SUMMARY
Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the Director of Marketing serves as Highland Community College’s chief marketing and brand strategist. This executive leadership position is responsible for developing and executing an integrated marketing, communications, enrollment marketing, and public relations strategy that advances the College’s mission, strengthens its reputation, and drives measurable growth in enrollment, philanthropy, workforce partnerships, and community engagement.
The Director leads the College’s brand, storytelling, digital marketing, media relations, creative services, and institutional communications while leveraging data analytics, market research, and emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence—to maximize institutional impact. The Director serves as a strategic advisor to the President on reputation management, crisis communications, public affairs, and institutional messaging.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive institutional marketing and communications strategy aligned with the College’s mission and Strategic Plan.
- Lead the College’s brand management, ensuring consistent messaging and visual identity across all communications.
- Partner with Admissions, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Athletics, Technical Education, Workforce Development, and the Foundation to support enrollment, student success, fundraising, and community engagement.
- Direct the College’s digital marketing strategy, including website management, social media, digital advertising, email marketing, and content development.
- Serve as the College’s primary media relations officer and spokesperson in coordination with the President.
- Lead crisis communication planning and institutional reputation management.
- Utilize market research, enrollment data, and analytics to evaluate marketing effectiveness and improve return on investment.
- Oversee creative services, including graphic design, photography, videography, publications, and print production.
- Evaluate and implement emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve marketing effectiveness and operational efficiency.
- Develop and manage departmental budgets while ensuring responsible stewardship of institutional resources.
- Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate marketing staff while fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Represent the College at community, civic, and professional organizations.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing marketing and creative services team focused on innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvements. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include participating in the interviewing, hiring and training of employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
A Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, media and/or public relations, or a closely related field, is preferred; Master’s Degree is strongly preferred. Experience working in an academic setting in admissions, recruiting or marketing, especially with a community college setting, desired.
Must have a minimum of five years demonstrated successful experience leading marketing efforts. Must have a knowledge of marketing, advertising, media relations, and brand development and management, as well as a comfort level with new and emerging social media technologies. Must possess strong communications leadership; organizational, planning and analytical skills, and demonstrate ability to solve problems and work as a team player.
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite Programs (Photoshop & InDesign); Adobe Dreamweaver and Illustrator is a plus.
Language Skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills required. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents. Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. Ability to write speeches using original or innovative techniques or style. Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate data collection vehicles. Ability to define problems, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Other
– Strong interpersonal skills are a necessity.
– Must have excellent communication skills, the ability to multi-task, and excellent record keeping skills.
– Must be able to use and understand the importance of social media technology in a college setting.
– Must have a high degree of integrity, be an innovative thinker, have a sense of humor, and a teamwork attitude.
– Should have a service orientation and positive attitude toward students, employees, and community members who interact with the College.
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.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Must have the ability to lift/move materials, displays, and other equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those and employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.