs, campus events, and community development activities. Collaborates with other units within the Dean's Office (and the broader ESLO), academic units, student groups, and other campus partners as appropriate.

Activity B - Transition & Orientation

• Applies Student Transition and Engagement methodology (based on evidence and current research) to coordinate the development, implementation, and assessment of UKC's institutional transition and orientation activities for all King's students. Collaborates with other units within the Dean's Office (and the broader ESLO), academic units, student groups, and other campus partners as appropriate.

Activity C - Strategic Partnerships

• Works with UKC student groups (such as the KSU, the DSS, the Wardroom/Galley, the RSC, and others) to support and provide guidance to student leaders for planning and assessment of their event(s)/workshop(s). Where appropriate, partners with student leaders to co-host events/workshops for UKC students.
• Collaborates with UKC academic units to provide support in maintaining effective development programs for UKC students, including the active promotion of student enrollment in upper-year UKC classes.
• Meets regularly with other UKC partners to identify opportunities for collaborative activities to support student engagement, success, and community-building.
• Build and foster strong relationships between student engagement activities and historically marginalized groups on campus, including Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian students.
• Participate in UKC committees related to student engagement and community development on campus.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Undergraduate degree in Business, Marketing, Communications or similar field is required.
• At least two years' experience in marketing/communications is required.
• Must have previous experience working with a Content Management System.
• Must have proven ability to collaborate in an office environment.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to complete work accurately and meet deadlines is required.
• Technically savvy with a keen knowledge of and interest in digital strategy is a requirement.

It would be considered an asset if the candidate possesses:

• Experience with content creation and distribution over multiple channels.
• Experience with working on the development side of an engagement app.
• Knowledge of humanities and journalism.
• Experience with videography.
• Previous experience with Microsoft Excel and with SimplyCast.
• Experience managing suppliers, e.g., media buyers.

The above accountabilities are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the position described.

Closing Date: October 25, 2024

Salary will be commensurate with level of education and experience. The starting salary range for this position is $48,990 to $54,009 annually including a benefits plan with medical and dental; eligible for pension enrollment.

Starting Date: As soon as possible

To apply for this position, please forward resume and cover letter to:

Pethrona Russell
Human Resources Manager
University of King's College
6350 Coburg Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2A1
[email protected]

We thank all applicants for their interest, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

The University of King's College is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi'kmaq), persons with a disability, racialized persons, including persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), women, persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversification of our community.