Assistant Director, Advertising

About the role

Temple University's Strategic Marketing and Communications Division is searching for a Assistant Director, Advertising Become a part of the Temple family and you will have access to the following: A hybrid work schedule Full medical, dental, vision coverage Paid time off 3 Personal Days Tuition remission - eligible employees and their dependents can obtain a degree TUITION FREE A generous retirement plan and so much more!

Salary Grade: T25 A variety of important factors are reviewed by HR when considering salary, including job duties, the applicant’s education and experience, all relevant internal equity considerations, department budget, and funding source.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Advertising within the Enrollment Marketing team, the Assistant Director of Advertising supports the development and refinement of paid media strategy and recommendations across channels, ensuring alignment with division-wide marketing priorities and institutional brand standards. The Assistant Director will independently manage complex, integrated paid media programs from planning through completion.

Under the direction of the Director of Advertising, the Assistant Director serves as a lead problem-solver for paid media planning and performance, translating marketing goals into clear, actionable guidance for the university’s media buying agency and internal stakeholders.

This position requires strong judgment and professionalism, including the ability to incorporate candid feedback, navigate complex cross-functional relationships, and apply reporting knowledge and data-informed insights to strengthen campaign outcomes.

The Assistant Director works closely with colleagues across Strategic Marketing and Communications, campus partners, as well as the external media buying agency, to support effective planning, continuous optimization, and consistent execution quality. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Application Requirements * Please include a resume and cover letter Required Education and Experience * Bachelor’s degree * And 3 years of directly related experience in advertising, paid media activation, marketing operations, or a related field. * An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. Preferred Experience * Previous work in higher education marketing/advertising.

Required Skills and Abilities * Knowledge of advertising best practices and how paid media tactics function operationally. * Working knowledge of advertising campaign performance metrics, reporting dashboards, and translating insights into execution improvements. * Working expertise in digital marketing and paid media (SEM/search, paid social) and related measurement fundamentals (e.g., tracking, UTMs, conversion events). * Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite of products. * Enthusiastic self-starter with a proactive approach to project management. * Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy of work.

Superior organizational skills - must be able to effectively prioritize and meet deadlines. * Ability to quickly acclimate to different environments and are open to new processes and technologies. * Self-directed with a solutions-oriented attitude; values and inspires a positive work environment. * Ability to work within a continuous improvement environment; able to receive feedback with a positive attitude and a commitment to personal accountability. * Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills with the ability to work and collaborate with colleagues and campus partners. * Brings diplomacy and collegiality to capably address challenges; willingness to tackle issues and collaboratively resolve them. * Strong attention to detail and ability to utilize data and insights to determine decisions. * Ability to attend staff events as needed (including occasional nights and weekends). * Ability to work well under pressure. * Demonstrated ability to effectively and collaboratively work as part of a cross-functional team. * Ability to work independently and efficiently. * Demonstrated excellent organizational time management skills.

Essential Functions of the Position * Lead multiple complex, integrated paid media programs from planning through completion, partnering with internal project managers to coordinate cross-functional delivery, set expectations, monitor milestones, ensure work stays on schedule and meets channel specifications, and escalate risks early so campaigns launch as planned. * Serve as the primary day-to-day problem-solver for stakeholder and agency issues: manage expectations, resolve conflicts, and remove roadblocks independently; escalate only items requiring Director-level strategy, budget tradeoffs, or institutional alignment decisions. * Own performance cadence on assigned programs: interpret reporting and dashboards to identify trends and performance drivers; translate insights into optimization/testing recommendations and guide agency follow-through. * Apply operational expertise and best practices across paid media tactics (platform constraints, creative requirements, optimization levers, and measurement limitations) to prevent execution issues and improve campaign effectiveness. * Establish and improve standards and processes for paid media planning and execution (templates, SOPs, QA practices, documentation norms), driving adoption across internal partners and the agency. * Maintain oversight of budget pacing for assigned programs, reconciling planned vs. actual spend, identifying variances, and bringing forward recommendations for reallocations or timing shifts for Director review. * Partner with the Advertising Specialist to ensure day-to-day operational needs are covered (campaign documentation, reporting compilation, asset handoffs, and tracking), maintaining clear division of responsibilities and keeping administrative and financial workflows moving efficiently. * Support institutional quality control by ensuring creative and messaging are routed through appropriate review channels and adhere to brand standards and guidelines.

Job Details * Offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment physical. * This position is assigned a hybrid work arrangement (on-campus and remote); the duration of this hybrid work arrangement is at the discretion of Temple University and the Departments.

Compliance Statement: In the performance of their functions as detailed in the position description employees have an obligation to avoid ethical, legal, financial and other conflicts of interest to ensure that their actions and outside activities do not conflict with their primary employment responsibilities at the institution.

Employees are also expected to understand and be in compliance with applicable laws, University and employment policies and regulations, including NCAA regulations for areas and departments which their essential functions cause them to interact. Temple University's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains statistics, policies, and procedures related to campus safety.