Director of Marketing and Communications

Longy School of Music of Bard College - Cambridge, MA

Full-time - Mid Level

Cambridge, MA

Educational Services

About the position

The Director of Marketing and Communications manages the storytelling hub of a trailblazing conservatory that centers music as social change. Working closely with the Senior Staff, this position develops a robust multi-year marketing plan to realize Longy's mission in alignment with the institution's strategic plan, ensuring the goals of Academic Affairs (including Admissions and Artistic Teams), Development, and the President's Office are supported. The Director provides creative direction and budget oversight for all marketing and communication projects, with special focus on digital strategy. Working with the Marketing and Communications Coordinator and the Content Coordinator, the Director drives public awareness of and affinity for Longy. This person ensures all external messaging is compelling, engaging, and reaches a variety of key audiences, while remaining aligned and coordinated with internal communication. They have a passion for language and sharp eye to recognize and create dynamic short and long form writing. All marketing initiatives support Longy's goal of being known as the school that best prepares students to engage new audiences, teach anyone, anywhere, and make a difference with music. By increasing Longy's brand recognition and engagement, this position positively influences enrollment, fundraising, alumni engagement, and concert attendance. Longy's marketing goals and projects also reflect the school's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging by amplifying stories that disrupt exclusive music traditions and that champion our entire community. This includes a commitment to working with BIPOC-owned vendors and contractors and to working with and representing Longy's entire community in marketing projects. This person is autonomous, extremely creative, adaptable, and technologically fluent, able to communicate and present compellingly. The ideal candidate thrives in an environment where flexibility, collective brainstorming, and teamwork are essential.

Responsibilities

• Create and implement a multi-year marketing and communications strategic plan that supports Longy's mission and objectives.
• Include diverse voices in the planning process to both represent and reach new audiences, and ensure our message is accessible.
• Work with Marketing and Communications Coordinator, responsible for developing and communicating budget categories and schedule priorities.
• Define the scope of new projects, synthesizing strategic and creative direction, and sourcing and hiring freelancers, especially those from communities including BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and persons with disabilities.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications Coordinator to execute plans and give oversight to freelancers.
• Work with Content Coordinator to write and craft internal and external messaging that is compelling and engaging.
• Create and implement annual digital strategy and web, and social media plans that support goals for Academic Affairs, Admissions, Institutional Advancement, and the Artistic Team.
• Together with Marketing and Communications Coordinator, use advanced knowledge of front-end web development to ensure Longy's website is compelling, current, and complete, to drive recruiting, fundraising, and concert attendance.
• Oversee web vendor relationships for advanced back-end functionality. Work closely with Information Technology team, who maintain web server hosting, domain registration, backups, logs, security, and back-end configuration.
• Manage Longy's social media presence and be a co-developer with the Marketing and Communications Coordinator in creative initiatives to increase the number of followers, recruit students, and deepen alumni engagement.
• Plan, analyze, execute and consult on analytics, SEO, metadata, discoverability, ad words, media monitoring and other digital campaigns with partners such as Acceptd, Google, and New Uniform Design.
• Design and oversee dashboard to track key performance indicators. Track web and social media tools; research and implement enhancements as appropriate.
• Stay up to date on technological trends and digital marketing, identifying new platforms, tools, and venues for marketing, research, and analysis.
• Work with Content Coordinator to identify and tell stories that exemplify Longy's mission and brand-in whatever medium is needed to connect these to new and existing audiences.
• Oversee web platform front-end and email platform to ensure dissemination of newsletters, whitepapers, and other longer-form content. Design plans to grow the audience and increase reader engagement.
• Work closely with Academic Affairs to identify faculty, students, and alumni to serve as spokespeople for Longy's academic programs- select courses, special projects, and case studies-to illustrate the organization's identity.
• Ensure the stories we tell go beyond sharing the diversity of our community to highlight the value, impact, and purpose that Longy's students and faculty achieve.
• Ensure branding and voice is consistent across projects and initiatives.
• Oversee the work of the Marketing and Communications Coordinator and Content Coordinator as well as the hiring and artistic direction of all freelance creatives so that collateral is consistent in appearance and messaging and reflects the voice of Senior Leadership and mission of the institution.
• Oversee a Longy Style Guide outlining logo, type, colors, word usage, etc.
• Be a leader for the team that inspires creativity, collaboration, outstanding work ethic and joy on the job.
• Thrive on constant change, be self-motivated and an independent thinker who can meet deadlines, resolve conflicting priorities, and have outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Write regular performance evaluations for all direct reports and provide them with constructive in-the-moment feedback to develop strengths and address weaknesses.
• Be a department leader and collaborator across all departments, who inspires creativity, collaboration, outstanding work ethic and joy school wide.
• Oversee high-profile marketing projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Staff ad hoc workgroups that require Marketing and Communications involvement for new initiatives.
• Meet all deadlines, adapt to changing priorities, and carry out new projects.
• Attend special events as needed.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum five years of experience working in marketing and communications, higher education or the arts preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal English language and communication skills, as well as copyediting expertise.
• Portfolio of writing pieces including short and long form.
• Expertise with Adobe Creative, Microsoft Office, WordPress (and web content management systems), Constant Contact, and social media tools.