Chief Marketing Officer

About This Role

This is a rare opportunity to architect a university marketing department and a national brand simultaneously. The Chief Marketing Officer will translate the President’s vision into a compelling, unified voice for every audience the University serves, while elevating Southern Wesleyan University from a locally known, value-oriented institution into a nationally recognized destination for students and donors who value a Biblically faithful, classical liberal arts education.

Responsibilities

• Serve as chief architect and steward of the President’s vision, translating institutional strategy into clear, consistent messaging for every stakeholder audience
• Build the marketing function for the University, recruiting, hiring, and developing a small team, while personally executing tactical work (copy, campaigns, content, project management) in the interim
• Develop and lead a national brand strategy that repositions Southern Wesleyan University from a regional, price-competitive option to a distinctive, mission-driven destination institution
• Own enrollment marketing strategy in close partnership with Admissions, communicating academic programs, student life, and value to prospective students and families
• Guide employer- and graduate-facing marketing that showcases outcomes and positions Southern Wesleyan University graduates competitively in the marketplace
• Lead donor- and community-facing communications in partnership with Advancement, strengthening Southern Wesleyan University’s reputation and fundraising reach beyond its traditional base
• Ensure every message, campaign, and channel reflects and reinforces Southern Wesleyan University’s identity as a Biblically faithful Christian university committed to the classical liberal arts
• Set both strategic direction and day-to-day tactical priorities, moving fluidly between high-level planning and hands-on execution as the team scales
• Establish brand standards, marketing infrastructure, analytics, and processes where few or none currently exist

Requirements

• Proven experience in higher education marketing, with a clear understanding of how to market academic programs, student life, institutional value, and outcomes to distinct audiences
• Demonstrated strategic marketing and brand-building leadership, ideally including experience growing institutional or organizational reach from regional to national
• Comfort operating as a builder, willing and able to do tactical, hands-on work while also advising the President and senior leadership at a strategic level
• Exceptionally strong writing, storytelling, and communication skills across digital, print, and interpersonal channels
• Experience building or scaling a team or department, including hiring, vendor management, and budget stewardship
• Bachelor’s degree required