Student Communications Manager

Location: London Campus

Benefits: The university supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, offer flexible working and parental leave opportunities, an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns as well as optional private medical insurance, season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme.

Reports to: Director of Student Engagement

Start: 1st July 2026

The role:

The Student Communications Manager develops compelling written and visual communications for student, alumni, and parent audiences. Acting as the central coordinator and quality gateway for all student-facing communications at the Northeastern University London campus, the postholder works across Student Life, Academic Services, Faculty, Academic Engagement, and other professional services to ensure information is accurate, timely, accessible, and aligned with institutional priorities and brand standards.

The role owns the Student Hub (SharePoint), the student newsletters, and the London campus internal student communications strategy. It also provides communications support for events, change initiatives, and urgent or sensitive situations. The postholder is currently an individual contributor but may supervise one or two staff, temporary workers, or students in the future.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Communications Strategy and Planning

• Own and implement the annual student communications strategy, aligned to institutional priorities and the academic calendar.
• Develop and maintain a forward communications plan, mapping key student touchpoints across the year (induction, add/drop, assessment periods, results, graduation, and others).
• Identify gaps or inconsistencies in student communications and proactively propose improvements.
• Advise senior leadership on communications strategy, audience insight, and emerging trends in student engagement.

Content Creation and Editorial Quality

• Source, draft, review, and edit communications from all university departments before distribution, ensuring accuracy, clarity, appropriate tone, and consistency with brand and editorial standards.
• Produce high-quality written and visual content for a range of channels, including email, the Student Hub, digital signage, presentations, and print.
• Apply plain English principles and accessibility standards throughout all student-facing content.
• Maintain the institutional voice and ensure consistency of messaging across all platforms and teams.
• Provide editorial counsel to academic and professional services colleagues on student communications.

Student Hub and Channel Management

• Take ownership of the Northeastern University London Student Hub (SharePoint), ensuring content is accurate, current, well-structured, and engaging.
• Manage the student newsletter end-to-end, from content sourcing and editing to design, distribution, and performance reporting.
• Work with the Social Media Manager and other content creators to promote key stories and updates across relevant channels.
• Ensure all channel content remains aligned with agreed standards, approval processes, and brand guidelines.

Stakeholder Coordination and Governance

• Act as the central point of coordination for student communications across the London campus.
• Manage the communications submission and approval process, supporting staff to use the correct routes and formats.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders in London and other global campuses to support timely, well-coordinated communications delivery.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Track and evaluate the effectiveness of student communications using relevant KPIs, including email open and click-through rates, Hub analytics, and student survey data.
• Maintain communications trackers and plans, contributing to regular reporting cycles and stakeholder updates.
• Use data and feedback to identify areas for improvement and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Contribute to business reviews by providing visibility of communications activity and impact.

Events Communications

• Work with the Events team and relevant colleagues to plan and deliver communications in support of institutional events, including induction, open days, academic ceremonies, programming and student engagement activities.
• Work with the events team to produce event-related materials including run-of-show documents, scripts, signage, and post-event communications.
• Advise on best practice for event communications based on audience data and engagement insight.

Brand and Compliance

• Act as brand guardian for all student communications, ensuring all outputs comply with visual identity standards, brand guidelines, and institutional tone of voice.
• Follow and uphold communications governance requirements, including third-party publicity and approval obligations.
• Support colleagues in understanding and applying brand and communications standards in their own outputs.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

About the University:

Northeastern University London (NU London) is a prestigious higher education institution based in the heart of London and is part of Northeastern University’s global campus network. NU London offers academically challenging educational programmes designed to inspire innovative thinking, encourage interdisciplinary study, and provide global experiences. The bright and modern campus buildings offer contemporary facilities for students and staff including state of the art audio visual technology in its teaching and meeting spaces.

Inspired by excellence, infused with an energy of ideas and ability in motion, at NU London, being a part of our staff is to be a part of a collective of entrepreneurs and educators, builders and thinkers. NU London is growing quickly, offering opportunity and growth for our staff.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, the University supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, your health and wellness are of utmost importance to us, and our offering
encompass.

Person specification criteria:
[E] = Essential [D] = Desirable

Education, Qualifications and Training

• Undergraduate degree in Marketing, Communications or English [D]
• 3-5 years of professional experience in communications, marketing, or journalism [E]

Experience

• Experience in Higher Education and/or knowledge of graphic and web design software [E]
• Highly effective writing, editing, and copy-editing skills, with the ability to shape content for student and parent audiences [E]

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Sound understanding of branding and institutional voice, with the ability to develop and maintain editorial standards [E]
• Critical thinking and strategic messaging skills [E]
• Ability to build effective internal relationships and identify newsworthy stories [E]
• Ability to develop and deliver clear, timely communications during urgent or sensitive situations, including crisis response, change initiatives, and high-stakes events, ensuring consistent messaging and stakeholder confidence under pressure. [E]
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook and email service platforms [E]
• Ability to work collaboratively and professionally with colleagues across teams, departments, and the global network [E]

Additional Information

Enquiries

Informal enquiries may be made to Suzi Broadaway, Director of Student Engagement via emailing suzi.broadaway@nulondon.ac.uk. However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified.

Application process

Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.

Applications must include a covering letter and a full curriculum vitae (via the 'Apply' button above).

Please note this role will have a DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London.

Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.