Director, Graduate Marketing Strategy

University of Rochester•Rochester, NY

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Graduate Marketing is a strategic leadership role responsible for designing and scaling a modern, integrated graduate enrollment marketing system across the University. This position leads portfolio-level marketing strategy, omnichannel demand generation, and full-funnel optimization to drive inquiry, application, and enrollment growth across priority graduate programs. This position will report to the AVP of Marketing in central University Marketing and Communications. Working within a shared services model, the Director partners closely with Enrollment Strategy & Operations (ESO), academic leadership, the Provost’s Office, and school-based teams to align strategy, infrastructure, and execution. The role establishes a coordinated, data-driven approach to graduate marketing—ensuring consistent messaging, efficient resource allocation, and measurable impact on enrollment and net tuition revenue. Please Note: Due to the nature of our hybrid work environment, the Director of Graduate Marketing Strategy will be required to live within a reasonable commuting distance to Rochester, NY.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration or related field
Deep expertise in modern digital marketing and omnichannel campaign strategy required
Strong understanding of CRM systems, marketing automation, and enrollment funnels required
Proven ability to build scalable systems, frameworks, and shared services models
Advanced analytical skills with experience using data to drive decisions and ROI
Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, decentralized environment undergoing transformation
Strong record of progressive experience in modern communications, including evidence of strong writing and editing skills, interpersonal skills, presentation skills, and knowledge of marketing.
Proficiency with content management and social media tools.
Ability to manage multiple and competing priorities in a dynamic environment
Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

Masters preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and lead a portfolio-level graduate enrollment marketing strategy aligned to institutional growth priorities and revenue targets.
Establish program prioritization frameworks, investment models, and go-to-market strategies across growth-track programs.
Define and operationalize full-funnel strategy (awareness → consideration → conversion → yield) across all supported programs.
Create governance models that clarify roles across UM&C, ESO, and academic/program teams, ensuring coordinated execution.
Oversee scalable demand generation channels, including paid search, paid social, retargeting, and landing page strategy.
Ensure campaigns are built on strong audience segmentation, messaging frameworks, and value propositions.
Lead campaign planning, execution, testing, and optimization, improving performance across all stages of the funnel.
Partner with internal teams and external agencies to ensure efficiency, quality, and ROI.
Align marketing efforts with ESO-owned CRM, email, and yield strategies to create seamless prospect journeys.
Partner on development of nurture architecture, drip campaigns, retargeting strategies, and yield communications.
Ensure alignment between program content, digital experiences, and enrollment workflows.
Improve performance metrics including conversion rates, application starts, yield, and melt reduction.
Build and scale shared infrastructure, including: Landing page frameworks, Campaign templates and playbooks, Reporting dashboards and analytics models, Content and creative systems.
Establish repeatable workflows and operating rhythms to support multiple programs efficiently.
Advance the development of a centralized, scalable graduate marketing “engine.”
Serve as a strategic advisor to deans, faculty, and program leaders on positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy.
Provide toolkits, training, and consultation models that enable schools while maintaining central alignment.
Facilitate collaboration across stakeholders, ensuring academic credibility is embedded in marketing efforts.
Define KPIs and performance measurement frameworks tied to enrollment and revenue outcomes.
Lead regular performance reviews, reporting, and insight generation across campaigns and programs.
Translate insights into actionable recommendations, budget allocation decisions, and continuous improvement plans.
Partner across a high-performing team across digital media, strategy, content, and project management.
Manage budget planning, vendor relationships, and agency engagement.
Drive a culture of innovation, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration.
Contribute to phased scaling of the graduate marketing organization, aligned to institutional priorities.