Director of Marketing and Communication

Clarke University•Dubuque, IA

About The Position

Clarke University is seeking a collaborative and strategic leader to direct the university's marketing, branding, and communication efforts. Reporting to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Director leads a team of marketing and communication professionals, establishes departmental priorities, and develops integrated strategies to strengthen Clarke's reputation, support enrollment and fundraising, and advance institutional engagement. The role calls for an effective people leader, strategic thinker, and skilled communicator who values collaboration, creativity, and the mission of a student-centered university. The Director provides strategic oversight of the university's brand identity, messaging, publications, media relations, institutional communications, marketing campaigns, advertising, website, social media, and digital marketing. The position partners with university leadership and campus departments, including on major announcements, emerging issues, and crisis communications. It also oversees departmental budgets, resources, project management, and external vendors, and evaluates marketing outcomes and operations using performance metrics and industry best practices.

Requirements

Demonstrated professional experience in marketing, communication, public relations, or a related field, including leadership of teams, projects, or organizational initiatives.
Strong leadership, management, and organizational skills, including the ability to establish priorities, develop staff, manage resources, and navigate competing demands.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic marketing and communication plans, including branding, digital marketing, and integrated campaigns.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills, with sound judgment and adaptability when working with university leadership, diverse stakeholders, and sensitive institutional matters.
Bachelor's degree in marketing, communication, public relations, business, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience supervising and developing professional staff, managing departmental budgets, coordinating external vendors, and overseeing integrated marketing initiatives.
Experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, or other mission-driven environments.
Familiarity with marketing analytics, performance evaluation, and data-informed decision-making.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement marketing and communication strategies that advance institutional priorities and support brand awareness, enrollment, fundraising, alumni engagement, and community relations.
Lead, mentor, and support Marketing and Communication staff; set priorities and establish effective workflows and a collaborative, accountable team environment.
Oversee departmental budgets, resource allocation, project management, and external vendor relationships.
Provide strategic oversight of the university's brand identity, messaging, publications, media relations, and institutional communications, ensuring consistency and quality across channels.
Partner with university leadership on major announcements, emerging issues, and crisis communications.
Direct integrated marketing campaigns, advertising strategies, and digital communication initiatives.
Provide strategic oversight of the university's website, social media presence, and digital marketing, using performance data and emerging trends to inform decisions.
Partner with university leadership and campus departments to identify marketing and communication needs, coordinate institutional initiatives, and establish collaborative planning processes.
Evaluate marketing effectiveness, departmental operations, and audience engagement using performance metrics and industry best practices; identify opportunities to strengthen results, improve efficiency, and maximize resources.