Location: Bowling Green, KY Category: Staff Posted On: Wed Jan 21 2026 Job Description:
Western Kentucky University aspires to be the University of choice for faculty and staff who are dedicated to helping advance academic excellence. True to its spirit, WKU offers an inviting, nurturing, and challenging work environment, which is responsive to the needs of a diverse and ambitious learning community. WKU's main campus is located on a hill overlooking the city of Bowling Green (population est. 77,000) and is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful in the nation. In addition, WKU serves the communities of Elizabethtown/Fort Knox, Glasgow and Owensboro through its regional campuses. We invite you to consider WKU as a place where your academic and professional dreams can be realized.
Essential Functions:
Marketing
Provide primary leadership in the development and implementation of a comprehensive departmental marketing and communications plan that simultaneously promotes WKU and Housing and Residence Life (HRL) among prospective and current students. This plan will refine audience targets, priorities, and marketing and communication strategies, while establishing appropriate measures to assess both the quality and efficacy of those strategies.
Select, hire, train and supervise student workers and interns in the areas of graphic design, social media, photography, videography and marketing.
Design advertisements, marketing programs, and promotional materials for all divisions within HRL.
Serve as liaison to campus departments to coordinate hall tours and maintain tour room.
Serve as HRL photographer and videographer.
Create and maintain websites for Housing and Residence Life, M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan, and Parent and Family Programs. Assist other areas in the Division of Student Experience as needed.
Serve on university committees for marketing, websites, and social media.
Represent HRL at recruitment functions with tabling, presentations, etc. and coordinate staff to assist. This may require some travel and after-hours work.
Work collaboratively with and participate in a decision-making capacity with campus partners, including the WKU Office of Admissions, the WKU Office of Student Financial Assistance and the Division of Communication & Marketing.
Communications
Coordinate and mobilize staff in HRL in service of high-priority communication projects, including writing, editing and designing official publications for a wide range of media.
Serve as content curator for HRL websites, social media channels and all related general communications and marketing materials, ensuring message continuity, design and tone across the portfolio.
Coordinate communication services with publication and production processes.
Identify and enhance visibility of newsworthy research, activities, events, programs or accomplishments of HRL, and proactively market them to appropriate media channels.
Provide appropriate communications on move-in/out, facility maintenance, student engagement activities and crises.
Establish and maintain liaison with university departments, colleges and schools for the purpose of coordinating and reporting information for HRL.
Leadership
Leads, plans and implements the creation of a department wide communication and strategic marketing campaign.
Serves on the HRL Leadership Team.
Represent HRL on the WKU Communications Cabinet.
Provides resources, topics and discussion items from his/her area for discussion/information to other Leadership Team members.
Make decisions regarding budgeting for marketing, videos, print and other campaigns.
Serve as the primary liaison between HRL and WKU Media Relations.
Supervise a coordinator-level staff member, student workers and/or interns.
Serve as the primary communications contact for crises and facilities issues, which may require some after-hours work.
Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:
Attend state, regional and national conferences.
Other responsibilities as assigned.
Knowledge and Skills Considered:
Ability to think strategically and analytically.
Ability to engage in self-directed work.
Must possess the ability to maintain an effective, cooperative working relationship with supervisors and co-workers in keeping with the values and mission of both the department and the university.
Excellent oral, written, listening and computer communication skills.
Excellent problem-solving, multi-tasking and organizational skills.
Sound, ethical decision making.
Model a positive attitude regarding diversity.
Ability to respond to crisis/emergency situations in a calm, thoughtful and deliberate manner.
Job Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in journalism, graphic design, advertising, marketing or other related fields.
At least three or more years of experience in journalism, graphic design, advertising, marketing or other related fields.
Proficient computer skills to include Adobe Products.
Willing to submit a portfolio of prior relevant work.
Additional Information:
Salary Range: $55,000 - $60,000
Kentucky state law requires all public institutions of postsecondary education to conduct pre-employment criminal background checks to determine suitability for employment.
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is committed to a policy and practice of providing equal employment and educational opportunities to all individuals. In accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Revised 1992, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, no form of discrimination or harassment will be tolerated at WKU on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital status, age, uniformed services, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, or physical or mental disability in admission to career and technical education programs and/or activities, or employment practices.
Persons with disabilities, who need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application and/or selection process, should notify the office of Institutional Equity. To request an accommodation, report a complaint, or ask questions regarding WKU's Discrimination and Harassment Policy (#0.2040), please contact Ms. Ena Demir, Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator via email at ena.demir@wku.edu or by phone at (270) 745-6867. Ms. Demir is also responsible for coordinating the University's response to complaints related to sex and gender harassment. Additional information regarding Title IX is accessible via WKU's https://www.wku.edu/titleix/ website.
Information concerning educational programs offered by WKU are provided at: http://www.wku.edu/atwku/academics.php
For information related to job postings, please email employment@wku.edu.
