Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the Graduate School of Social Work, Morgridge College of Education and the Graduate School of Professional Psychology

The Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) is a vibrant community of scholars and teachers committed to advancing quality social work education and to meeting and upholding the standards and core values required by their accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The School’s curriculum, research, and community partnerships embody those principles via an intellectual, collegial, and supportive environment that fosters interdisciplinary and international educational opportunities. GSSW engages in collaborative research projects locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Marketing and Communications is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and execution of integrated marketing and communications across the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) and the Morgridge College of Education (MCE) and the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP). This position provides enterprise-level leadership overseeing all marketing, communications, and brand strategy functions for complex, mission-driven schools, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities while advancing each school’s unique identity, growth objectives, and impact.

The Senior Director leads and develops a multi-functional marketing and communications team spanning all three schools and is accountable for building a high-performing, data-driven operation that advances enrollment, strengthens brand equity, elevates thought leadership, and deepens engagement with key audiences. This role partners closely with senior academic and administrative leadership, the University’s central marketing and communications office, enrollment leadership, and external partners to drive measurable outcomes.

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Operations, this role carries significant decision-making authority, budget oversight, and responsibility for long-term strategic planning.

Due to an upcoming merger at the University in 2027, please note this role will likely also oversee the strategic oversight of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology’s marketing and communication functions beginning 2027.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop and lead a comprehensive, multi-year marketing and communications strategy across GSSW/MCE/GSPP that aligns with institutional priorities, enrollment goals, and brand positioning.
• Serve as the marketing strategist and advisor to senior leadership, shaping growth strategies, program positioning, and market expansion opportunities.
• Establish a unified yet differentiated brand architecture that elevates both schools while leveraging shared strengths and efficiencies.
• Identify emerging trends, technologies, and market opportunities to continuously evolve strategy and maintain competitive positioning.

Team & Operational Leadership

• Lead, structure, and grow a high-performing, integrated marketing and communications team across both schools, including hiring, coaching, and performance management.
• Create scalable systems, workflows, and governance models to support efficient and effective execution across a broader organizational scope.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Oversee resource allocation and budget strategy across both schools, ensuring strong ROI and alignment with strategic priorities.

Integrated Marketing & Campaign Strategy

• Oversee the development and execution of multi-channel campaigns, including digital advertising, content marketing, email, web, social media, and traditional media.
• Collaborate closely with enrollment team to create and execute the marketing strategy across the full student lifecycle (from awareness through enrollment)
• Partner closely with the enrollment teams to optimize lead generation, conversion, and yield.
• Drive audience segmentation, personalization, and lifecycle marketing strategies using CRM and marketing automation tools.
• Ensure all marketing efforts are data-informed, measurable, and continuously optimized.

Brand, Content & Thought Leadership

• Elevate the national reputation and visibility of represented schools by amplifying faculty research, community impact, and student success stories.
• Oversee content strategy and storytelling across platforms, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with brand standards.
• Partner with faculty, centers, and institutes to translate complex research into compelling, accessible narratives.
• Collaborate with central communications to secure local, national, and field-specific media coverage.

Digital Strategy & Innovation