Associate Director, Social Media, Marketing and Communication, Wharton School

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Associate Director, Social Media, Marketing and Communication, Wharton School

Job Profile Title

Associate Director C, Business and Finance, Communications and Marketing

Job Description Summary

Wharton School Overview
Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

Reporting to Wharton's Senior Director of Social Media, the Associate Director, Social Media leads the development and distribution of social media content related to Wharton scholarship, faculty thought leadership, and knowledge dissemination, translating complex academic content into high-impact digital storytelling. This primarily involves management of the social media channels (LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) for Knowledge at Wharton, the School's online business journal, promoting business insights and educational programming to an audience of nearly 300,000 followers.

The Associate Director serves as a key partner to faculty and cross-functional Marketing & Communications staff, both within the central Marketing & Communications office and within research initiatives. The Associate Director proactively identifies opportunities to elevate research and shape integrated distribution plans across owned channels aimed at key target audiences (industry professionals, prospective students/learners, alumni, etc.) as well as the general public. The role works to understand and advance Dean's Office priorities related to faculty research and insights, influencing how Wharton makes its intellectual capital accessible globally. It also provides performance measurement and optimization, leveraging analytics, social listening, and industry trends to inform strategy and continuously improve outcomes.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution of social media initiatives for Knowledge at Wharton and related channels. Translate and promote Wharton faculty research/thought leadership through digestible social media content, working hand-in-hand with web, content, and creative teams. Handle day-to-day management of Knowledge at Wharton's social media channels, including content ideation, development, and publishing. Lead community management efforts to engage with audiences in real-time. Contribute to how Wharton highlights faculty research as at a school level, as well, managing special content projects (e.g. the Wharton LinkedIn newsletter) and collaborating with teammates to plan content for the school's flagship channels.
• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external staff to identify research storytelling opportunities on owned and earned channels. Collaborate with MarComm colleagues to assess existing faculty research and help determine content development and distribution plans. Work with Content team to plan Knowledge at Wharton editorial calendar and Media Relations team to promote faculty insights tied to current events. Oversee social media support Wharton research pillars as part of MarComm's faculty working group, working to highlight their research, insights, and events while optimizing their own channels. Develop working relationship with Director of Paid Media to ensure organic and paid efforts are aligned and boost priority posts. Network with staff across Penn to collaborate on promotion cross-disciplinary research initiatives.
• Support faculty with establishing and/or developing their personal social media presences. Facilitate cross-promotion of content on their platforms, advising them or drafting posts on their behalf as needed. Consult on how to optimize their profile and share content to maximize their impact as a researcher and thought leader.
• Own social media analytics and reporting related to research and insights promotion, aligning efforts with department's overall strategic goals. Develop metrics reports for internal and external groups to analyze performance and measure success, tailoring communications based on audience. Leverage social listening tools to track audience sentiment, identify conversation trends, and inform strategy. Research social media industry trends, updates, and best practices to inform content strategy on an ongoing basis.
• Promote events organized by faculty and research centers, as well as Institutional Events created and managed by Wharton Marketing and Communications through coordinated social media planning, timely posting, and alignment with established messaging and branding guidelines.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of work experience in social or digital media, marketing, communications, public relations or journalism, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

• Excellent writing skills; proven ability to represent a brand on social media

• Expertise in a wide range of social and digital media platforms, including LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Bluesky, and Threads; deep knowledge of platform features, optimization strategy, and trends

• Expertise in social media analytics, with demonstrated ability to translate them into actionable insights to inform strategy

• Expertise in social media content creation, including short-form video editing

• Strong news judgement and ability to originate social media content ideas and tailor them to each platform

• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with various stakeholders

• Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to juggle many projects/tasks and work under tight deadlines

• Proactive self-starter who can work both independently and as part of a team

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Media or similar field

• Knowledge of/interest in business topics such as AI and analytics, finance, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, public policy and social impact

• Experience in education or research communications and/or with high-profile corporate brand(s), particularly working with faculty, academics, researchers, or executives

• Expertise in graphic design, photography, and/or video editing

• Experience with paid social media advertising and digital analytics platforms

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$77,330.00 - $77,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay