Associate Director of Marketing and Communication

Santa Clara University • Santa Clara, CA

1d • $85,400 - $93,943 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director plays a key role in shaping and executing the School of Engineering’s marketing and communications strategy. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications, this position supports the School’s efforts to raise visibility, strengthen its brand, engage internal and external audiences, recruit and retain students and faculty, build alumni and corporate partnerships, and advance fundraising initiatives. These activities are critical to the School’s efforts to market its programs, recruit and retain undergraduate and graduate students and faculty, develop a strong alumni base, develop and maintain internal and external partnerships, and raise funds to support the School. They also are integral to the branding and marketing. In addition to executional support, this position is responsible for the development, coordination, and day-to-day management of marketing programs and signature initiatives. The role is accountable for translating approved strategies into actionable programs, timelines, and measurable outcomes. Beyond execution, the position owns key marketing operations, reporting, and cross-functional coordination that support enrollment growth, advancement initiatives, and institutional continuity. The role serves as a central integrator across marketing, admissions, and advancement, with responsibility for operationalizing strategy and reporting on outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, or related field required.
• 5-7 years of professional experience in marketing, communications, or related field, preferably in higher education.
• Experience producing high-quality communications and marketing materials without overreliance on outsourcing.
• Experience in ongoing budget management, financial reporting and subsequent decision making.
• Demonstrated experience leading programs or initiatives with measurable outcomes, including event management or multi-stakeholder coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and translate findings into clear insights that inform priorities, decision-making, and strategic direction.
• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills across multiple media.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; experience with Google Workspace and marketing/analytics tools preferred.
• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills; ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated success in event promotion and communications.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, exercising sound judgment and maintaining confidentiality.
• Strong interpersonal and customer-service orientation, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Creative problem-solver with initiative and adaptability.
• Ability to perform ongoing budget management, financial reporting and subsequent decision making in accordance with financial best practices.
• Ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, prepare reports, and translate findings into clear insights that inform priorities, decision-making, and strategic direction.
• Commitment to Santa Clara University’s Jesuit educational vision and values of competence, conscience, and compassion.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in supporting marketing programs for domestic and international audiences is preferred.
• Experience in preparing and writing executive-level briefing materials and reports for diverse decision makers is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage, write, and edit internal and external communications including newsletters, reports, speeches, event scripts, and recruitment materials, in alignment with approved communications strategy and branding priorities.
• Develop and produce original content across multiple media platforms to support recruitment, visibility, engagement, and storytelling goals.
• In collaboration with the Digital Marketing Coordinator and other marketing staff, distribute and publish content across University-owned platforms, including the School’s website, e-newsletters, and social media channels.
• Establish, govern, and maintain a centralized marketing and communications repository that serves as the School’s institutional record for campaigns, messaging frameworks, digital assets, and performance documentation.
• Develop documentation standards and governance practices to ensure consistency, continuity, and effective onboarding of marketing staff, student employees, and collaborators.
• Collaborate with academic units and interdisciplinary program directors to identify and promote distinctive programs, initiatives, and outcomes.
• Support outreach efforts that strengthen engagement with prospective students, faculty, alumni, industry partners, and external stakeholders.
• Support strategies to expand content reach and engagement, including coordination with internal and external partners and performance marketing agencies, as directed by the Assistant Dean.
• Monitor and report on traditional and digital engagement metrics, including media hits, social performance, and campaign outcomes, using established key performance indicators.
• Produce and publish post-event content on University-owned platforms to increase visibility, support student recruitment, and highlight successful execution of marketing-driven initiatives.
• Assign and review content-related work for coordinators and student workers, as appropriate.
• Develop and implement marketing programs and initiatives aligned with priorities and direction set by the Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications.
• Translate approved strategies into actionable plans, including timelines, deliverables, coordination plans, and assessment methods.
• Manage the day-to-day execution of assigned programs, monitoring progress and flagging risks, resource needs, or adjustments for leadership review.
• Coordinate across academic units, admissions, advancement, and central marketing to support effective program delivery.
• Prepare program updates, outcome summaries, and recommendations for review by the Assistant Dean and School leadership.
