Vice President for Marketing Communications

Gwynedd Mercy University•Lower Gwynedd Township, PA

56d•Onsite

About The Position

Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) is seeking an experienced and innovative executive to serve as the Vice President for Marketing Communications (VPMC). This role is crucial for guiding the strategic direction of the university, aiming to establish it as a leading Catholic university in professional and healthcare education. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader with a deep understanding of current higher education trends and a proven track record of executing strategic plans successfully. GMercyU, founded in 1948, is a nationally ranked private Catholic university with a diverse student body of approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers a variety of programs through its College of Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies and the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions, with options for traditional, on-campus, and fully online learning. The university emphasizes a mission-driven community that upholds values of integrity, respect, service, and social justice. Located on a 145-acre campus near Philadelphia, GMercyU is recognized for its academic excellence, social mobility, and value. Recent campus transformations include new facilities for healthcare innovation, student life, and athletics. The university's comprehensive fundraising campaign, 'Mercy in Motion,' successfully exceeded its goal, focusing on enhancing healthcare education, student success, and the university's Mercy mission. The VPMC will report to the President and will be responsible for developing, executing, and assessing strategic marketing, communications, and growth initiatives to enhance brand awareness, increase enrollment and revenue, support fundraising, and ensure long-term financial sustainability. This role involves leading all aspects of marketing and communications, including advertising, brand messaging, creative services, crisis communications, public relations, and digital presence. The VPMC will also represent these areas to the Board of Trustees and serve as a member of the President’s Executive Council.

Requirements

Minimum 15 years of progressive success as a collaborative and innovative Marketing Communications leader required.
Five or more years of experience in higher education preferred.
Demonstrated experience with strategic planning and the ability to develop and implement new initiatives that support growth and revenue diversification.
Demonstrated success in the development and implementation of advertising, branding, promotion, and integrated marketing strategies including the use of social media and information technology to improve the recruitment and enrollment of traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult students.
Ability to fully understand enrollment models and apply best practice marketing strategies and solutions to assist the University in meeting institutional recruitment goals.
Ability to synthesize data and use information from multiple areas to develop, launch, and assess initiatives.
Ability to hire, motivate, and develop high-achieving team members and work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community to achieve stated goals.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and build trust with constituents.
Excellent listening, collaboration, communication, and presentation skills.
Computer literate with skill in using Customer Relationship Management systems, and data reporting and analysis tools; proficient in MS Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related field.
Leadership at Senior/Executive level required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop, execute, and assess strategic marketing, communications, and growth initiatives to build brand awareness, increase enrollment and revenue, support fundraising and donor stewardship, and contribute to long-term financial sustainability.
Lead all aspects of marketing and communications, including digital and OOH advertising, brand messaging and stewardship, creative services, crisis communications, email marketing, public relations, recruitment search, search engine/answer engine optimization, social media, and website design and content management.
Partner with Academics and other University departments to develop, prioritize, market, and launch new and innovative academic and non-academic initiatives that drive revenue growth and diversification.
Partner with appropriate stakeholders to develop an institutional value proposition that supports the acquisition and onboarding of new students and external partners to grow and diversify revenue.
Lead the development, implementation, and measurement of a strategic marketing communications plan that supports institutional goals.
Align and manage budget to support key performance indicator goals and ensure efficient use of resources.
Partner with the VP for Enrollment and external partners on enrollment search strategies designed to grow the inquiry and application funnel for undergraduate and graduate programs; support application conversion and yield efforts through email marketing and other engagement strategies.
Negotiate partner contracts, and set, monitor, and evaluate initiatives against clearly defined key performance indicators.
Develop strategic email marketing and advertising campaigns to grow the enrollment funnel; customize content based on audience and other characteristics. Advertising will include a mix of digital, outdoor, print, radio, direct mail, streaming, and other tactics designed to grow specific market segments.
Provide strategic direction and support for University events, including recruitment, donor stewardship, and other on-campus events designed to drive enrollment, fundraising, and revenue diversification.
Serve as the primary steward of the GMercyU brand and brand messaging strategy.
Ensure the marketing plan reflects the distinctiveness of the University, and honors and highlights its mission.
Serve as a primary resource for messaging that impacts students, faculty, staff, donors, and other university stakeholders; prepare Office of the President and other University-wide communications, as needed.
Oversee in-house Creative Services functions, including the design and production of University-branded materials.
Develop and maintain a robust Crisis Communications strategy and serve as the primary crisis communications messaging steward.
Partner with University Advancement on the design, content creation, and production of the University’s alumni magazine, and other fundraising and donor stewardship materials.
Develop a compelling brand message and onboarding process to support potential partnerships that grow and diversify University revenue.
Manage the design, content development, and maintenance of a mobile-friendly University website; optimize the website site for lead capture and conversion.
Develop a robust search engine/answer engine optimization strategy to drive inquiries and applications.
Manage the University’s digital content strategy, including the creation and delivery of customized content based on audience, funnel stage, and engagement behavior.
Oversee the University’s official social media presence, including the development of an editorial calendar to boost engagement levels and support the goals of specific departments, such as Admissions, University Advancement, and Student Life.
Develop a comprehensive approach to Public Relations, including the development of thought leadership and other media pitches that result in a steady flow of positive media attention; manage agency support and strategically use University website and social media to extend media reach and impact.
Respond quickly to media inquiries and prepare talking points and detailed responses to reporters’ questions within specified deadlines.
Prepare standby statements and Q&A documents, as needed, to address issues that have the potential to have a significant impact (positive or negative) on University brand.