Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications

Santa Clara University • Santa Clara, CA

4d

About The Position

This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished marketer to help grow the reputation and contribute to revenue growth for the School of Engineering. Its unique connection to Silicon Valley and its highly engaged alumni base provide great potential for this position to enhance the School of Engineering’s standing as a leading global brand in Higher Education. In this high-visibility, high-impact role, the Assistant Dean will serve as a member of the senior leadership team and a strategic partner to the Dean and other key SoE leaders shaping school-wide marketing and communications direction and collaborating with university-level partners to ensure SoE’s visibility internally and externally. This role directly contributes to enrollment growth, philanthropic revenue, and long-term brand equity for the School of Engineering. The Assistant Dean serves as a strategic driver of demand generation, market positioning, and external visibility that supports undergraduate and graduate enrollment strategy targets, donor engagement, and the stewardship of current and anticipated gift funds. Reporting to the Dean and as a key member of the Dean’s senior leadership team, the Assistant Dean provides strategic leadership and oversight to the development of a marketing and communications strategy, and drives its implementation in a manner that effectively and successfully supports the overall vision and objectives for the SoE. The Assistant Dean also establishes marketing and communications-related performance metrics and indicators, and uses these to ensure effective usage and good stewardship of School resources. The Assistant Dean will lead the team responsible for building and maintaining the School’s brand in the digital space by driving exposure, influence, and engagement in all forms of social media. S/he will drive the planning and execution of the school’s social media strategy, including setting guidelines and parameters for social media across the school The Assistant Dean will lead strategic guidance, consultation, and final review on major marketing initiatives to ensure cohesion with school-wide and university brand standards. Additionally, the Assistant Dean serves as a key member of the School’s extended leadership team and advises the Dean on high-level communications, market positioning, and strategic planning. The Assistant Dean operates as a senior advisor to the Dean and School leadership, translating institutional priorities into integrated marketing, communications, and enrollment strategies. This role exercises delegated authority over school-wide marketing standards, messaging consistency, and campaign prioritization, with accountability for measurable outcomes related to enrollment growth, reputation, and revenue-supporting initiatives.

Requirements

• A successful track record of strategic marketing leadership by applying global business acumen.
• Experience in developing marketing programs for domestic and international audiences is important.
• Experience developing strategies for digital and direct marketing, market research, social media, content marketing, web presence, mobile, creative direction, and PR.
• Robust knowledge and experience with developing objectives, strategy, and sophisticated tactical marketing and communications plans.
• Understanding of the demands of protecting and promoting a world-class global brand.
• Familiarity with data analytics, their interpretation, and presentation of that information to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated outstanding leadership, organizational, and management skills.
• A perceptive, energetic individual who can affect change in a dynamic environment and steward the School’s brand.
• Excellent skills in managing, holding accountable, motivating, and supporting creative people in the marketing and communications unit.
• Ability to build consensus, manage relationships across a diverse group of internal and external constituents, and decisively problem-solve in a fast-moving, decentralized organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a large, diverse group of employees.
• Charismatic leader: The primary spokesperson after the Dean: collaborative, confident, low on ego and high on EQ, sense of humor, a true team player who intuitively knows when to lead and when to support. A leader who is just as effective as an individual contributor.
• Visionary Partner: the ability to make a vision come alive, assign appropriate responsibilities, and directly contribute to seeing it through.
• Superior ability to build strong client relationships and well-honed communication skills, including giving persuasive presentations, writing superbly, and speaking cogently and compellingly.
• An effective leader adept at managing change, building relationships with people from diverse areas of the School and the University, and inspiring those outside their direct sphere of control.
• Clear ability to lead by example.
• The ability to evaluate the quality and ROI of all external vendors selected to work with the marketing and communications team.
• Change agent: proven ability to drive change is necessary to continue to advance the quality of the team’s contributions.
• Cross-functional catalyst: leads the optimization of overall team performance.
• Culture champion: demonstrates character and action that embodies brand values, actively supports department culture growth, and drives innovation for best results. Takes personal responsibility for all aspects of material produced by the staff led by this position.
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 8-10 years of progressive leadership experience in marketing, communications, enrollment marketing, or related strategic functions, preferably within higher education or complex mission-driven organizations.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in higher education is preferred.
• Master’s preferred Marketing, public relations, or liberal arts preferred.
• Advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Relationship-building & school understanding
• Strategy Development
• Team Leadership
• Social Media & Digital Management
• Marketing/Advertising
• Issues Management
• Staff Supervision
• Budget Oversight
• Enrollment, Revenue, and Growth Strategy
• Advancement Marketing and Communications, Impact Strategy, and Gift Stewardship Alignment

Benefits

• Santa Clara University offers a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees with programs and resources designed to promote and sustain personal health care, well-being, and the financial objectives of our employees and families. Visit our benefits page for more information.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive