Senior Director of Marketing

If you have any questions about the position or our application process, reach out to us at recruiting-u@smith.edu.

Department

Communications and Marketing

Job Description

The Senior Director of Marketing is a creative, data-driven, and strategic leader responsible for developing and executing comprehensive, integrated marketing strategies that advance the College’s priorities in brand visibility, enrollment growth, advancement, and overall reputation. Reporting to the Vice President for Communications and Marketing, this position engages key audiences through owned, earned, and paid channels, ensuring a cohesive and measurable approach across print, digital, video, and social platforms.

This role provides leadership and oversight for the College’s marketing, creative, and digital ecosystem — including marketing strategists, graphic designers, photographers, videographers, and the web/digital team. The Senior Director fosters a collaborative, high-performance culture, balancing creative vision with strategic insight and analytical rigor to ensure all marketing efforts are aligned with institutional goals and optimized for measurable impact.

Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Leadership and Planning 20%
Partner with the Vice President for Communications and Marketing to develop, implement, and optimize high-impact marketing and advertising plans that strengthen the College’s brand and support enrollment, advancement, and reputational strategies. Set priorities, allocate resources, and ensure alignment with institutional goals.

Creative Oversight and Brand Stewardship 20%
Oversee the creation of compelling visual and written content, managing the work of graphic designers, photographers, videographers, and writers to ensure brand consistency and excellence across all channels. Champion the College’s brand, ensuring visual and messaging consistency across all channels and providing guidance, resources and training to campus partners.

Campaign Management and Execution 20%

Direct and engage in the planning, execution, and measurement of integrated marketing campaigns across multiple channels. Ensure campaigns are data-driven, on time, on budget, and aligned with strategic priorities.

Analytics, Reporting, and Optimization 20%
Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for marketing and digital initiatives. Use analytics and reporting to inform decision-making, demonstrate ROI, and continually refine tactics.

Crisis and Reputation Management 5%
Collaborate with the crisis communications team to make strategic decisions related to marketing communications, web presence, and social media during times of heightened sensitivity.

Team Management / Leadership and Professional Development 15%

• Supervise, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of marketing strategists, data analysts, photographers, videographers, and social media professionals, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.  Accountable for hiring, development / coaching, and performance-related decisions with support from Human Resources.  Makes informed decisions impacting team and college including setting priorities, allocating resources, and problem-solving.  Effectively communicates expectations, provides feedback, and ensures alignment with department goals. Addresses conflicts and challenges within the team to promote a positive work environment. Formulates and implements policies and procedures 

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in marketing, communications, or related field and 12+ years of marketing experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

            

Knowledge of:

• Proven experience developing integrated marketing strategies across offline/online channels and measuring their effectiveness.
• Strong knowledge of design, web strategy, social media management, content marketing, paid digital advertising, and crisis communications.
• Proficiency in digital analytics, reporting, and data-driven decision-making
• Strong understanding of brand management and reputation enhancement

Skills

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with strong presentation and storytelling ability.
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple projects and shifting pr