Chief Marketing, Communications, and Brand Officer

Lake Forest College, a national liberal arts college 30 miles north of Chicago, seeks a Chief Marketing, Communications, and Brand Officer to propel the College’s advancement and tell the world about the inspiring ways our students Make It.  The successful candidate will join the President’s senior leadership team and direct all marketing, communication and brand initiatives.

Lake Forest College is consistently ranked as one of America’s top liberal arts colleges. U.S News, for example, ranks Lake Forest #2 in the nation as a Top Performer for Social Mobility and #33 as a Best Value college. Lake Forest has a strong tradition of providing an outstanding liberal arts education to a diverse student body and emphasizing, in equal measure, strong career preparation.  Lake Forest has an exceptional Career Advancement Center that was recently highlighted in a feature article by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Competition to enroll and educate a well-qualified, diverse student body has never been greater in higher education. To ensure the College’s success in this competition, the Chief Officer will:

• Develop and promote the College’s brand through institutional messaging, public relations, and advertising in social media, the web, and print outlets
• Heighten public awareness of the College’s distinctive mission and identity across all communication channels and stakeholder groups
• Employ innovative digital marketing strategies, segmentation principles, and analytics
• Oversee free and paid media campaigns, press relationships, and crisis communications
• Serve as a credible, informed College spokesperson on appropriate occasions
• Strategically and responsibly manage financial resources to reach key goals

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with preference for a Master’s degree
• 7-10 years of marketing/communications/brand experience
• Experience creating and evaluating digital marketing strategies
• Staff development and team building experience

The Chief Officer will chair the Marketing, Communications, and Brand Leadership Group that includes the President and other senior staff.  To advance the College’s strategic priority of expanding and enhancing student enrollment, the Chief Officer will work directly with, and administratively report to, the Vice President for Enrollment.  Compensation and benefits will be competitive.  Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to Vice President for Enrollment Chris Ellertson by April 23, 2021 for full consideration.

Institutional Information  

A highly selective liberal arts college located on Chicago’s North Shore, Lake Forest College enrolls approximately 1,600 students from over 40 states and 70 countries. Lake Forest College is one of the most diverse small colleges in the Midwest, with nearly 40% of our student body comprised of domestic minority and international students. Lake Forest College embraces diversity and encourages applications from women, members of historically underrepresented groups, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about Lake Forest College, visit www.lakeforest.edu.