• Own and maintain the School of Engineering’s marketing operations infrastructure, including systems for tracking campaigns, events, content, and recruitment-related initiatives.
• Design, implement, and manage standardized tracking and reporting processes to assess marketing effectiveness, engagement, and outcomes across channels and programs.
• Establish regular reporting cadences (e.g., monthly and quarterly) to provide leadership with clear, actionable insights on marketing performance and trends.
• Serve as the system of record for marketing data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and institutional continuity across initiatives and staffing changes.
• Partner with Admissions, Advancement, and central units to align data collection and reporting with recruitment, yield, and engagement goals.
• Work with the Assistant Dean to develop strategic plans that bring awareness and attention to the School of Engineering.
• Implement and deliver activations that attract, engage, and connect the School of Engineering with external audiences.
• Pro-actively seek internal contacts and nurture relationships to identify potential project collaborators.
• Present marketing and communications plans to external and internal audiences of interest.
• Research and apply new marketing-communications learnings to enhance departmental programs and projects.
• Track performance metrics and contribute to reporting on campaign outcomes and engagement.
• Serve as the primary marketing liaison to Admissions and Advancement for School of Engineering initiatives, coordinating timelines, deliverables, and execution of marketing efforts tied to recruitment, yield, alumni engagement, and fundraising priorities.
• Support undergraduate and graduate enrollment goals by coordinating marketing initiatives aligned with recruitment cycles, yield efforts, and admitted-student engagement.
• Analyze enrollment and campaign performance data and collaborate provide data-driven, actionable insights to the Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications to inform program growth, positioning, and decisions on use of internal budget.
• Coordinate messaging, campaigns, and events that align with enrollment priorities and timelines.
• Coordinate marketing and communications activities supported by current and anticipated gift funds, ensuring deliverables align with donor intent, funding parameters, and institutional priorities.
• Track timelines, outputs, and outcomes associated with marketing initiatives supported by gift funds and provide documentation or summaries as needed to support Advancement reporting and stewardship.
• Partner with Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications, Advancement and School leadership to align marketing execution with fundraising priorities, donor communications, and engagement activities.
• Produce high-level event communications strategy.
• Provide support and training for the Event Coordinator for written event communications (emails, flyers, social media captions) to ensure consistent branding and messaging.
• Coordinate sharing on channels or advise the Event Coordinator on appropriate deployment.
• Serve as a lead writer and editor for School of Engineering communications, ensuring clarity, consistency, strategic alignment, and institutional voice across platforms.
• Develop high-level messaging, narratives, and storytelling frameworks that strengthen the School’s visibility, reputation, and strategic priorities.
• Draft and edit executive-level communications, presentations, speeches, talking points, reports, and leadership messaging materials.
• Translate complex academic, technical, and research topics into accessible and compelling communications for diverse audiences.
• Maintain editorial quality and consistency across marketing, recruitment, advancement, and leadership communications initiatives.
• Track, reconcile, and manage marketing-related budgets and expenditures, including monitoring spend against approved allocations and timelines.
• Process and oversee payments, invoices, reimbursements, and purchase requisitions related to marketing programs, events, and campaigns in compliance with University policies.
• Maintain accurate financial and administrative records to support transparency, audit readiness, and effective program management.
• Provide functional oversight of marketing projects executed by professional staff, student employees, interns, and project-based contributors, including setting priorities, timelines, and quality standards.
• Monitor progress across concurrent projects, identify risks or resource gaps, and escalate issues requiring leadership intervention.
• Contribute to planning for future staffing or resource needs aligned with program growth.
• Foster strong working relationships across the School and University to support collaboration and effective execution.
• Recommend and implement strategic initiatives to improve the quality, efficiency, and impact of marketing and communications services across the School of Engineering.
• Identify and analyze the root causes of challenges; develop and present actionable recommendations to leadership for continuous improvement of processes, practices, and outcomes.
• Regularly solicit and incorporate feedback from faculty, students, alumni, and external partners to strengthen messaging, visibility, and engagement.
• Maximize departmental productivity by introducing and leveraging appropriate tools, training programs, and performance initiatives for staff and student employees.
• Research, evaluate, and adopt emerging resources and best practices that enable more efficient workflows and innovative communication strategies.
• Prepare comprehensive progress and performance reports; communicate project status, key outcomes, and risks to the Assistant Dean; ensure accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with School goals.
• Produce and present reports, briefings, and recommendations as requested by School leadership or University administration.
• Develop, refine, and implement policies, standards, and guidelines to support the effectiveness, consistency, and sustainability of the unit’s functions.
• Other duties or projects as assigned.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

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