Director of Graduate Recruitment Marketing

PAY GRADE: 33E

CONTEXT OF JOB:

The University of Delaware receives more than 9,500 graduate student applications per year, hosts on-campus and off-campus recruitment events and supports more than 200 graduate programs. The University of Delaware applicant portfolio consists of both international, domestic and online applicants seeking research-focused doctoral and professional master’s degrees along with 36 certificate programs.  The position is within the Graduate College, one of 10 colleges and schools at the University of Delaware. The inaugural Director of Graduate Recruitment Marketing will oversee the implementation of new initiatives in alignment with the multi-year enrollment plan for the University, which focuses on the growth of graduate enrollment, development of a comprehensive tactical plan and enacting the plan with the campus community and externally, with a dotted reporting line into the Office of Communications and Marketing.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develops and implements strategic marketing plans and initiatives in support of University strategic enrollment priorities and goals for graduate student recruitment across multiple channels, including print, web, and social media.
• Develops internal plans for recruitment marketing utilizing Slate and coordinates graduate student recruitment activities with the Office of Communications and Marketing, college partners and other leadership and staff in the Graduate College.
• Advises senior college/school administrators on the effective communication of goals, priorities and actions to stakeholders.
• Operates as the primary interface between the Graduate College and Office of Communications and Marketing on recruitment marketing to ensure consistency in the institution’s brand image and messaging for graduate admissions while promoting the mission, goals, priorities, and accomplishments of the University.
• Establishes and implements short- and long-range marketing strategies, objectives, and policies, and develops plans to support college- and departmental-level recruitment marketing initiatives.
• Interacts regularly with external and internal constituencies, including but not limited to communications and marketing units in other UD colleges, UD's Office of Communications and Marketing, UD's Office of Development and Alumni Relations, the Division of Enrollment Management and graduate program directors to ensure that information on programs is communicated effectively and favorably to internal and external audiences at local, regional, national, and international levels.
• Works with communications and marketing liaisons from relevant departments and centers to ensure continuity across all printed and electronic materials.
• Works closely with key college systems (e.g., Slate and PeopleSoft) to ensure timely messaging of prospects and accurate transfer of data.
• Manages, reports, and analyzes data from the prospect stage to enrollment.
• Serves as the direct supervisor of marketing staff. Manages staff and staff assignments and coordinates activities to meet recruitment marketing and communications needs.
• Develops and nurtures inquiry pool from search prospects and other sources, leading to the conversion of prospects into applicants.
• Collaborates with Graduate College staff to manage CRM systems and other technology platforms in college student recruitment.
• Provides strategic communications direction for major recruitment marketing events.
• Tracks and assesses graduate recruitment marketing and communications activities and identifies methods of improvement and presents alternatives.
• Creates, iterates and ensures the effectiveness of email drip campaigns and related marketing content used in the CRM system, overseeing all aspects of interactions in the CRM, including the development of email campaigns and application development. Ensures that effective content represents the unique attributes of UD.
• Determines strategy and has responsibility for outcomes related to A/B testing, assessment of open/click rates, conversions, and other marketing-related metrics through data analytics, reporting and collaboration.
• Serves as a member of the Graduate College leadership team, reviews processes and makes systematic recommendations.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, recruitment, communications or other related discipline and at least seven years of related experience in admissions or recruitment marketing, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in a research-oriented institution of higher education is preferred.
• Successful track-record in developing and nurturing an inquiry pool from search prospects and other sources
• Ability to effectively manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously and under tight deadlines.
• Ability to switch gears multiple times a day among a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community while managing competing priorities and overseeing the day-to-day effort of supporting professional staff, partners and/or vendors.
• Ability to lead a team and develop new teams.
• Superior written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, and public speaking skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, best practices, policies and procedures to specific communications and marketing plans and activities.
• Demonstrated collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Experience coordinating and managing staff to develop high-quality communications and marketing materials.
• Knowledge of marketing concepts, principles, methodology and techniques.
• Knowledge and understanding of current issues and trends applicable to higher education institutions.