About This Role
This leadership post leads the university's brand, communications, and marketing strategy. It is a unique opportunity for a marketing professional with deep roots in higher education to shape how the institution connects with students, alumni, donors, and the broader community. The Chief Marketing Officer will elevate the institutional brand, drive enrollment and advancement marketing outcomes, and build a high-performing communications team.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the official media contact and spokesperson for the University, including crisis communications planning and response
- Develop and implement a comprehensive, data-driven marketing and communications plan aligned with the University's strategic plan
- Define and steward a compelling institutional brand, defining key attributes, messages, and imagery that authentically represent the University across all constituencies
- Advise the President and senior leadership on strategic communications, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement
- Present communications strategy and institutional brand performance to the President's Advisory Council and, as needed, to the Board of Trustees
- Partner with Enrollment Management to develop integrated marketing strategies that support student recruitment funnels and yield goals
- Collaborate with the Advancement office to develop donor communications, fundraising campaign materials, and alumni engagement content
- Develop audience-segmented communications using CRM and marketing automation platforms (e.g., Slate, Salesforce, HubSpot) to drive measurable engagement
- Lead paid digital advertising strategy across Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, and other relevant platforms to reach target markets effectively
- Serve as Webmaster and oversee all digital properties, including the University website, portal, events calendar, academic catalog, and student handbook via Cascade CMS
- Serve as one of the Administrators for the University's SharePoint site
- Lead SEO/SEM strategy and leverage Google Analytics and similar tools to ensure data-informed content and campaign decisions
- Ensure all digital communications meet ADA/WCAG accessibility standards in compliance with applicable legal requirements
- Monitor AI and emerging technologies and evaluate their application to content strategy, marketing efficiency, and communications workflows
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing marketing and communications team; conduct annual performance reviews for all direct reports
- Manage vendor relationships, agency partnerships, and media buying contracts to maximize institutional investment
- Develop and manage the annual Marketing and Communications department budget, with demonstrated accountability for ROI
- Establish and implement a framework to track, measure, and report the effectiveness of all communications efforts to senior leadership
