Associate Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy - University Communications and Marketing

Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh, PA

Full-time - Senior

Pittsburgh, PA

Educational Services

About the position

The Associate Vice President for Marketing and Brand Strategy will lead and advance the marketing strategy for CMU, resulting in integrated, high-impact marketing initiatives. The Associate Vice President will create innovative, game-changing, forward-thinking marketing programs that maximize opportunities to build CMU's reputation and brand visibility for all areas of the university as one of the pre-eminent global institutions in higher education. The Associate Vice President will bring fresh ideas and proven results to help reach key audiences in new and unique ways and ensure the institution's global reputation matches the excellence of its people, programs, and partnerships. The Associate Vice President will lead CMU's marketing efforts by driving vision, strategy, and execution toward a clear set of goals. In a highly collaborative, decentralized environment, the Associate Vice President will spearhead brand campaigns, cross-university messaging programs, and current and future strategic initiatives. The Associate Vice President and their team will be responsible for measuring the impact of work to increase regional, national, and global awareness and reputation of CMU, partnering with schools, colleges, and administrative units in meeting their goals and objectives, and serving as a sector leader in higher education marketing.

Responsibilities

• Lead a central strategic marketing plan process from ideation to tactical execution, measurement, and improvement.
• Work across campus to build and execute synergistic plans that map to CMU's strategic plan and the goals of the schools, colleges and units.
• Define the strategy and lead the execution of tactics to activate and drive engagement across a range of audiences.
• Ensure that a consistent brand message and image is established throughout all university marketing, partnering with communications and marketing staff in colleges, schools, units, and departments across campus.
• Apply 'full stack' marketing skills, including content marketing, search engine optimization, paid advertising, analytics, email marketing, marketing automation, and landing page optimization.
• Oversee direct reports who lead digital marketing; online strategy; cross-university branding and integrated marketing and messaging campaigns; research, metrics and measurement, strategic projects, and creative/design services.
• Take an engaged approach to coaching, mentoring, and guiding the marketing team to increase the capabilities and effectiveness of this group.
• Partner with the Division of Enrollment Management to ensure the brand is incorporated into new strategies and tactics developed to support admission and institutional goals.
• Employ appropriate market research to inform work, better understand the university's varied audiences, and identify emerging marketing and reputation-building opportunities.
• Oversee qualitative and quantitative market research and analysis.
• Oversee the execution of brand perception surveys.
• Collaborate with the vice president and colleagues to champion internal efforts to develop clear and effective messaging for CMU's internal constituents.
• Manage relationships with agencies hired for university-level marketing projects.
• Build, maintain, and use metrics and other tracking systems to evaluate and tune the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
• Build an effective online strategy for cmu.edu, maintaining the platform and CMS for all university websites.
• Oversee and direct outside consultants and vendors in short- and long-term projects to ensure compliance with brand guidelines and quality assurance.
• Develop criteria for evaluating and building a roster of approved outside services and partners to provide support as needed.
• Build and grow a culture of collaboration and collegiality with colleagues in University Communications and Marketing as well as other university professionals.
• Create an environment that rewards excellence, creativity, integrity, and teamwork.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree is required for this position.
• At least ten years of success in relevant marketing roles including a combination of public/private industry, higher education, and nonprofit experience.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience advancing the global reputation of organizations, including notable experience in higher education, with demonstrable results.
• Data-driven expertise in marketing, branding, and digital tactics that drive key audiences to action.
• The capability to develop and implement innovative marketing techniques against different budget scenarios.
• An ability to make informed decisions and deliver measurable results.
• The capability to be forward-looking and eager to develop new or groundbreaking strategies.
• Validated expertise as both a strategic thinker and a project manager with a keen ability to synchronize the two.
• An ability to direct outside business partners and service providers.
• An effectiveness at managing change, building strong relationships with people from diverse parts of campus, and inspiring those outside their direct sphere of control.
• The intellectual force needed to drive and reward new ideas and calculated risk-taking.
• A commitment to inclusion, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous retirement savings program offering a generous employer contribution.
• Tuition benefits.
• Ample paid time off and observed holidays.
• Life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass.
• Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs.
• Fitness center access.