Director of Marketing & Communications, Mehrotra Institute

Director of Marketing & Communications, Mehrotra Institute
Posted Date
9/8/2026

Salary Grade
Grade 49

Expected Hiring Range Minimum
$100,000.00

Expected Hiring Range Maximum
$110,000.00

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, training and internal pay comparison. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

About the Mehrotra Institute

The Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society at Boston University's Questrom School of Business is a hub for research, education, and public discourse on the evolving role of business in society. Launched in 2024, the Institute works across three pillars, Education, Discourse, and Research, producing nationally recognized content (including the Is Business Broken? podcast in partnership with WBUR), convening leading practitioners and scholars, and advancing curriculum that integrates business ethics and social impact into the Questrom experience. The Institute is growing rapidly and building its national external presence from the ground up.

Position Overview

The Mehrotra Institute seeks a Director of Marketing and Communications to develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that elevates the Institute's visibility, translates its research and programming for diverse audiences, and builds its reputation as a nationally recognized voice on the role of business in markets and society.

The Mehrotra Institute is a small, high-ambition team where every director owns strategy and execution simultaneously. This is not a role for someone who manages communications vendors at arm's length or who expects a team beneath them. It requires hands-on writing, content production, media outreach, and strategic planning side by side. The right candidate is energized by the challenge of building something from the ground up, motivated by mission, and genuinely curious about the substantive issues the Institute works on.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this role serves as the primary communications strategist for all Institute stakeholders including faculty, students, practitioners, policymakers, donors, board members, media, and BU leadership. The Director will develop integrated strategies across channels, manage the Institute's digital presence, ensure that the Institute's research, events, and initiatives reach the audiences that matter most, and steward the Institute's brand and reputation in coordination with BU and Questrom central communications.

This is a builder role at an institute with significant national ambitions. The ideal candidate brings deep marketing and communications expertise, strong editorial judgment, comfort with media relations, a genuine interest in the substantive work of the Institute, and the ability to navigate a complex university environment while representing a mission‑driven organization to the outside world.

Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Planning & Brand Stewardship - 20%

Develop and maintain a comprehensive marcom strategy encompassing all Institute stakeholders, both internal (faculty, students, staff, BU leadership, Questrom administration) and external (practitioners, policymakers, media, donors, board members, and the public). Specific responsibilities include:

Translate the Institute's 5-year strategic plan into a cohesive communications architecture with clear goals, audiences, channels, and metrics

Establish and enforce brand standards, ensuring consistency in voice and visual identity across all Institute outputs

Serve as the Institute's primary communications strategist in close coordination with the Executive Director and Faculty Director

Coordinate with Questrom central marketing and BU central communications to amplify Institute work while maintaining a distinct Institute identity

Manage reactive and proactive communications and reputation stewardship, including communications related to all topics aligned with the Institute's mission

Own communications performance metrics; report regularly to leadership on reach, engagement, and strategy effectiveness; use data to adjust approach

2. Research Translation & Public‑Facing Content - 20%

Partner with Institute faculty and researchers to translate academic work into compelling content accessible to practitioners, policymakers, journalists, and broader public audiences. Specific responsibilities include:

Develop vehicles for disseminating research findings, including written briefs, op-ed pitches, social content, and media outreach

Commission and edit public‑facing content that bridges academic rigor and public accessibility

Build and maintain relationships with relevant media outlets, journalists, and policy organizations to extend the Institute's research reach

Coordinate with BU's Office of Research communications team and The Brink (BU's research news platform) to amplify faculty work

Position the Institute as a credible, accessible resource on business, markets, and society for non-academic audiences

3. National Visibility, Media Relations & Reputation - 20%

Develop and execute strategies to elevate the Institute's profile at the national level. Specific responsibilities include:

Manage proactive media relations: pitch stories, respond to press inquiries, draft press releases, and build relationships with journalists covering business, policy, economics, and higher education

Identify and pursue placement opportunities for the Executive Director, Faculty Director, and affiliated researchers in national media and public conversations

Develop crisis communications and reputation management protocols for issues that may arise given the Institute's engagement with contested business and policy topics

Represent the Institute's communications interests at relevant conferences, events, and professional networks

Track and report on national visibility metrics and adjust strategies over time

4. Social Media & Digital Presence - 20%

Own and manage the Institute's digital presence and social media strategy. Specific responsibilities include:

Develop and execute a social media strategy with primary emphasis on LinkedIn, Instagram, and other channels appropriate to the Institute's practitioner, student, and policy audiences

Manage day-to-day content creation, scheduling, and community engagement across platforms

Manage the Institute's website, ensuring content is current, well-organized, and optimized for search and target audiences

Manage the Institute's CRM and email marketing infrastructure for audience segmentation and newsletter distribution

Track digital performance metrics and use data to inform ongoing strategy

5. Event Marketing & Communications - 10%

Develop and execute marketing and communications strategies for Institute programming. Specific responsibilities include:

Create integrated marketing campaigns for public convenings, conferences, podcast tapings, and executive education programming

Manage promotional timelines, registration communications, and post‑event follow‑up in coordination with the Questrom central events team

Ensure event marketing is integrated into the Institute's broader communications calendar and audience development goals

Support Is Business Broken? podcast promotion, including the annual live taping at the WBUR Festival and other special events

6. Stakeholder & Partner Communications – 10%

Produce targeted communications for board members, donors, and institutional partners. Specific responsibilities include:

Draft and manage communications to board members, major donors, BU leadership, and key institutional partners

Support the Executive Director with development‑related collateral, impact reports, and donor briefing materials

Manage sponsor recognition deliverables and partner communications for Institute programming

Serve as the Institute's communications liaison to the broader Questrom and BU community

Produce practitioner and alumni network communications that build and sustain the Institute's external community

Develop the institute’s annual report to be publicly shared on the website and via appropriate external channels

Required Skills
Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required, preferably in marketing, communications, journalism, public affairs, or a related field

Seven or more years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, or brand strategy, ideally within higher education, research, media, policy, or a mission‑driven organization

Demonstrated ability to develop and lead integrated, multi‑stakeholder communications strategies

Strong writing and editing skills with the ability to produce and commission compelling content for diverse audiences

Proven media relations experience: pitching stories, managing press inquiries, and building journalist relationships

Experience managing social media platforms, website content management systems, and digital analytics tools

Proven ability to translate complex or technical content into accessible, engaging public‑facing material

Experience working within or alongside a centralized communications or marketing function in a complex organization

Demonstrated success operating with autonomy in a fast‑moving, ambiguous environment

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in or deep familiarity with the business, finance, policy, or academic media landscape

Existing relationships with journalists, editors, or communications professionals working in relevant subject areas

Experience in crisis communications or reputation management

Experience supporting development communications, board relations, or donor stewardship

Familiarity with podcast production and promotion

Demonstrated substantive interest in the role of business in society, markets, governance, or related themes

Working Conditions

Evening/weekend work is expected around events and major convenings.

Hybrid work may be possible in accordance with BU/Questrom policies and operational needs.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural, protective, or culturally significant hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy‑related condition, or marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

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