Arizona State University

Executive Director of Marketing and Communications

Arizona State University$158K — $185K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required, with 11 years of relevant experience.
  • 7 years of managerial experience required.
  • Extensive experience in marketing roles within higher education preferred.
  • Deep understanding of global business education markets needed.
  • Proven success in leading integrated marketing strategies for complex organizations.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute an integrated marketing strategy aligned with institutional priorities.
  • Lead brand positioning and differentiation strategies in global business education.
  • Utilize market research to identify growth opportunities and optimize marketing efforts.
  • Collaborate with admissions to enhance the prospective student journey.
  • Monitor and adjust marketing strategies based on performance metrics and ROI.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work eligible within the State of Arizona.
  • Professional development opportunities in a large organization.
  • Supportive work environment with a focus on team leadership.
Full Job Description

Job Profile:

Outreach and Marketing Manager 5

Job Family:

Outreach and Marketing

Time Type:

Full time

Apply before 11:59 PM Arizona time the day before the posted End Date.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and eleven (11) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field including seven (7) years managerial experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Job Profile Summary:
Develops, implements, and evaluates marketing strategy for the institution. Directs development and implementation of marketing operations ensuring consistent branding in support of institutional marketing goals.

Job Description:

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Marketing and Communications serves as the senior-most marketing leader for the W. P. Carey School of Business, the largest business school in the United States with numerous programs and specialties  or higher by U.S. News & World Report. This role, which reports to the Dean, is responsible for setting and executing a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that advances the school’s strategic objectives, including enrollment growth, brand elevation, and stakeholder engagement.

Leading a team of 20+ professionals, the Executive Director drives integrated marketing efforts across a complex portfolio of MBA, specialized master’s, and executive education programs. The role plays a critical part in positioning W. P. Carey competitively in a global marketplace while aligning marketing strategy with institutional priorities and long-term growth goals.

Salary Range: $158,700-$185,260 to commensurate with experience.

Job Functions and Duties

Strategic Marketing Leadership 

  • Develop and execute an integrated, multi-channel marketing strategy aligned with school and university priorities.

  • Lead brand positioning and differentiation in a competitive global business education market.

  • Ensure alignment with enterprise-level brand, communications and marketing standards. 

  • Utilize market research, analytics, and competitive intelligence to identify growth opportunities.

  • Proactively identify and advance opportunities for the school to lead in the application of AI within marketing and communications, positioning W. P. Carey at the forefront of innovation in business education marketing.

  • Integrate AI-driven marketing strategies and tools (e.g., predictive analytics, personalization, marketing automation, generative AI for content) to enhance awareness of our teaching, research and practice innovations among our stakeholders. 

  • Forge partnerships with academic and administrative leadership to develop effective marketing strategies that achieve program objectives.

Enrollment Marketing & Program Support

  • Proactively develop and execute marketing strategies that drive awareness, inquiry, and enrollment with a primary focus on graduate offerings (MBA programs and specialized master’s) and executive education.

  • Collaborate with admissions and program teams to optimize the prospective student journey and conversion funnel.

  • Leverage CRM systems and marketing automation/AI tools to support lead generation and nurturing.

  • Navigate complex privacy landscapes while maintaining precision targeting and measurement through ethical zero-party and first-party data capture.

  • Monitor campaign effectiveness and adjust strategies based on performance data and ROI using always-on, iterative testing methodology.

Brand Management & Communications 

  • Ensure consistency of brand identity and messaging across all platforms and audiences.

  • Lead internal and external communications, including media relations, public relations, and crisis communications.

  • Oversee content strategy, including digital, social media, and thought leadership initiatives.

  • Enhance institutional reputation through strategic storytelling and visibility efforts.

  • Manage decentralized content creator networks and leverage social signals to inform brand strategy and marketing innovation.

  • Partner closely with university stakeholders to interpret and uphold ASU Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management standards.

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence 

  • Coach, develop, lead, and mentor a team of 20+ marketing and communications professionals, spanning multiple specializations.

  • Oversee organizational structure, resource allocation, and workflow processes to maximize effectiveness and impact. 

  • Oversee and strategically utilize the unit’s budget to meet School objectives. 

