Director of Marketing & Communications

Reports to: President

Department: Marketing & Communications
Location: Costa Mesa, CA

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

The Director of Marketing & Communications is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing of all of the organization’s marketing strategies, communication efforts, and public relations activities. The Director will drive the overall strategy, vision, and direction of the Sofia brand, lead University marketing and communications efforts, manage Sofia’s reputation and deliver consistent messaging in support of the University's mission, brand, strategic goals, and objectives.

The Director will lead a marketing team to manage a central marketing and communications function, provide advice, and support academic, enrollment, alumni, and other institutional priorities. The Director’s functions include branding, marketing academic programs, strategic marketing, media and public relations, enrollment marketing, content marketing, design services, internal and external communications, reputation and issues management, digital and social media strategies, and web development and design. The Director works collaboratively with all Sofia stakeholders and academic departments to fully integrate marketing and communication initiatives to meet organizational goals, while also identifying new areas of opportunity and seeks to continue growing the Sofia brand, not only in California, but also nationally. The Director will also develop and oversee an international branding strategy.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a Marketing and Promotion Strategy for the entire University and all academic programs
• Develop and manage all marketing and communications projects, including new academic programs while integrating a variety of strategies and tactics, including institutional branding, storytelling, graphic design, advertising, and environmental design, with effective content management to promote and inform Sofia’s domestic and international constituencies
• Provide strategic vision, leadership and management of the University's marketing and communications activities
• Oversee strategic marketing in collaboration with key stakeholders across the University to create measurable multi-channel marketing communication solutions to achieve goals for brand awareness, recruitment, and alumni affairs
• Manage web development and design and support the University's web site including conceptualization, gathering functional requirements, providing design direction and execution of advanced websites, which includes recruitment and advancement sites, academic and event websites, email marketing and landing page strategies
• Work closely with the Provost and all academic departments to develop and implement targeted academic marketing plans and grow degrees and non-degree programs
• Partner with the AVP of Strategic Enrollment, International Partnerships & Alumni Affairs (AVP) to support student recruitment
• Work closely with Global College to support international initiatives and ensure these efforts are fully integrated and reflective of Sofia’s overall marketing and communication strategies
• Oversee development, adoption, alignment and growth of Sofia’s brand strategies, architecture, and positioning to achieve significant positive marketplace impact in areas of academic reputation, student recruitment, and alumni affairs
• Design and lead organizational change management around priorities, team changes and projects
• Engage regularly with key stakeholders across the University and beyond to increase brand differentiation and execute effective programs to advance University priorities
• Ensure marketing and communications programs and activities are consistent with Sofia’s transpersonal origins and its mission to educate students of diverse backgrounds
• Direct day-to-day activities of marketing, digital marketing, media and public relations, internal and external communications, social media, web design and development, creative services, video production, etc.
• Lead and serve on cross-functional teams for University initiatives to represent and advocate for a communication perspective to be factored into decision-making
• Develop and maintain intentional outreach and relations with targeted external constituents, including but not limited to the media
• Utilize marketing research and analysis in identifying new marketing opportunities and assess the effectiveness of existing strategies
• Provide expertise and service to University clients in the creative development of University publications, promotional materials, web presence, social media, and logos. University clients include, but are not limited to: Recruitment and Enrollment, Professional Studies, Advancement, Alumni Engagement, Student Life, Financial Aid, Academics, Office of the Registrar, and student groups
• Develop concepts and designs for Sofia marketing materials including the University website, printed promotional materials, digital assets, video, advertising, recruitment, and fundraising materials, etc.
• Oversee the planning, organizing, and coordination of special events, academic program role outs, school fairs, new student orientation sessions, open houses for the admissions team, and provide support to other departments for various events
• Oversee reputation management strategy, ensuring Sofia is represented according to its mission and values and on all social media platforms
• Work closely with the AVP to identify new areas opportunity to manage and optimize the lead to start ratio
• Support the AVP to strategize and implement new alumni efforts
• Work closely with CFO to develop marketing and communication budgets, identifying KPI’s, monitor progress, and evaluate performance.

Capabilities:

• Meticulous attention to detail along with the skillset to undertake a wide range of priority tasks to support the growth of Sofia
• Excellent follow-through skills, prioritization, and resourcefulness in problem-solving with ability to execute on company strategic plans, with high emphasis on quality
• Structured strategic problem thinking including the ability to break down complex problems and solve them
• Demonstrated executive-level communication and presentation skills ability, written and oral
• Demonstrated ability to undertake and complete projects on time, identifying important points for decision making
• Demonstrated leadership ability, a track record of successful team building and staff development, proven ability to be creative and strategic, while working effectively and efficiently with diverse faculty, staff, and the wider community
• Ability to solve highly strategic and difficult business problems, while taking initiative and drive/implement ideas in a changing environment
• High initiative, self-starting capability with demonstrated skill to identify and seize opportunities in uncertain contexts
• Ability to work in a matrixed organization with remote teams
• High level of personal and professional integrity and ethics
• Maintain a global perspective, remain culturally sensitive and aware (adjusts personal style to different cultures and styles of work); welcomes a diversity of ideas, approaches, and points of view
• Strong business orientation, drive for results, and desire to win; comfortable driving change and embracing innovation in face of ambiguity and complexity
• Embodies start-up spirit, creative and open to flexible solutions.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Bachelors degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Management, Public Relations, or related fields
• Three to five (3-5) years of experience in Higher Education marketing and public relations, with demonstrated success in achieving prescribed goals and objectives
• Demonstrated ability to create, implement and prioritize short and long-term plans and projects
• Strong decision-making skills, including systematically gathering relevant information, while considering a broad range of issues or factors
• Skilled at establishing tools, and processes, as well as using social media/content creation to advance reputation goals and in response to any crisis
• Generate creative solutions and recommendations using logic in analysis
• Prior experience with developing and executing on a strategic marketing plan
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility while working with a diverse staff and faculty population and various other stakeholders
• Ability to think creatively, strategically, and collaboratively in order to meet University strategic goals
• Excellent listening and organizational skills
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with diverse populations
• Strong customer service orientation: ability to interact and collaborate professionally with a variety of constituencies both on and off-campus
• Ability to use and analyze data, create reports, spreadsheets, electronic presentation software in order to make and communicate data driven decisions
• Proven successful record of marketing strategy implementation which resulted in increased awareness and recruitment within various student populations and was successfully communicated to diverse audiences
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously; follow through and meet deadlines
• Work includes some evenings and weekends throughout the year as well as some University related travel, as required.

Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree and five to ten years of experience in higher education marketing and communications.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Sofia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting the Human Resources Department at 888-820-1484 ext.10200.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Costa Mesa, CA 92626: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Marketing: 3 years (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Costa Mesa, CA 92626