The Tech Communication Specialist designs, builds, and maintains data automations for student-focused communications in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC). Leveraging Journey Builder and Automation Studio, this role writes and optimizes SQL queries, orchestrates data automations, manages subscriber data/preference centers, and closely partners with internal and occasionally external stakeholders to help deliver data for personalized messages that improves recruitment, retention, and engagement.

Responsibilities

Journey&Automation Development

• Build data for single?send, multi?step, and transactional journeys that incorporate Entry Events, Decision/Random/Engagement Splits, Wait, and Update Contact activities to guide students through recruitment, onboarding, and retention touch?
• Configure data to help implement predetermined Goals and Exit Criteria so journeys automatically evaluate success and remove contacts who achieve their objective.
• Orchestrate data for scheduled or event?triggered automations that import files (SFTP, API), refresh Data Extensions, execute SQL activities, and invoke Journey
• Monitor run history, concurrency limits, and error logs in Automation Studio; restart or roll back failed workflows and communicate incident status.

SQL & Query Development

• Write and optimize complex queries (joins, CTEs, window functions) for segmentation, suppression, data hygiene, and journey branching logic.
• Document queries in a version?controlled repository; schedule them as discrete activities or bundle inside automations with data extracts and email sends.

Subscriber Data & Preference Management

• Design scalable Contact Builder data models, attribute groups, and data relationships to support large student populations.
• Maintain Publication Lists, Suppression Lists, and self?service Preference Centers that honor FERPA, CAN?SPAM, and GDPR?like requirements.
• Leverage API or Automation Studio File Import activities to keep subscriber attributes, consent flags, and mobile opt?ins synchronized with SIS/CRM systems.

Testing, QA & Troubleshooting

• Use Journey Builder test mode, validation, and Query Studio to test the data powering dynamic content.
• Implement automated alerting (email/SMS/Slack) for automation failures; analyze Journey Health, drop?off points, and deliverability metrics to recommend fixes.

Collaboration, Enablement & Reporting

• Gather requirements from Communications, Learner Services, and Academic Engagement; translate them into journey data maps and schemas.
• Build dashboards in Marketing Cloud Intelligence or BI tools alongside the Communications Team to help track campaign performance, goal achievement, and student?lifecycle KPIs; present data insights and next?step data optimizations.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Required

• Knowledge of SFMC modules (Journey?Builder & Automation?Studio, Query Studio. Analytics Builder, Contact?Builder, etc.).
• Skill in writing advanced SQL (joins, sub?queries, CTEs) for segmentation and data hygiene.
• Ability to architect Data?Extensions and relational data models that support large student datasets.
• Skill in AMPscript/SSJS and basic knowledge of HTML.
• Knowledge of REST/SOAP APIs and Marketing?Cloud?Connect for CRM integrations.
• Ability to analyze KPIs (open, click, conversion) and translate data insights into iterative improvements.

Preferred

• Salesforce admin certification in Marketing Cloud or other similar Salesforce Product
• Knowledge of higher?education communication cycles and student?lifecycle marketing best practices.
• Skill with BI tools (Tableau, Power?BI) or Python for advanced analytics.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Education: Associate’s degree in Communication, Information Science, or related field
• Experience:
  • 2?+?yrs hands?on SFMC (Audience Builder & Automation?Studio), SQL scripting, and data?driven decision-making

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:
  • Experience in higher education environment
  • SFMC certifications (Journey Builder & Automation Consultant)