Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership Initiative
Department: Marketing and Communications
Employment status: Full-time, exempt; 5-year term grant-funded position (2027-2031)
Hours per week: 35
Months per year: 12
Work schedule: Princeton Seminary office hours; occasional evening and weekend work based
on network programming
Reports to: Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
Dotted-line relationship: Polaris Senior Program Director
Salary Range: $81,000-88,000 (commensurate with experience)
Submit Resumé and Cover Letter: communication@ptsem.edu
Job Purpose
The Communications and Content Manager leads communications and marketing
implementation for the Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership Initiative which supports 1) the
Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network, 2) the Polaris Research Initiative, and 3) the Polaris
Collaborative. As a member of Princeton Seminary’s Marketing and Communications team, this
position builds awareness of the network’s direct programs with young adult leaders, supporting
program enrollment and increasing participation in story-sharing initiatives. The manager
translates program priorities into practical communications plans and develops content in
collaboration with MarCom’s writing, social media, web, and photography staff and media
production colleagues. The manager also cultivates a secondary audience of organization
leaders invested in young adult faith and leadership by highlighting research and featured
stories from the Polaris Research Initiative and the Polaris Collaborative.
The position reports to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, who oversees
communications strategy, work priorities, and performance. A dotted-line relationship with the
Polaris Senior Program Director supports coordination around program goals, schedules, and
participant needs.
Essential Functions
Marketing Strategy and Campaign Implementation | 30%
• Develop and implement communications plans for Polaris programs and initiatives, defining
target audiences, messages, channels, calls to action, timelines, and measures of success in
consultation with the Senior Director and program leadership. Ensure priorities align with
budget allocations.
• Build campaigns that move audiences from awareness to inquiry, enrollment, and
participation. Select and coordinate awareness campaigns, email nurture sequences, and
conversion-focused outreach according to the goal and stage of audience engagement.
• Work with MarCom colleagues and approved marketing partners to execute paid and
organic campaigns, aligning advertisements, landing pages, email follow-up, and registration
information.
• Identify new media outlets, digital communities, distribution partners, and paid placements
that can reach young adults and the people who influence their participation. Recommend
opportunities based on audience relevance, cost, and likely results.
• Apply participant feedback, market research, direct audience engagement, and professional
judgment to refine messaging and test new approaches.
Content Development and Story Sharing | 35%
• Identify and develop stories that highlight young adult Christian leaders in diverse
communities and contexts, connecting their experiences to Polaris’s purpose and
opportunities for involvement.
• Develop secondary audience of institutional and organizational leaders who champion
young adults. Feature Polaris research and related interdisciplinary research about young
adult faith formation and leadership development. Highlight exemplary Polaris Collaborative
organizations along with stories featuring young adults.
• Maintain an editorial calendar that coordinates stories, program promotion, and ongoing
network 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, and
media production colleagues to develop and adapt content for each channel. Coordinate
contributions and reviews through established team workflows and agreed timelines.
• Plan distribution and reuse of stories across Polaris and Seminary channels, working with
channel owners to identify appropriate placements and connect content to clear audience
actions.
• Ensure content is accurate, accessible, consistent with Seminary and Polaris brand
standards, and appropriate for the audience. Coordinate participant permissions and
approvals as needed.
• Coordinate external creative vendors when specialized expertise or additional capacity is
needed, 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, enrollment
goals, 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 and
communicate agreed priorities and progress to program leadership.
• Build and sustain relationships with participants, alumni, Christian leaders, creators, and
community partners who can contribute stories, inform outreach, or introduce the network
to 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 identify
trusted voices and organizations that influence their decisions.
• Surface opportunities that may not arrive through formal project requests, including
emerging stories, relevant conversations, partnerships, and gaps in the participant
experience.
• Participate in relevant Polaris and MarCom meetings and attend Polaris gatherings as
needed 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 recommend
specific adjustments.
• Work with colleagues responsible for CRM and email systems to support audience
segmentation, campaign tracking, and timely follow-up with prospective and current
participants.
• Maintain project information, content schedules, and campaign records in MarCom’s shared
systems. Flag missing information, competing deadlines, and resource needs early.
• Contribute to program and grant reporting by providing communications results, campaign
summaries, and examples of network reach and participation.
• Participate in departmental planning and relevant institutional initiatives, and perform other
related 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 an
equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• A minimum of three years of marketing and communications experience, including hands-on
implementation of integrated digital campaigns.
• Experience marketing educational programs, membership networks, nonprofit initiatives, or
leadership development opportunities.
• Experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, WordPress, and Monday.com or comparable
platforms.
• 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 audience
growth, inquiries, registrations, or comparable outcomes.
• Demonstrated success engaging young adult audiences, supported by current familiarity
with their digital communities, cultural interests, media habits, and trusted sources of
influence.
• 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 editorial
and marketing judgment, proposing ideas, and testing assumptions.
• Strong relationship-building and listening skills; ability to work effectively with Christian
leaders 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, and
basic design tools.
• Strong organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects and meet
deadlines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, steward sensitive information, and exercise care when
sharing participants’ stories.
• Commitment to Princeton Seminary’s mission and to equity, inclusion, diversity, and antiracism.
Physical and Environmental Demands
• Remote/Hybrid flexibility.
• Ability to be on campus to support key initiatives throughout the year.