Job Description
The Executive Director of Marketing serves as a strategic and creative leader within Alfred University’s Office of Marketing and Communications, responsible for advancing the University’s brand visibility, reputation, and enrollment goals through integrated, data-informed marketing strategies.
This role blends traditional marketing leadership with strong digital marketing oversight. The Executive Director leads the planning, execution, and evaluation of multi-channel marketing campaigns, spanning digital advertising, content strategy, branding, and creative assets, ensuring a cohesive and effective presence across all platforms.
The Executive Director supervises key marketing staff, including the Social Media Manager, Graphic Designer, and student employees, and collaborates closely with Enrollment Management and Admissions and other key areas to support recruitment, engagement, and institutional priorities across the full student lifecycle.
Salary: $90,204-$95,398 Annually
Key Responsibilities Marketing Strategy & Leadership: - Develop, implement, and assess comprehensive marketing strategies that support enrollment growth, brand awareness, and institutional reputation.
- Serve as a strategic partner to campus stakeholders to align messaging, campaigns, and creative assets.
- Advise the Vice President for Marketing and Communications on campaign performance, market trends, and opportunities.
- Ensure consistent brand voice, visual identity, and messaging across all marketing channels.
Digital Marketing & Advertising Oversight: - Lead digital marketing strategy and oversee paid advertising across major platforms, including Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, programmatic and retargeting networks, streaming/connected TV, audio platforms, and emerging social channels.
- Manage relationships with external vendors and agencies and provide regular performance updates and insights to the Vice President for Marketing and Communications.
- Guide audience targeting, budget allocation, creative optimization, and performance measurement.
- Ensure digital advertising efforts support recruitment, awareness, and conversion goals.
- Collaborate with creative and web teams to align ads with landing pages and user experience best practices.
Content, Creative & Band Management: - Oversee the development and distribution of marketing collateral and content for websites, digital ads, social media, email, and print.
- Provide creative direction for digital and visual assets, including graphics, video, and motion content.
- Ensure accessibility and brand standards are consistently applied across all materials.
- Manage digital asset organization and use across campaigns and departments.
SEO, Web & Analytics: - Oversee SEO and SEM strategies to optimize Alfred University’s digital presence and search visibility.
- Utilize tools such as SEMrush, SERanking, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console to monitor performance and identify opportunities.
- Track, analyze, and report on marketing performance using dashboards and analytics tools.
- Translate data into actionable insights to refine campaigns and improve ROI.
Team Leadership & Collaboration: - Supervise the Social Media Manager, Graphic Designer, and student employees, providing strategic direction and mentorship.
- Coordinate with Enrollment Management and Admissions on recruitment-focused campaigns and messaging.
- Manage external vendors and agencies as needed for advertising, research, or creative services.
Qualifications-Education & Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abitlities - Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field.
- 5+ years of progressive experience in marketing or communications.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing digital marketing and paid advertising initiatives.
- Strong understanding of SEO/SEM, analytics, and multi-channel campaign strategy.
- Experience managing staff and collaborating across departments.
- Excellent writing, communication, and project management skills.
- Prefered:
- Master’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field.
- Experience in higher education and/or enrollment marketing.
- Familiarity with CRM and email platforms (e.g., Slate, HubSpot, Mailchimp).
- Experience with campaign attribution, A/B testing, and conversion optimization.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required. A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or offices located on the campus. The Campus is located in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.
About Alfred University Lighting the way for students since 1836.
"We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836." Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities.
Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.
Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Job Tags
Full time, Work at office