EHRA491P

https://jobs.wcu.edu/postings/16348

Executive Director

Executive Director of Marketing #001685

Marketing

This position is on site at our Cullowhee, NC campus.

WCU, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has adopted a “Get Vaccinated or Get Tested” policy effective September 15, 2021. This will require you demonstrate evidence of full vaccination upon hire or be subject to regular testing.

The Executive Director of Marketing will report directly to the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and work collaboratively with the Executive Director of Communications and the Executive Creative Director within University Communications and Marketing. The Executive Director of Marketing is responsible for the planning, coordination, implementation, and oversight of an integrated and comprehensive marketing program supportive of the institutional mission and ensuring alignment with the university’s goals and branding guidelines. This includes, but not limited to, the development of marketing plans for the colleges, divisions, and university-wide initiatives; establishing and implementing the university’s enterprise-level social media hierarchy and strategy; overseeing the paid media strategy and reporting return on investment.

- Develops and maintains a marketing strategy that increases awareness and support of Western Carolina University, its colleges, and programs, to recruit and retain students and further enhance the regional and national reputation for WCU. - Works closely with deans, undergraduate and graduate admissions, and educational outreach to plan and implement effective marketing strategies to support enrollment goals, including recruiting and retaining students.- Build a framework for marketing plans and collaborate closely with college deans so that each of the colleges’ marketing plans fit into and serve the overarching institutional goals and the university’s branding guidelines. - Drive the overarching enterprise-level social media strategy across the paid and earned efforts, in collaboration with the communications and creative services teams, while educating and training campus stakeholders and college communicators. - Monitors market trends across industries, influencers, and competitors to identify opportunities for WCU’s positioning. - Oversees and ensures the media budget is effectively utilized to drive enrollment and reputation goals. - Liaises with the special events team to assist and ensure that major university events involving external audiences have the collateral needed and are properly branded. - Identifies needs for market research, implements necessary studies, and analyzes results. - Works closely with the Web team to identify and set SEO goals to increase the visibility of WCU and regularly measure effectiveness.- Collaborates with undergraduate and graduate admissions on its communications to prospective students and families, including, but not limited to, automated email campaigns using Slate.- Has a strategic approach to gather information and better understand target markets and audiences and use this information to craft a marketing message that targets leads and improves conversion rates. - Manages the marketing research function, including the evaluation of the marketing, creative and communications efforts. Use qualitative and quantitative data such as concept testing, copy testing, creative testing, customer experience studies, brand awareness and perception, market segmentation, and brand value analysis to provide strategic direction for branding, marketing, and advertising initiatives. - Works with various departments on shared data and analysis and share best practices with staff on evaluation tools and measurement. - Responsible for aligning marketing technology with strategic goals and support the team with insights on key metrics, analysis, and interpretation of trends from data. - Monitors digital marketing analytics, creates dashboards, and provides monthly, quarterly, and yearly reporting on determined KPI’s. - Provides direction and supervision to marketing staff, student workers and interns. This will include, but not be limited to, managing and prioritizing assignments, projects and duties, approving leave, and evaluating performance. - Performs other duties as assigned.

Relevant post-baccalaureate degree required with three years or greater of related professional experience in marketing, communications, journalism, public affairs, or a related field; for candidates demonstrating comparable professional backgrounds, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and five years or greater of relevant experience in substitution.

Master’s Degree in Business, Management, Marketing, or a related field and five (5) years of progressive growth experience.
- Advanced skills to select, train, manage, direct, guide, motivate and evaluate staff to produce high quality work; ability to take corrective action as required. - Advanced written, verbal, interpersonal communications, active listening, and political acumen skills.- Advanced knowledge and understanding of all aspects of marketing, including strategic planning for various media venues, technical aspects and requirements of various venues, and the most appropriate and effective applications.- Experience with Meltwater or similar media monitoring and social listening platform, and Slate or similar customer relationship management tool.- Ability to think broadly about content marketing across written and visual platforms for varied audiences, including the strategic development and management of content across print and digital platforms.- Advanced strategic planning and implementation skills to design strategic and comprehensive marketing plans and programs, taking into consideration institutional image, message and positioning, mission, goals, priorities, and accomplishments, while building an enterprise-level social media calendar and implementing accountability standards.- Proven ability to cultivate relationships with key community stakeholders.- Advanced measurement and evaluation skills to develop state-of-the-art metrics for measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, including social media efforts.- Ability to quickly gain knowledge of the institution, its achievements, mission, vision, goals, policies, and infrastructure, advanced knowledge of current affairs and issues in higher education.- Advanced skills to integrate messaging and counsel.- Strong skills to create, develop and implement comprehensive and effective long- and short-term strategic marketing plans. - Demonstrated superior ability to work across the division to develop creative and integrated marketing and community outreach programs to support university strategic initiatives- Strong analytical, critical thinking, project management, and problem recognition, avoidance and resolution skills.- Proven ability to maintain a strict code of confidentiality of privileged information, while performing a wide range of duties that require tact, sensitivity, independent judgment, diplomacy, discretion, and flexibility.- Proven competency and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Knowledge and understanding of the historical and social context of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and of the complexities of the intersections of various communities and demonstrated ability to translate that knowledge into practical applications, processes, policies, responses, and programs.

Permanent Full-Time

40

12

07/06/2021

No

To be considered, you must apply online. Please include a cover letter, resume, portfolio, and a list of at least three (3) professional references with complete contact information to complete the application process. For questions or additional information, please contact Brian M. Mullen Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Western Carolina University, bmullen@wcu.edu

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks.

Western Carolina University uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Proper documentation of identity and employability are required at the time of employment.

All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.

Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Additionally, the University promotes the realization of equal employment opportunity for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans through its affirmative action program.
Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (828) 227-7218 or email at jobs@email.wcu.edu.

The Western Carolina University Annual Safety Report is available online at University Annual Safety Report or in hard-copy by request at the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 227 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7147) or the Office of University Police, 111 Camp Annex, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7301). The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.