Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

The position: The University of New Mexico seeks an accomplished, visionary communications and marketing executive to serve as its next Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMCO). Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Executive Team, the CMCO is the University’s senior communications and marketing executive, responsible for advancing UNM’s reputation, supporting enrollment goals, highlighting patient care, and strengthening its institutional brand. For the right candidate, this is an opportunity to shape how UNM, as New Mexico’s flagship public research university and the state’s only academic health system, defines its future, engages its communities, and communicates its impact to the state, the nation, and the world. The CMCO will lead an enterprise-wide marketing and communications strategy to amplify a coherent reputation and enhance recognition for the unique identities of UNM’s schools, colleges, divisions, and affiliated organizations. The Opportunity: The next CMCO joins UNM at an exciting moment, as part of the leadership team of UNM’s new President, Dr. Steven Goldstein. This position represents an important evolution in communication and marketing leadership across the University. For the first time, the CMCO will provide enterprise-wide strategic leadership for institutional communications ensuring that the University’s voice reflects the breadth and strength of one integrated institution inclusive of the campuses (main, health sciences and branches), the healthcare delivery system, athletics, and the administrative and academic affiliates. The successful candidate will inherit talented communications and marketing teams experienced in telling extraordinary stories. They will help redefine how a modern public research university engages internal audiences, strengthens public trust, responds to complex issues, and positions itself in an increasingly demanding higher education environment. They will benefit from the Fall launch of the public phase of the UNM comprehensive capital campaign: Accelerate New Mexico. THE POSITION The CMCO serves as the President’s principal advisor on communications, marketing, reputation, and institutional messaging. Working closely with the executive team, the Board of Regents, academic, health, and administrative leaders, as well as communications and marketing professionals across the institution, the CMCO provides strategic leadership for: • Institutional brand strategy and reputation management • Presidential and executive communications • Enrollment marketing and communications • Board of Regents communications • Enterprise communications governance • Integrated marketing strategy • Media and public relations • Internal communications and employee engagement • Crisis communications and institutional issues management • Digital communications, social media, and web strategy • Creative services and visual storytelling • Strategic oversight of communications investments, agency partnerships, and institutional marketing priorities The CMCO also serves as the University’s communications leader when impactful events rapidly unfold. Key Strategic Priorities: During the first several years, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to: • Strengthen and modernize UNM’s institutional brand and market position. • Build a more integrated communications strategy across the University. • Elevate presidential and executive communications. • Develop an enterprise communications governance model that balances institutional alignment with the entrepreneurial strengths of individual schools, colleges, and affiliated organizations. • Expand the University’s storytelling around student success, research, healthcare, innovation, economic development, and community impact. • Support and coordinate messaging with the UNM Foundation for the capital campaign. • Continue modernizing digital communications, analytics, audience engagement, and emerging communications technologies. • Strengthen UNM’s ability to respond rapidly and effectively to complex institutional issues. • Foster collaboration among communications professionals across the University through shared standards, best practices, and common strategic priorities. Preferred Skills: The University seeks an accomplished professional who combines strategic vision with practical execution. The competitive candidate will be: • A trusted advisor capable of counseling executive leaders through complex, high-profile issues in a traditional university setting, including health education and clinical services. • An exceptional communicator with outstanding writing, presentation, and media skills. • A collaborative leader who builds relationships across highly decentralized organizations. • An experienced crisis communicator who exercises sound judgment under pressure. • A strategic marketer who understands institutional reputation, audience engagement, and brand positioning. • An innovative leader who embraces emerging communications technologies and data-informed decision making. • An experienced executive capable of leading organizational change while building trust across diverse stakeholder groups. Experience in higher education, academic medicine, public service, healthcare, or similarly complex mission-driven organizations is highly valued. Applications, Inquiries, and Nominations Applications, including a resume and letter of interest, as well as inquiries, nominations, and referrals, should be submitted via email to CMCOSearch@unm.edu. To ensure full consideration, candidate materials should be received by October 30, 2026. Application materials submitted by candidates for employment at UNM are public records and are subject to public inspection in accordance with the provisions of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. UNM is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class.