Edtech.com's Summary

University of Arkansas is hiring a Director of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications to lead branding, media relations, and communications for a public land-grant HBCU. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the director builds integrated marketing strategies that support enrollment, philanthropy, and institutional reputation. The role also directs executive messaging for the Chancellor and the crisis communications plan, while overseeing the staff and outside agencies that carry out the work.

Highlights

Develop an integrated marketing strategy spanning paid, earned, shared, and owned media, including oversight of advertising and media placement across print, broadcast, digital, social, and streaming channels.
Maintain a university-wide communications and marketing calendar that coordinates campaigns, announcements, events, and publications across academic and administrative units.
Enforce university brand standards for logo use, visual identity, messaging, and publications, and provide templates and training so campus units can follow them.
Lead executive communications such as speeches, presentations, and correspondence for the Chancellor, and act as the primary contact for local, regional, state, and national media.
Keep the crisis and emergency communications plan current by testing it regularly with the Chief of Staff, University Police, and emergency management personnel.
Oversee the university website, social media platforms, photography, videography, and multimedia production, with attention to accessibility and brand consistency.
Run market research and audience analysis on prospective students, alumni, donors, and community partners, and set KPIs for reach, engagement, and campaign performance.
Manage the office budget, outside agencies, media-buying vendors, and consultants, and supervise the communications staff.
Need a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a related field plus five years of progressively responsible leadership in marketing, communications, or media relations.
Preferred candidates have led branding, reputation management, and crisis communications, and know CRM systems, web analytics, and AI-supported communications tools.

Director of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications Full Description

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is an 1890 Land-Grant HBCU with a diverse student population, competitive degree offerings and stellar faculty.

For more than 140 years, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has worked to create an environment that inculcates learning, growth and productivity while affording a basic need to its students – a chance to advance.

As the second oldest land-grant institution in the state of Arkansas, the mission of this No Excuse University remains the same – to provide a high quality, affordable education with a personal touch. We invite you to Become a Part of the Pride at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

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Department:

COS | Chief of Staff

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Type of Position:

Administration (Non-Classified)

Job Type:

Regular

Workstudy Position:

Sponsorship Available:

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Summary of Job Duties:

Position Overview

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), Arkansas's only public historically Black university, a proud 1890 land-grant institution, and a Carnegie-classified Research College and University, seeks an accomplished, innovative, strategic, and collaborative communications leader to serve as Director of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications.

The University is strengthening its communications infrastructure to enhance institutional reputation, elevate the University's brand, improve stakeholder engagement, strengthen enrollment and philanthropic messaging, and support student success through integrated, data-informed communications and marketing strategies.

Reporting directly to the Chief of Staff, the Director serves as the University's chief communications and marketing strategist, providing executive leadership for institutional branding, integrated marketing, strategic communications, media relations, digital communications, crisis communications, creative services, and executive messaging. The Director works collaboratively across all divisions to ensure that the University's communications are coordinated, consistent, audience-centered, and aligned with institutional priorities.

Primary Purpose

The Director of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications provides strategic leadership for the University's integrated marketing and communications enterprise, advancing UAPB's mission through innovative storytelling, brand stewardship, strategic messaging, and comprehensive communications that strengthen institutional reputation and stakeholder engagement.

Working closely with the Chief of Staff, Chancellor, Cabinet, and campus leadership, the Director develops and implements comprehensive communications and marketing strategies that promote enrollment growth, student success, philanthropy, research, academic excellence, community engagement, and institutional visibility while ensuring a consistent institutional voice across all communication platforms.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, strategic communications, integrated marketing, or a closely related field.
Minimum of five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in marketing, communications, public relations, media relations, or brand management.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing integrated marketing and strategic communications plans.
Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
Experience supervising communications professionals and managing multiple complex projects.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, higher education administration, business administration, or a related field.
Senior communications leadership experience within higher education, government, nonprofit organizations, healthcare, or other complex organizations.
Experience leading institutional branding, reputation management, crisis communications, and executive communications.
Knowledge of higher education enrollment marketing, digital engagement, and public relations.
Experience utilizing marketing analytics, web analytics, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and artificial intelligence-supported communications tools.

Professional Profile and Attributes

Strategic vision with the ability to align communications and marketing with institutional priorities.
Exceptional storytelling and executive communication skills.
Creative and innovative thinking supported by data-informed decision making.
Collaborative leadership that builds strong partnerships across the University.
Ability to lead organizational change through effective communication.
Strong understanding of emerging communications technologies, digital engagement strategies, and evolving media environments.
Passion for advancing student success and elevating the University's institutional reputation.
Commitment to transparency, integrity, service excellence, collaboration, and institutional stewardship.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will perform the following key duties and responsibilities:

