Director of Marketing and Communications

Clover Park Technical College•Lakewood Campus and South Hill Campus, WA

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Senior Executive Director of Advancement & Strategic Communication, the Director of Marketing & Communications will be responsible for advancing the College’s mission through strategic, data-informed marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives that support student success, enrollment growth, stakeholder engagement, and institutional visibility. The Director provides leadership for advertising, branding, media relations, crisis communications, and content strategy; directs Marketing & Communications staff and resources; and serves as the College’s Public Information Officer and a key partner for web communications, social media, CRM communications, and creative services. Through collaboration with campus and community partners, the Director strengthens the College’s reputation, promotes engagement, and advances the College’s strategic priorities. This position supervises the Web Services Technician and Digital Content Designer. Clover Park Technical College celebrates the many individuals that make up our community and embraces the opportunity to learn from both our differences and similarities. CPTC values equity and respect. We seek to create an environment of innovation and excellence and focuses on student success, lifelong learning, and social responsibility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with a major in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, business administration, or a related field. OR Any equivalent combination of experience and education.
Experienced supervisor and/or manager, with two (2) years of supervisory, management, or team leadership experience, including coaching staff and building effective teams.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong attention to detail and organizational ability, articulate public speaker, and relationship builder.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic marketing and communications initiatives that support organizational visibility, brand advancement, stakeholder engagement, and growth objectives.
Five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field in one or more of the following settings: higher education, education, government, nonprofit, business, or industry.
Experience creating and managing communications across multiple platforms, including web, digital, social media, print, media relations, and marketing campaigns.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, business administration, higher education administration, or a related field.
Five (5) years of progressively responsible supervisory or management experience in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field.
Five (5) years of professional experience in higher education, preferably within a community or technical college.
Experience serving as a Public Information Officer (PIO), institutional spokesperson, or communications advisor to executive leadership.
Experience leading crisis communications, media relations, and strategic marketing initiatives.
Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, marketing automation platforms, website content management systems, and digital analytics tools.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and industry-standard marketing, communications, design, and content management software, including Adobe Creative Cloud applications (e.g., Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop).

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the College's Marketing & Communications office, setting priorities; directing staff, contractors, and creative partners; managing performance and professional development; and fostering a collaborative, accountable, service-oriented culture.
Lead the development, execution, and assessment of integrated, data-informed marketing, advertising, and communications strategies and campaigns; establish departmental goals and performance metrics, and utilize analytics, research, and audience insights to evaluate effectiveness, improve results, and support awareness, engagement, and enrollment objectives.
Collaborate with divisions across campus to develop and implement marketing and communications strategies that support institutional priorities, enrollment management, retention, student success, and stakeholder engagement, while remaining current on College issues, market trends, audience needs, and industry best practices.
Ensure consistent institutional branding, messaging, and visual identity across all communications, advertising, publications, digital platforms, presentations, and outreach efforts, providing strategic direction and quality oversight for staff, creative partners, agencies, and vendors.
Manage departmental budgets, contracts, vendor relationships, and the annual college catalog process, including coordinating content updates, monitoring timelines, ensuring accuracy and compliance, and overseeing publication.
Serve as the primary point of contact for marketing, communications, and public relations services, maintaining productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders and representing the College through professional organizations and Public Information Commission activities.
Serve as Public Information Officer (PIO), the College's communications leader, official spokesperson, and communications advisor to executive leadership, representing the institution with media, community partners, and other external stakeholders.
Create, oversee, and coordinate internal and external communications that support CPTC's mission, values, strategic priorities, and reputation, including the development of editorial and communications calendars that align messaging across audiences, departments, and communication channels.
Implement annual marketing, advertising, and communications plans that support enrollment, awareness, and engagement goals, including content development, placement, purchasing, performance evaluation, and reporting of results.
Oversee and contribute to the development of communications content across multiple platforms, including websites, social media, newsletters, feature stories, press releases, executive communications, presentations, marketing collateral, blogs, and other print and digital publications; gather information through research, data analysis, and interviews to ensure accuracy, relevance, and effectiveness.
Respond to media inquiries, public information requests, and other external communications needs; serve as the primary media contact and maintain media relations activities; and maintain media, communications, photography, videography, and related asset databases and records.
Review, edit, and proofread communications materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, accessibility, effectiveness, and adherence to institutional brand standards; serve as photographer and/or videographer for college programs and events as needed; and oversee the College's digital signage and electronic reader board systems.
Contribute to the College's crisis communications planning and response efforts, serve on the Emergency Operations Team, participate in emergency communications training and response activities, and work collaboratively with a diverse campus community to support institutional goals and stakeholder engagement.
Serve as a contributor to the College's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program, including strategy, administration, user access, workflows, automated communications, and system optimization in collaboration with campus stakeholders.
Develop, implement, and evaluate CRM communication strategies that support enrollment, recruitment, retention, and engagement goals through audience segmentation, mass communications, database management, reporting, and performance analysis.
Promote effective communications and customer service practices across the College, fostering a culture that strengthens stakeholder relationships and enhances the College's reputation.
Participate in department, division, and college meetings and events; serve on committees, task forces, and other college support groups to advance institutional goals and initiatives.
Engage in professional development activities and represent the College in relevant professional organizations, meetings, and training opportunities; perform other related duties as assigned by the Senior Executive Director or college administration.