Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the Graduate School of Socia

Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

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.
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
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
Lead digital strategy across web, SEO/SEM, user experience, and emerging platforms to ensure best-in-class digital presence.
Oversee website governance, performance, and continuous improvement across both schools.
Drive innovation in digital engagement, including AI-enabled tools, chatbots, and personalized user journeys.
Data, Analytics & Governance
Establish and oversee a robust analytics framework to measure marketing performance, inform decision-making, and demonstrate impact.
Define and track KPIs across brand awareness, engagement, lead generation, and enrollment outcomes.
Lead data governance practices related to marketing and communications, ensuring consistency, compliance, and strategic use of data across both schools.
Partner with Enrollment and IT to integrate systems and improve data flow and reporting.
Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
Serve as the primary liaison to the University's central marketing and communications office, representing both schools' priorities and opportunities.
Manage relationships with external agencies, vendors, and consultants to deliver high-quality work and maximize value.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders across academic programs, centers, and administrative units to align messaging and strategy.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale, integrated marketing and communications functions with strategic and operational excellence.
Deep expertise in brand strategy, digital marketing, content development, and multi-channel campaign execution.
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable insights and strategy.
Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in complex, matrixed environments.
Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with experience advising senior leaders.
Advanced understanding of CRM systems, marketing automation, and audience segmentation strategies.
Ability to balance enterprise-level strategy with executional detail.
Strong project management and organizational leadership skills.
Experience navigating and leading through organizational change.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field.
7+ years of progressive experience in marketing and communications, with increasing scope and leadership responsibility.
3+ years of experience leading and managing marketing teams.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic marketing plans with measurable outcomes.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field.
Experience in higher education or similarly complex, mission-driven organizations.
Experience managing multi-unit or enterprise-level marketing functions.
Advanced expertise in CRM platforms and marketing analytics tools.
Relevant digital marketing certifications (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Ads)
Working Environment
Standard office environment, M-F 8-4:30
Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high
Noise level is quiet to moderate
Physical Activities
Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. In accordance with the University's flexible work policy, this position is eligible to be considered for partial remote work. Further details regarding this plan will be determined with the hiring manager and are dependent on the division and team specific needs.
Application Deadline
For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) August 21, 2026.
Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.
Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is 14. Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $100,000-$115,000
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including