New England Conservatory, an independent not-for-profit institution, is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools, educating and training musicians of all ages from around the world. With music students representing more than 40 countries, NEC cultivates a diverse, dynamic community for students, providing them with performance opportunities and high-caliber training by 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of making and teaching music through college-level musical training in classical, jazz, and Contemporary Improvisation. It offers unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships that empower students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC's mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.
NEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status. 

New England Conservatory (NEC) has determined that the highest possible rate of COVID-19 vaccination offers the best assurance of safeguarding the health of all members of our community. Therefore, NEC is requiring all employees to receive the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by September 3, 2021. All newly hired employees at NEC must receive the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before they begin work, unless they are approved for a medical or religious exemption. Additionally, all members of the NEC community are required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 1, 2022, or within fourteen days of eligibility. For more information, please contact NEC Human Resources.

JOB SUMMARY:

With a commitment to centering diversity and inclusion in executing key responsibilities, the Director of Marketing and Communications will develop, implement, and evaluate the strategic marketing plan for Expanded Education (EE). With goals of increasing enrollment, retaining students and engaging alumni for all EE programs, this position executes the strategic marketing vision for the department via digital, email, web and print channels, including digital advertising, content marketing, social media and search engine marketing. While adhering to the institution’s identity framework, this position will deploy strategic marketing efforts including planning and executing integrated communications to promote program recruitment and proactively support strategic enrollment needs. 

This inaugural position manages a small in-house team, external partners (i.e. freelancers, design and production vendors), and allocates the annual marketing budget while ensuring outreach goals are met; establishes and supervises market research efforts and analyzes the effectiveness of all marketing efforts. The Director of Marketing and Communications sets KPIs, using data-driven methods and innovative tracking capabilities, and works closely with Conservatory departments as well as external service providers to ensure marketing campaigns are effective and impactful in terms of budget allocation and channel distribution. The director is responsible for identifying new and innovative ways to reach the right target audience and course correct if necessary using data, analytics and tracking.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• In alignment with the Executive Director’s vision, develop and deploy strategic marketing campaigns for EE brands based on key departmental goals.
• Managing the staff, drive and oversee the development of all EE creative concepts, design implementations, and corresponding production tasks (such as budget projections and project schedules) to ensure work is of a high caliber and consistent with NEC’s identity framework. 
• Plan, develop, direct and administer the department’s branding, marketing, and communications programs for all constituents through an integrated approach of internal and external communication, media relations, media buying, social media, advertising production, graphic design, and websites. Present marketing and design plans and recommendations, which highlight EE’s unique values and benefits to positively impact enrollment, with a demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to diverse backgrounds and communication needs in concert with the College’s overarching brand.
• Partner closely with Admissions, Communications, Advancement, IT and other leadership teams, sharing current marketing best practices and implementing data-driven approaches to identify programs that drive engagement, grow enrollment and ensure brand loyalty. 
• Lead with a student/customer first mindset, developing a data informed position on current and target audiences and implementing strategies that help engage and retain valuable audiences of varying backgrounds.
• Oversee the creation, content and ongoing maintenance of EE’s digital ecosystems and social media presences. Track, review, and share site usage analytics and make changes as necessary. Set key performance indicators to measure and report on the impact of marketing efforts.
• Lead, manage and execute customer relationship management strategies through oversight of the Slate CRM. 
• Keep abreast of current and emerging trends in enrollment management, marketing, graphic design and related fields, evaluating if and how they might be appropriate for EE, and implementing accordingly. Explore marketing venues, enrollment opportunities for growth, and the format and design of communications materials. Monitor the programs of competitive organizations on an ongoing basis.
• As an active and engaged member of the Executive Director’s leadership team, help advance and achieve the team’s goals and vision, and foster a strong team.
• Cultivate and foster positive and respectful relationships with colleagues across campus.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least five years in marketing and communications with progressive experience in digital functions including (but not limited to) omnichannel marketing, digital strategy, content marketing, digital advertising, website strategy and development, user experience and architecture, and SEO strategy. 
• At least three years of supervisory experience.
• Strong understanding of current marketing concepts, strategy and best practices. Proven ability to manage strategic execution and optimization of digital marketing campaigns to various audiences across multiple channels.
• Extensive experience creating high level communications that reflect organizational mission, vision, and values, including crisis and politically sensitive communications. 
• Experience in e-commerce, CRM and email marketing systems such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Slate, and Gmail. Experience with SEO, PPC, email marketing and social media. Experience with Google Analytics, Facebook Business Manager, Search Engine Marketing and paid social media advertising.
• Experience with project management and internal communications tools such as Monday.com and Google Drive.
• Ability to independently make art and design recommendations that positively impact enrollment with a demonstrated understanding of enrollment best practices, tools and strategies. 
• Strategic thinker with strong interpersonal skills, leadership and organizational skills. The ability to create and execute marketing plans for multiple audiences. 
• Proven ability to interact with members of the community representing diverse backgrounds and interests and to promote and foster an environment that values diversity and inclusion. Proven ability to scale marketing plans to local, regional and global audiences.
• Proven ability to work well independently and as part of a team, and with many constituencies with a strong customer service focus.
• Must be able to develop and manage marketing plans and budgets.
• Knowledgeable in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and file management systems.

BENEFITS:

• 35 Hour Work Week
• Medical Plans
• Dental
• Vision
• Retirement Savings Account

Annual Clery Report

In accordance with the federal Clery and Campus SaVE Acts, New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) commits to providing all current and prospective students and employees with access to the annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report. This report will provide the reader with a record of statistics regarding crimes that were reported in the NEC community during the previous three years as well as College policies and procedures, in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.This report may be accessed here View the report. A paper copy can be requested by contacting NEC's Director of Public Safety at 290 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115.