Chief Marketing Officer

About the Role

The Chief Marketing Officer serves as Montana State University’s senior marketing and brand leader. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Communications and serving as a member of the University Communications leadership team, the Chief Marketing Officer leads MSU’s central marketing functions and works collaboratively with colleges, departments, and units across the university. This position is responsible for ensuring MSU’s marketing strategies, campaigns, brand standards, digital marketing efforts, social media presence, trademarks, and licensing activities reflect and advance Montana State University’s mission as a land-grant university.

The Chief Marketing Officer is the senior steward of the MSU brand, overseeing the development and implementation of comprehensive marketing strategies that communicate MSU’s value to students, families, faculty, staff, partners, retailers, licensees, and communities across the state and beyond. This includes communicating MSU’s role in expanding access to higher education, supporting student success, serving Montana communities, and strengthening the state’s workforce and economy.

The position supervises eight staff members and works within a shared services model for communications, collaborating with other University Communications leaders to strengthen effectiveness and efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the university’s senior marketing and brand leader, providing strategic direction for institutional marketing, brand positioning, and audience engagement.
• Develops and leads a team of professionals in marketing, digital marketing, social media, trademarks and licensing, advertising, marketing analytics, and brand implementation.
• Oversees brand strategy and the execution of creative, integrated marketing programs that support student recruitment, retention, success, institutional affinity, and brand awareness.
• Works closely with the Office of Admissions and other key university units to develop marketing strategies that support enrollment-related goals and measurable outcomes.
• Leads advertising and media buying strategy, including digital advertising, paid social, paid search, print, radio, television/video, and other channels, with a focus on maximizing marketing investments.
• Oversees the development and implementation of marketing campaigns that are audience-focused, data-informed, and aligned with university priorities.
• Uses market research, audience insights, campaign analytics, and performance data to evaluate marketing effectiveness and guide future strategy.
• Oversees the university’s brand standards and works with colleges, departments, and units to ensure marketing and communications materials are consistent with MSU’s visual identity, voice, messaging, and institutional priorities.
• Ensures the MSU brand is developed, strengthened, and protected across all channels, including advertising, digital platforms, social media, publications, merchandise, and other public-facing materials.
• Supervises staff responsible for managing university trademarks, licensing agreements, royalty collection, licensee relationships, and the development of retail products that build brand affinity.
• Works collaboratively with university partners, including legal counsel, athletics, and trademarks/licensing staff, on issues involving MSU’s marks, licensing, brand use, and Name, Image, and Likeness matters.
• Works closely with University Communications teams in Visual Media, News, Creative Services, and Web and Digital Communications to ensure coordinated, high-quality, and effective integrated communications.
• Oversees social media strategy and digital marketing strategy in coordination with staff responsible for implementation and analytics.
• Provides leadership for marketing services delivered through University Communications’ shared services model, including setting priorities, strengthening workflows, and ensuring services meet the needs of university clients.
• Mentors, coaches, and develops marketing team members, fostering collaboration, creativity, accountability, and alignment with institutional goals.
• Develops and manages marketing budgets and resources within University Communications to ensure effectiveness, accountability, and strategic impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, brand management, advertising, communications, digital marketing, licensing, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience that would provide the competencies required to succeed in this position.
• Significant supervisory experience in marketing, communications, or a related field.
• Experience leading a team of marketing professionals with a range of specializations.
• Experience developing and implementing integrated marketing strategies that strengthen brand awareness, institutional reputation, or audience engagement.
• Experience managing large-scale projects, campaigns, budgets, and vendor relationships.
• Experience using data, analytics, or market research to inform marketing strategy and evaluate results.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with demonstrated ability to convey complex ideas, strategies, and recommendations effectively to senior leaders and campus partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in marketing within higher education.
• Experience working in a land-grant university, public university, public agency, or similarly complex, mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with collegiate trademarks, licensing, brand standards, retail partnerships, or athletics-related brand considerations.
• Experience supporting enrollment, student success, advancement, alumni engagement, or other institutional priorities through marketing strategy.
• Experience leading marketing work within a centralized or shared services communications model.

Skills

The successful candidate will:

• Be an experienced marketing and brand leader who can develop and implement integrated marketing strategies aligned with institutional priorities.
• Understand modern marketing principles, including brand positioning, audience segmentation, content strategy, digital marketing, advertising, analytics, and campaign measurement.
• Understand the role of marketing in advancing student recruitment, retention, student success, and institutional reputation.
• Demonstrate the ability to build awareness and affinity among diverse audiences, including prospective students, families, alumni, employees, partners, retailers, licensees, and Montana communities.
• Be able to create cohesive, impactful campaigns that drive measurable results.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in brand stewardship, including the ability to help university partners achieve their goals while maintaining consistency with MSU’s brand standards and institutional expectations.
• Have the ability to lead and manage diverse teams of professionals, fostering collaboration, creativity, accountability, and alignment with institutional goals.
• Be skilled in budget management, resource allocation, and vendor oversight to maximize impact and efficiency.
• Be comfortable working in a complex university environment where success requires collaboration, service orientation, diplomacy, and follow-through.
• Demonstrate commitment to MSU’s land-grant mission, including the university’s service to Montana students, families, communities, and economic sectors.

Additional Information

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer and provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans.

Screening of applications will begin on July 27, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.