Assistant Director, Writing and Content Strategy Job at University of San Diego

Assistant Director, Writing and Content Strategy

Apply now Posting #: 5466
Position Status: Full-time regular
Location: San Diego
Position Type: Administrator, Student Affairs

Position Title & Department: Assistant Director, Writing and Content Strategy; Student Affairs

Department Description: In the Catholic tradition, the Student Affairs Division strives to create an inclusive, educational environment which motivates and supports student learning and personal development, serves the University community, and inspires students to make a positive contribution to society. Our philosophy and approach is to collaboratively work with Academic Affairs and all areas of the University to create an integrated learning environment.

The Student Affairs Division is a dynamic, student centered and learning organization. We are poised to create a vibrant and active co-curricular learning experience for all students. Our emphasis on leadership development and social change allows us to work on developing future ethical leaders to serve in a complex, global and changing world. We are committed to fostering a sense of belonging and continuously building toward a just, welcoming and caring community for all.

University Description: The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

Detailed Description: The Assistant Director, Writing and Content Strategy, plays a critical role in shaping, refining, and ensuring the clarity and consistency of the Division of Student Affairs’ written communications. This position oversees content strategy for the University’s Knowledge Base in collaboration with ITS, the Torero Hub, and Marketing and Communications. This role also supports a wide range of writing needs for the Division of Student Affairs, including reports, brochures, and print/digital resources. This position leads efforts to uphold a cohesive USD brand tone across all materials and ensures content is accessible, inclusive, and reflective of the university’s mission.

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs Assessment and Research, this role collaborates closely with the Assistant Director of Student Affairs Technology and Integrated Communications, Marketing and Communications, and key campus partners including the Torero Hub and New Student Onboarding teams.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the creation, review, and ongoing improvement of content within the USD Knowledge Base (KB), a repository of articles in Salesforce that answer questions for audiences such as prospective students, current students, and family members.
• Convene and facilitate quarterly meetings with campus partners who contribute content to the KB to ensure strategic alignment and consistency. This includes: the Torero Hub, New Student Onboarding, Enrollment Management, Registrar's, Parking Services, and Campus Card teams.
• Create and maintain a yearly calendar to ensure all KB articles stay up to date and identify any duplicate articles that may be combined for clarity.
• Serve as lead editor for all KB content to ensure clarity, consistent tone, grammatical accuracy, and alignment with USD’s branding guidelines.
• Train campus partners and content maintainers on how to make updates and new entries into the KB.
• Design and implement effective tagging, categorization, and planning strategies to ensure content is clear and discoverable by end users. Liaise with ITS to ensure correct categorization of all KB items.
• Monitor search queries to identify gaps in content and improve search functionality.
• Conduct keyword research to optimize content for relevant search terms used by students.
• Gather and analyze user feedback to continuously improve the usability of the KB.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director, Student Affairs Technology and Integrated Communications to ensure USD website maintainers update web content with relevant KB articles.

• Strategic Writing and Editorial Oversight
• Serve as content reviewer for all Student Affairs website updates submitted by individual units.
• Write, edit, and proofread divisional documents such as the Student Affairs Annual Report, brochures, websites, student-facing communications, staff newsletters, guides, and presentations.
• Develop content that is accessible, inclusive, and aligned with the university’s brand tone and divisional messaging priorities.
• Partner with the Assistant Director of Student Affairs Technology and Integrated Communications to align written content with visual and digital elements.

• Cross-Campus Collaboration and Liaison Work
• Serve as a key liaison to USD’s central Marketing and Communications team to ensure divisional messaging is aligned with institutional campaigns, tone, and branding.
• Collaborate with departments across the Division of Student Affairs to identify and fulfill content needs, including event coverage, campaign messaging, websites, or strategic storytelling.
• Work with the Assistant Director of Student Affairs Technology and Integrated Communications on coordinated communications efforts spanning writing, design, social media, and web platforms.

• Innovation and Leadership
• Stay informed about best practices in content strategy, inclusive communication, and digital accessibility.
• Contribute to or lead additional division/campus projects to advance student or organizational goals. Additional assignments may be seasonal, ad hoc, or ongoing depending on the project.

Special Conditions of Employment: Working beyond regularly scheduled hours may be required during busy times of the year, including occasional nights and weekends.

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Official education transcripts for degree verification purposes may be required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, English, or a related field is required.
• Three years of professional experience in writing, editing, content strategy, or a similar communications role is required. Substitution: A Master's degree may substitute for one year of work experience, as two years of education are equivalent to one year of work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree is preferred.
• Experience in higher education or nonprofit communications.
• Familiarity with knowledge base systems, web content management systems (CMS), or CRM platforms such as Salesforce.
• Knowledge of inclusive language practices, accessibility standards, and brand management.

Performance Expectations – Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong proofreading, with command of English, AP style, and standard grammar and punctuation.
• Project management ability to handle competing priorities.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing or high-pressure situations.
• Commitment to the mission of a faith-based institution and understanding of academic environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to work independently and in a team under deadlines.
• Advanced knowledge of Google Suite.
• Ability to respond promptly to questions and requests for information.
• Understanding of modern marketing communication techniques and social media trends.
• Commitment to student learning and development in the co-curriculum and assessing program impact.
• Proficiency with relevant tools and equipment as identified.

Salary: $5,858.67 - 5,975.84 per month; Excellent Benefits. The University of San Diego offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, retirement contribution, and on-campus fitness centers. For details, see USD Benefits.

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Application Instructions: Resume and Cover Letter Required. Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. Upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review. If you have questions, contact the Employment Services Team at jobs@sandiego.edu.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Note: External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could close this posting earlier than listed. USD is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.

Advertised: February 03, 2026 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close: Open until filled

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The Assistant Director, Writing and Content Strategy, plays a critical role in shaping, refining, and ensuring the clarity and consistency of the Division of Student Affairs’ written communications. This position oversees content strategy for the University’s Knowledge Base in collaboration with ITS, the Torero Hub, and Marketing and Communications. This role also supports a wide range of writing needs for the Division of Student Affairs, including reports, brochures, and print/digital resources.

Note: The final two paragraphs contain information that appears to be redundant or not directly relevant to this specific role. If included, these should be reviewed and retained only if necessary for the posting.