  • Integrate artificial intelligence and other marketing automation tools within the team workflow to maximize efficiency, readiness and responsiveness.

  • Create and manage an organizational chart incorporating AI, then ensure the martech stack utilizes the most economic and effective tools for the roles it is fulfilling.

  • Manage external agencies, vendors, and partnership relationships.

  • Establish performance metrics, accountability structures, and continuous improvement practices.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration 

  • Partner with W. P. Carey leadership, program directors, advancement, and other internal stakeholders to align messaging and priorities.

  • Collaborate with ASU Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management and ASU Media Relations and Strategic Communications to ensure consistency with university-wide initiatives.

  • Support alumni engagement and advancement efforts through targeted communication strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Extensive experience in marketing and communication-related roles within a higher education setting.

  • In-depth understanding of global business education markets and competitive dynamics.

  • Experience supporting enrollment marketing for graduate, undergraduate, online, or executive education programs.

  • Proven experience designing and/or optimizing human-AI collaborative workflows.

  • Demonstrated success leading integrated marketing strategies for complex, multi-program organizations.

  • Advanced understanding of digital marketing, CRM platforms, and marketing analytics.

  • Demonstrated ability to lead and scale high-performing teams.

  • Experience working in a matrixed or decentralized organizational environment.

  • Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

  • Higher education landscape, particularly large, public research institutions

  • Enrollment marketing strategies and student lifecycle management

  • Brand strategy, positioning, and integrated communications

  • Digital marketing channels, tools, analytics, and emerging AI applications

  • Global business education markets, including MBA and specialized master’s program trends

  • ASU Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management principles and standards

Skills

  • Strategic planning and execution across multiple programs and audiences

  • Data-driven decision-making and campaign optimization

  • Leadership, team development, and performance management

  • Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder engagement

  • Project and budget management

Abilities

  • Ability to translate strategic priorities into effective marketing initiatives

  • Ability to lead through complexity and organizational scale

  • Ability to develop human-in-the-loop processes to maximize efficiency while maintaining human judgment, empathy and decision making.

  • Ability to balance long-term brand development with immediate enrollment goals

  • Ability to synthesize data into actionable insights

  • Ability to guide AI and technology with ethical oversight by understanding risk (bias, privacy, fairness, etc.) and trust metrics

  • Ability to build strong partnerships across academic and administrative units

Working Environment

  • This position is eligible for a hybrid work in the State of Arizona.

Driving Requirement:

Driving is not required for this position.

Location:

Campus: Tempe

Funding:

No Federal Funding

Instructions to Apply:

Current employees, student workers seeking staff opportunities, and students applying for student worker positions must apply directly through the Jobs Hub.

Please use the link below to log in using single sign-on.

https://www.myworkday.com/asu/d/inst/1$9925/9925$26078.htmld

To be considered, your application must include all of the following attachments:

  • Cover letter

  • Resume or CV

Multiple documents may be uploaded in the attachments section. Alternatively, applicants may combine all required materials into a single PDF for submission. Please ensure uploaded documents are clearly labeled and include your name.

Please ensure your resume includes all employment information in month and year format, for example 6/04 to 8/14, along with job title, job duties, and employer name for each position. Your resume should clearly demonstrate how your experience and background meet the minimum and desired qualifications for this position. Incomplete applications or missing required materials may not be considered.

Important: Do not withdraw your application to make edits. Once an application is withdrawn, it cannot be edited, reactivated, or replaced with a new submission. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact before the posting close date.

Graduate Assistant, Intern and part-time positions are counted as half time for experience equivalency, meaning one year equals six months of experience.

Only electronic applications will be accepted for this position. By submitting an application, you confirm that the information provided is accurate and complete.

About Arizona State University

Arizona State University (ASU) is a public research university with its main campus in Tempe, Arizona. It is one of the largest public universities in the United States by enrollment. ASU offers degree programs in more than 800 areas of study, including over 250 undergraduate majors and more than 120 graduate programs. ASU is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities ? Very high research activity". ASU's athletic teams are called the Sun Devils and compete in the Pac-12 Conference. ASU has multiple campuses throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area, with four regional campuses and several extension centers.
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