Executive Director, Marketing & Communications

About the position Responsibilities • Provide strategic direction and leadership for college-based marketing and communications leads and Office of Graduate Education lead within the shared services model • Oversee and develop a centralized shared services team executing specialized functions including web development, social media, email marketing, paid digital campaigns, graphic design, content creation/blogging, and SEO • Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across distributed and centralized team members • Mentor and develop staff, ensuring professional growth and high performance standards • Cultivate and maintain productive relationships with deans, central University Relations, and administrators across participating colleges and within the University of Denver • Serve as the primary liaison between the Office of Graduate Education, college leadership, and the shared services marketing and communications team • Build trust and credibility across stakeholders with competing priorities and distinct program needs • Facilitate regular communication and collaboration to ensure alignment on enrollment goals and marketing priorities • Develop and implement comprehensive marketing strategies that drive enrollment growth and revenue across all participating programs • Identify market opportunities, emerging trends, and competitive positioning to inform strategic recommendations • Create integrated marketing campaign plans that leverage economies of scale while respecting individual program uniqueness • Establish metrics and KPIs to measure marketing effectiveness and ROI across programs and channels • Lead university-wide graduate enrollment strategies, identify partnership opportunities, champion new initiatives that will benefit multiple colleges, and liaise with the Office of Graduate Education to support units without dedicated marketing and communications resources • Analyze current operations to identify opportunities for process improvement, resource optimization, and operational efficiencies • Implement scalable systems, workflows, and technologies that enhance productivity and service delivery • Develop standardized processes and best practices while maintaining flexibility for program-specific needs • Ensure quality control and brand consistency across all marketing materials and campaigns • Manage and optimize multiple marketing budgets, ensuring strategic allocation of resources across colleges and programs • Develop annual budget recommendations based on enrollment priorities, strategic initiatives, and market data • Monitor expenditures, forecast needs, and provide regular financial reporting to stakeholders • Maximize ROI through data-driven budget decisions and efficient resource utilization • Design and execute sophisticated paid marketing campaigns across digital platforms (search, social, display, video, etc.) • Allocate paid media budgets strategically to benefit all units within the model while achieving institution-wide enrollment goals • Analyze campaign performance data and optimize strategies for maximum enrollment impact • Stay current on digital marketing trends, platform updates, and higher education marketing best practices Nice-to-haves • Masters degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Higher Education, or related field • Experience in higher education marketing, particularly graduate and professional programs • Knowledge of enrollment management principles and student recruitment lifecycles • Familiarity with CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and enrollment management technologies • Understanding of higher education organizational structures and academic culture Benefits • medical • dental • retirement • paid time off • tuition benefit • ECO pass