Director, Marketing and Communications

Arizona State University•Tempe, AZ

1d•$110,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The nation’s most innovative university seeks an experienced and visionary marketing and communications leader to serve as the Director, Marketing and Communications at The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This position will oversee integrated planning and strategy to support the college during a pivotal moment in its evolution. The Director serves as the chief strategist for marketing, communications and is responsible for leading the development and execution of short- and long-term strategic marketing and communications plans for The College and its three divisions, including resource management and budget allocation. The Director will provide strategic leadership and marketing support to four deans, multiple associate deans, 19 chairs and directors, and varying stakeholders across The College in the areas of recruitment, retention, development, events, alumni, and media relations. The Director will provide strategic and creative direction and vision to a team of in-house subject matter experts; foster deep partnerships with college leadership and stakeholders; and ensure coordinated, consistent and best-in-class execution to elevate the reputation of The College at a national scale. Reporting to the Dean of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Director oversees activities including student recruitment marketing and communications, paid media strategies, owned and earned media strategies, internal and external communications and development communications. The leader serves as the chief architect for how The College tells its story, reaches new audiences, grows its programs and builds relationships with the community. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which includes 19 academic units, 40+ centers and institutes, and ASU ROTC, is known as the academic heart of ASU. The College has a dynamic and innovative approach to the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, merging disciplines to educate the next generation in the power of language, culture and society, critical thinking, scientific exploration and discovery. The Director will be an orchestrator, working across the university to advance the growth of a portfolio of 100 undergraduate degrees, over 150 graduate degrees, as well as institutional partnerships and university-wide initiatives. The role requires a strategic leader who can build systems, develop people and align complex campaigns and initiatives with measurable outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and seven (7) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field including two (2) years managerial experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
Demonstrated knowledge of strategic communication and marketing principles, with the ability to translate strategy into actionable plans.
Demonstrated ability to provide inspirational leadership and facilitate teams to create a shared vision to deliver long-term goals and immediate business objectives.
Strong service orientation, a disciplined work ethic and the ability to instill a high standard of excellence in the overall team. Ability to effectively work with and service requests of people holding positions of Dean and above.
Proven strategic planning, creative direction, critical thinking, and decision-making skills and a track record of innovation.
Experience overseeing performance reporting and optimizing campaigns for measurable outcomes.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
Experience with student recruitment, particularly within higher education contexts.
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to set priorities, manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously and drive efficiency in a fast-paced environment.
Familiarity with project management tools, defined processes and workflow optimization.
Ability to remain flexible and responsive to new ideas, projects and directions while ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
Strong client relationship skills and the ability to self-direct while also fostering collaboration within and across teams.
Hands-on familiarity with core marketing tools and channels, including content management systems (such as Drupal), social media, print and digital mediums, advertising and email communications (such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud).
Evidence of a “hands-on,” “roll-up-the-sleeves” mentality and “does what it takes” attitude to drive success.
Previous experience supervising full-time employees and contracted agency resources.
Previous experience working with established brands and effectively working within established brand standards.
Experience designing or managing cross-functional workflows, shared services, or matrixed teams in a complex organizational environment.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience working as a marketing leader and strategist for large, complex organizations, preferably in higher education.

Responsibilities

Provides comprehensive strategic leadership for the development and execution of short- and long-term marketing, communications, partnerships, and products that advance The College.
Directs and guides subject matter experts in executing integrated multi-channel marketing and communications, ensuring work is strategically aligned and delivers measurable outcomes across advertising, recruiting, outreach, earned media, alumni engagement, and industry relations to reach enrollment and revenue goals.
Leads team to develop and execute multi-channel campaigns across digital and traditional platforms, including social media, paid media, publications, video, collateral, events and presentations, ensuring content is compelling, brand-aligned, and audience-focused.
Elevates the college’s profile by coordinating thought leadership initiatives, securing high-visibility opportunities for leadership, and managing rankings strategies to advance The College’s standing as a hub for liberal arts and sciences.
Advances The College's brand, shaping and articulating its transformational vision of the liberal arts and sciences, ensuring consistency of message, clarity of purpose and effective execution.
Establishes and maintains strong, collaborative relationships with The College’s four deans and college leadership to ensure strategies reflect college priorities.
As part of the college's executive team, serves as a thought partner to the Dean, translating leadership vision into inspired action.
Guides the use of formal and informal market research, data analysis, and performance metrics to inform planning, strengthen strategies, and optimize outcomes.
Produces and presents a variety of reports to senior leadership, including creative plans, progress reports and concept proposals. Routinely tracks progress of implementation and progress towards goals.
Ensures adherence to ASU’s brand standards and maintains high levels of quality, accuracy and consistency across all communications.
Oversees vendor and partner relationships, ensuring optimal use of resources and alignment with project needs.
Designs organizational structures, systems, workflows and shared service models that support integrated marketing, communications and partnerships across college units, including direct support of select units at The College.
Oversees project prioritization, resource allocation and budget management to ensure goals are met, and projects are delivered on time and on budget.
Fosters a team culture of high performance and continuous improvement, collaboration and innovation. Provides mentoring to a diverse team of creatives, strategists, and partnership managers.
Leads with transparency, ensuring clear bi-directional communication with unit leadership and subject matter experts to foster alignment and trust across The College.
Acts as the primary liaison to the University’s central teams including Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management, Enterprise Partners Outreach Hub, Media Relations and Strategic Communications, Learning Enterprise and EdPlus, leveraging central resources to amplify The College’s reach while maintaining unit-level autonomy and agility.