PR and Events Co-ordinator

Direct Reporting Line:

Head: Student Experience

Varsity College is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE). The IIE enjoys the reputation of being at the forefront of private higher education in South Africa, and is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to provide higher education qualifications accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE).

The IIE's Varsity College, Pietermaritzburg Campus has a vacancy for a PR and Events Co-ordinator.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Media Relations

• Identifying, building and maintaining strong media relationships within the community and region in which the campus is located.
• Output of monthly media releases and caption stories for internal and external use, in order to reach annual campus PR exposure/publicity target.
• Building and maintaining relationships with the local media.
• Networking with media at campus events.
• Liaise with the National office in any crisis management situations (PR/media).

Brand Identity

• Understand the Brand identity and ensure that it is consistently applied to all campus elements including posters, flyers and campus look and feel as well as to ensure that all campus communication is geared towards maintaining a positive Brand reputation.

Management of PR related Service Providers

• Identifying and selecting campus service providers which will provide services for the PR portfolio. This includes photographers, printers, sound technicians, etc.
• Brief campus photographers and liaise with other campus staff to ensure an even spread of sport, social, academic, cultural and community engagement events are effectively photographed.
• Manage the campus photography including supply to national office, press and online media.

General Administration

• Compiling annual and monthly events calendars.
• Compiling reports after major events.
• Managing the campus PR budget.
• Compiling monthly PR reports.

Events Management

• Ensure the planning and implementation of comprehensive and balanced social events offering both on and off the campus, that will positively impact the marketing of the campus to prospective students.
• Provide accurate reporting of all social and cultural events within the time frames provided.
• Management of the internal advertising for all social and cultural events.
• Build relationships with third parties to ensure access to practical venues for all social events and to ensure sponsorship opportunities and prizes for such events.

Team Support

• Support the Student Experience team on specific projects as required.
• Supporting the Academic Operations Centres of Excellence with events, e.g., graduation.
• Offer support related to public relations to other departments that may need it, when requested by a Senior Manager.

Social Committee Management

• Recruitment and management of the Social Committee to encourage student participation to ensure students receive a full and well-rounded experience at IIE Varsity College.

Competencies Required:

• High level of administration, planning and organisational skills.
• Computer literacy essential.
• Customer service orientation, high levels of energy and self-motivation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Must be confident and outgoing.
• Proven ability to manage work and self proactively; must be deadline driven.
• Superior presentation skills.
• Excellent command of the English language (both spoken and written).

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

• BA Degree in Corporate Communications, or PR/Marketing Degree or Diploma or equivalent.

Minimum Work Experience Requirements:

• Minimum of 3 years in any of the following: PR, Events Management, Social Media Management, Social Management and Media writing and liaison.
• Experience in managing a team of people / running a team / delegating tasks would be beneficial.

Special Requirement:

• Driver's license and own vehicle essential.

Working Hours:

• Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 17:00

Salary:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Benefits:

• Lifelong learning opportunities through LinkedIn Learning subscriptions.
• Staff and family discounts on educational programs within our brand portfolio.
• Incentive bonus structure based on performance and achievement of goals.
• Provident fund contributions, including Death & Funeral Cover, to support your financial well-being and future planning.
• Birthday vouchers to celebrate your special day.
• Competitive annual leave allowance for well-deserved time off and rejuvenation.

Application Response:

• Due to the high volume of CVs received, please note that personal contact with all applicants may not be feasible. Only candidates whose qualifications and skills closely align with the position requirements will be contacted for interviews.