Senior Director for Marketing and Communications

What You Will Do

• Strategy Development (45%)
  • Develop and lead integrated, multi-year marketing and communications strategies that advance alumni engagement, fundraising, revenue generation and institutional priorities.
  • Mentor and develop a multidisciplinary team of approximately 12 professionals across marketing, communications, content, creative, digital, analytics, project management and sponsorship development functions.
  • Drive the planning and execution of complex, multi-channel campaigns and initiatives, ensuring alignment across audiences, channels and organizational goals.
  • Lead the organization's sponsorship and business development strategy, serving as the senior relationship manager for key corporate partners and negotiating high-value sponsorship agreements.
  • Establish strategic priorities, align resources and timelines and ensure consistency across multiple concurrent initiatives to maximize organizational impact.
  • Foster a collaborative and high-performing team culture by providing clear direction, accountability and support in a highly matrixed environment.
  • Establish and oversee processes, workflows and governance structures that support effective prioritization, resource allocation and execution across multiple concurrent initiatives.
  • Oversee departmental budgets and sponsorship revenue goals, proactively managing resources, mitigating risks and ensuring measurable outcomes.
• Program Development & Management (35%)
  • Oversee integrated, multi-channel campaigns supporting alumni engagement, fundraising initiatives, donor stewardship, events, volunteer programs, giving days, capital campaigns and other university priorities.
  • Partner with senior leaders across University Advancement to develop alumni and donor engagement strategies and coordinated communication journeys.
  • Ensure consistent brand voice, messaging and storytelling across campaigns, channels and audiences while translating complex stakeholder priorities into compelling communications.
  • Leverage CRM, marketing automation, analytics, testing, reporting and audience insights to inform strategy, strengthen audience segmentation and personalization, optimize campaign performance, and maximize engagement and fundraising outcomes.
• Stakeholder Management & Collaboration (20%)
  • Serve as a strategic partner and point of coordination for marketing, communications, sponsorship and resource development efforts across Alumni and Stakeholder Engagement, University Advancement, academic units and university leadership.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders while establishing effective processes for project intake, prioritization, collaboration, decision-making and approvals.
  • Navigate complex organizational dynamics and competing priorities to ensure alignment, clarity and progress toward shared goals.
  • Serve as a member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy, planning and decision-making.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree AND at least 10 years of experience leading integrated marketing and communications campaigns, ideally in higher education, nonprofits, or similar complex organizations.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams in a complex and collaborative environment.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with a proven capacity to influence and build trust across diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated success navigating and leading through ambiguity and organizational complexity while providing clarity, structure and strategic direction.
• Strong project management and operational planning expertise, including oversight of multiple concurrent initiatives and competing priorities.
• Systems-thinking mindset with a track record of aligning strategy, operations and organizational goals.
• Proven accountability, sound judgment and a results-oriented approach to leadership and decision-making.
• Experience with CRM platforms, marketing automation tools, analytics and audience segmentation strategies.
• Skilled storyteller who translates complex priorities into compelling narratives and meaningful engagement opportunities.