Executive Director, Marketing and Communications

The Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, provides strategic leadership for all College-wide marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives. This role is responsible for enhancing the College's image and market position, increasing enrollment, and ensuring effective internal and external communications through integrated marketing, digital platforms, media relations, and special events. The Executive Director advises senior leadership and collaborates across the College and with external partners to achieve institutional goals.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic Marketing & Communications Leadership: Develops, implements, and evaluates a comprehensive annual marketing plan and budget aligned with the College's mission and strategic plan, overseeing all internal and external communication strategies across diverse platforms (e.g., email, web, social, print, broadcast).
• Brand Management & Public Relations: Directs the College's brand image, public relations, and media relations efforts, acting as the primary Public Information Officer. This includes managing crisis communications and proactively communicating the College's value to the community. Ensures regular contact with target media and timely, appropriate responses to media requests, and manages crisis communications plans in partnership with College leadership.
• Digital & Social Media Strategy: Leads and manages the College's digital and social media presence, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and effective engagement with target audiences.   Leads the College's promotional advertising campaigns, including directing consultants and advertising agency representatives to implement promotional, student recruitment and image enhancement activities through television, outdoor, radio, digital, mobile, social, print, and other media.
• Special Events: Manages the College's special event planning team to ensure that strategic objectives are achieved and that details are managed in a professional, creative, timely and cost effective manner.
• Enrollment Growth & Student Success: Partners with academic and student services leadership to develop and execute marketing and communication strategies aimed at improving enrollment effectiveness and supporting student success.
• Leadership and Team Development: Develops and manages high performing teams with highly skilled and motivated staff focused on the delivery of quality and value-added services, and allocates cross-functional responsibilities and work processes.  Responsibilities include hiring, coaching/mentoring, performance management, and progressive discipline as needed for departments supervised.
• Budget Management: Prepares, implements, and manages departmental budgets to meet financial objectives for the department, division, and institution
• Market Trend Analysis: Keeps current and evaluates trends in higher education, demographic shifts, and communication channels used by MATC's target market to inform development and execution of the marketing plan. Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of organizational priorities, decision-making, and program and services offered.
• Policy & Brand Standards: Initiates and implements all departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines for marketing and communications, including managing MATC's brand image through design standards and logo usage
• Stakeholder Engagement: Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including the Wisconsin Technical College System’s marketing consortium, business, government, education, and community groups; Participates in campus-wide committees and initiatives; attends personnel meetings including grievances, disciplinary actions, etc.; serves on advisory and related committees as required.
• Crisis & Issues Management: Leads crisis and issues management planning, including rapid response messaging, and provides strategic counsel on reputation management to senior leadership

Qualifications

Compliance with all state, federal, and accreditation standards/requirement, as well as all MATC policies and procedures.

Required Education & Experience:

Master’s degree in Marketing, Mass Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or related field from an accredited college or university. Seven (7) years of professional communication, marketing, journalism or related experience; at least (2) years of supervisory, management.

Preferred Education & Experience:

Greater than seven (7) years of professional communication, marketing, journalism or related experience; at least (2) years of supervisory, management.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of public relations, journalism, and integrated marketing techniques, including effective use of social media.
• Ability to target communications to specific market segments and work with outside agencies on marketing campaigns
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective internal and external relationships for strategic marketing activities.
• Effective leadership skills with the ability to motivate, influence, and solve problems creatively
• Strong project management, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple projects under pressure.
• Ability to measure marketing results and adapt future promotions
• Proficiency in utilizing databases, student information systems, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word).
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds.

Salary: $104,866.00 - $141,572.00 Annually