Associate Director, Graduate Enrollment Marketing – Enrollment Management

About the role

Carnegie Mellon University is seeking an inaugural Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment Marketing to join the Division of Enrollment Management. This role serves as a lead and manager on the development and execution of a comprehensive graduate enrollment marketing strategy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as lead and manager on the development and execution of a comprehensive graduate enrollment marketing strategy to increase visibility, generate qualified leads, and support enrollment goals across CMU’s graduate program portfolio.
• Drive the development, implementation, and continuous optimization of an institution-wide graduate recruitment marketing plan, focusing on building a robust, measurable, and sustainable framework that sets a positive, compelling, and powerful entry point for students that segues naturally into the individual marketing and communications tactics performed at the College and Program unit level.
• Plan, develop, launch (and serve as graduate subject matter expert on) paid media campaigns across digital platforms (Google, LinkedIn, Meta, etc.) to drive lead generation and applications. Lead day-to-day campaign management and optimization via audience and keyword research, campaign testing, and other best practices.
• Plan, develop and launch organic marketing initiatives across web, email, print, and other channels to build awareness and drive lead generation that supports applicant growth for graduate programs.
• Strategically develop and manage the overarching website presence and user journey for graduate programs that reflects digital best practices and incorporates SEO strategies to increase visibility, boost organic traffic, and generate qualified leads.
• Utilize enrollment data and market insights to inform segmentation, messaging, and budget allocation decisions, optimizing strategies for prospect generation and application volume.
• Conduct quarterly reviews of website performance and user engagement metrics to identify opportunities for optimization and content enhancement.
• Take the lead on developing and managing sophisticated audience segmentation and personalized communication flows for graduate prospects within the Slate CRM system. Ensure messaging is tailored and effectively addresses the unique needs of advanced degree seekers.
• Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with leadership, admission and marketing teams across CMU's academic Colleges and Departments to understand priorities, promote participation, and secure buy-in for centralized marketing strategies.
• Work closely with University Communications and Marketing (UCM) to ensure consistent branding, messaging, and visual identity standards are applied across all graduate marketing materials and to support the development of compelling creative for campaign assets, effectively building the CMU graduate brand.
• Establish and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for graduate recruitment marketing efforts presenting data-driven insights and recommendations to academic and administrative leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field is required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive experience in marketing, with a significant focus on strategic development and digital execution is essential; dedicated experience in higher education graduate enrollment marketing is preferred.
• Proven, hands-on experience utilizing a CRM system (Slate preferred) for audience segmentation, communication flow development, and campaign execution.
• Expertise in audience segmentation, multi-channel campaign management, and working with external agencies.