Integrated Marketing, Brand Strategy, and Institutional Positioning

Develop and implement a comprehensive integrated marketing strategy across paid, earned, shared, and owned media that advances the University's strategic priorities, enrollment goals, fundraising initiatives, research enterprise, and institutional reputation, including strategic oversight of advertising and media placement across print, broadcast, outdoor, digital, social, streaming, and other appropriate channels.
Establish and maintain an integrated University communications and marketing calendar that coordinates major campaigns, announcements, events, publications, advertising, and stakeholder communications across academic and administrative units, ensuring consistent messaging while reducing duplication and competing institutional communications.
Establish, maintain, communicate, and enforce University-wide brand standards governing institutional identity, visual communications, messaging, logo usage, publications, advertising, digital content, promotional materials, and other branded assets.
Provide consultation, tools, templates, training, and other resources that enable academic and administrative units to communicate effectively while maintaining compliance with University brand and communications standards.
Conduct market research, audience analysis, and competitive benchmarking to inform institutional positioning and develop strategic campaigns that increase awareness, engagement, and affinity among prospective students, alumni, donors, community partners, and other key stakeholders.

Strategic Communications, Media Relations, and Executive Communications

Develop and implement comprehensive institutional communications strategies that support executive priorities and institutional initiatives.
Serve as the University's primary communications strategist and media relations leader.
Provide leadership for executive communications, including speeches, presentations, Chancellor communications and correspondence, institutional announcements, talking points, and strategic messaging.
Coordinate media relations activities and cultivate productive relationships with local, regional, state, and national media organizations.
Develop, maintain, regularly test, and continuously improve the University's crisis and emergency communications plan in coordination with the Chief of Staff, University Police, emergency management personnel, executive leadership, and other appropriate units; ensure institutional adherence to established communications protocols during emergencies, crises, and other significant incidents.

Digital Communications, Creative Services, and Content Strategy

Provide strategic oversight for the University's website, social media platforms, digital communications, multimedia production, photography, videography, and creative services.
Lead the development of compelling, audience-centered content that effectively communicates the University's mission, impact, and strategic priorities.
Ensure digital communications reflect institutional brand standards and best practices for accessibility, user experience, and engagement.
Expand the University's digital presence through innovative communications strategies and emerging technologies.
Utilize analytics to assess digital engagement and continuously improve communications effectiveness.

Organizational Collaboration, Reputation Management, Stakeholder Engagement

Collaborate with academic and administrative leaders to develop communications strategies supporting institutional initiatives and major projects.
Partner with Enrollment Management, Institutional Advancement, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Research, Athletics, and other divisions to coordinate strategic communications and marketing initiatives.
Monitor emerging issues, public sentiment, media coverage, and reputational risks; advise the Chief of Staff and senior leadership on appropriate communications strategies; and develop proactive and responsive approaches that protect and strengthen institutional reputation.
Coordinate communications supporting legislative initiatives, governmental relations, community partnerships, and public engagement.
Strengthen institutional storytelling by highlighting student achievement, faculty excellence, research, innovation, alumni success, and community impact.

Communications Assessment, Innovation, and Operational Leadership

Develop and manage the office's budget and strategically allocate communications and marketing resources; oversee external agencies, consultants, vendors, media-buying relationships, and contractual services to ensure quality, effectiveness, brand alignment, and responsible stewardship of University resources.
Establish measurable communications and marketing goals, key performance indicators, and reporting mechanisms to evaluate audience reach, engagement, brand awareness and perception, campaign effectiveness, media performance, digital performance, and other relevant outcomes.
Utilize communications analytics and data to inform strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation of the Office of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications.
Supervise communications personnel and cultivate a collaborative, high-performing, and service-oriented team culture.
Perform other duties and strategic assignments as delegated by the Chief of Staff.

Why Join UAPB?

This is an opportunity to help shape how the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff tells its story, strengthens its reputation, and engages the communities it serves at a consequential moment in the University's history. As Arkansas's only public historically Black university and an 1890 land-grant institution, UAPB occupies a distinctive position in higher education, with a mission grounded in student opportunity, academic excellence, research, workforce development, and service to Arkansas and the Delta region. The Director of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications will have the opportunity to strengthen and help shape a more coordinated, contemporary, and data-informed communications enterprise that elevates the University's visibility and advances its strategic priorities. Working closely with the Chancellor, Chief of Staff, senior leadership, and partners throughout the University, the Director will help define how UAPB communicates its impact, distinguishes its institutional identity, reaches prospective students and families, engages alumni and supporters, and shares the accomplishments of its students, faculty, staff, and programs with audiences across Arkansas and beyond. For an accomplished communications leader, this position offers the opportunity not simply to manage an established function but to help build the standards, systems, strategies, and culture that will define integrated marketing and strategic communications at UAPB for years to come.

Salary Information:

Commensurate with education and experience

Required Documents to Apply:

Cover Letter/Letter of Application, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Resume

Recruitment Contact Information:

Ms. Sharron Williams, Employment Manager, Human Resources, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, 1200 North University Drive, Pine Bluff, AR 71601

Phone: (870)575-8403

[email protected]

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site. Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff may conduct pre-employment background checks on certain positions for applicants being considered for employment. The background checks may include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal background check or arrest pending adjudication information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absences of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a consistent, non-discriminatory manner consistent with the state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual preference, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

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Director of Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications

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