Lead Marketing Strategist

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

326d • $76,500 - $90,000

About The Position

Serving as a member of the marketing strategy team and working collaboratively with campus leadership and marketing and communications partners across Alumni Relations and Development (ARD), the Lead Marketing Strategist will develop and implement strategic plans focused on strengthening the UChicago brand reputation and supporting long-term alumni engagement. This position is also responsible for additional support for the overall marketing communications team and is responsible for a wide variety of functions that support and build effectiveness in strategic marketing and provider engagement. This role independently plans, develops, designs, and implements the strategic and tactical marketing plans for a department, program, product or business. Coordinates and evaluates the production of marketing communication and research programs.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree.
• Minimum five years of professional experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar professional work experience.
• Background with data analysis and communicating complex topics to non-technical people.
• Managing cross-team projects.
• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including Phoenix (the University's Donor Relationship Management System), Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including communications, design, media, social media, web, annual giving, and alumni volunteer engagement, to develop and execute integrated marketing strategies that align with organizational goals and engage target audiences effectively.
• Leads the creation and execution of comprehensive marketing plans for various initiatives, ensuring strategies are aligned with desired outcomes and the target audience’s preferences, while adapting to industry trends and best practices.
• Maintains a deep understanding of brand marketing, marketing channels, and audience behavior, continuously researching and applying the latest trends to improve campaigns and drive measurable results.
• Monitors the competitive landscape and industry developments to identify new opportunities, adjusting marketing strategies as needed to advance the University's objectives and enhance its competitive position.
• Partners with internal teams and external agencies to evaluate campaign performance, utilizing data and analytics to measure success, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations for future marketing initiatives.
• Coordinates and aligns marketing strategies across multiple projects and teams, ensuring that goals, deadlines, and resources are effectively managed to maximize impact and meet organizational objectives.
• Oversees the development and execution of strategic marketing plans for specific departments or functional areas, including market research, data collection, target market definition, project timelines, and content creation.
• Manages relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including vendors and University leadership, providing expertise in curating marketing plans and ensuring their successful execution across various initiatives, events, and programs.
• Provides mentorship and guidance to junior marketing staff, fostering professional development and ensuring the team works efficiently to execute marketing strategies while also recommending process improvements to enhance operations.
• Leads ad-hoc projects from inception to completion, developing marketing recommendations, presenting findings to senior leadership, and ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals while responding to stakeholder requests and inquiries as needed.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Develops one or more of the following marketing functions: marketing communications and advertising, web blogs or other digital marketing, and market research.
• Reviews and updates marketing infrastructure which may include one or more database systems, the intranet, and external websites.
• May participate in developing new products and services and determining new markets.
• Acts as a resource for and trains lower level marketing staff.
• May attend trade shows as needed.
• May assist managing relationships with external sales agencies.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree