Director of Marketing and Communications, College of Humanities and Sciences

The College of Humanities and Sciences invites applications for a Director of Marketing and Communications to join their team. Reporting to the Vice-President for Marketing and Communications with dashed line reporting to the Dean of the College of Humanities & Sciences, the Director of Communications and Marketing develops, implements, and leads communications and marketing strategies to support the College’s vision, strategic goals, and external relations. The Director will develop a comprehensive strategy for communications, enrollment marketing and alumni relations that will drive recruitment and increase enrollment. The Director works collaboratively with the College’s leadership, staff, faculty, and development team to raise the College’s profile internally and externally, create an engaging web presence for the College, and develop a communications strategy focused on faculty activities, research achievements, student successes, and alumni engagement.

The College of Humanities and Sciences is a diverse and inclusive college and welcomes applications from interested individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

As the Director, you will develop and maintain relationships with strategic partners including the President's Office, the Provost's Office, the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, University Relations, Admissions, Career Services, Event Services, Facility Services, Public Safety, UM Dining, the UM Foundation, the UM Alumni Association, local community partners, and others. You will have a high degree of autonomy - acting independently to engage strategic partners, develop vision for recruitment and marketing, and supervise the students and staff working under the Director, after establishing priorities with leadership of the College.

Duties and responsibilities include but do not exclude the following areas:

• Communications
• Plans, organizes, and directs communications for the College
• Writes and creates content that provides information central to the College’s mission and strategic efforts
• Manages layouts and designs of materials such as presentations, newsletters, alumni/donor correspondence, event materials, brochures, and recruitment materials
• Manages the College’s online presence and provides website maintenance support, including photo updates, content updates, video creation, and research and competitive website review for the College’s departments and programs
• Maintains the College’s social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and uses data analytics to drive engagement with these platforms
• Serve on university communications and marketing committees and task forces as the College’s representative
• Enrollment Marketing
• Supports the development, planning, and execution of data-driven marketing strategies to support the College’s enrollment goals
• Serves as the project lead for marketing data analytics and reporting for the College
• Understands and aligns marketing with the student mindset
• Specific duties and responsibilities include 1) creating and maintaining relevant marketing communication plans, email templates, and print materials for programs and degrees, 2) creating and managing a performance measurement framework in line with best practice standards in reporting, 3) analytics reporting to assess effectiveness of digital recruitment efforts, and 4) providing recommendations to improve campaign performance, increase brand awareness, and support enrollment goals
• Budgeting
• Creating and maintaining an annual communication and marketing budget
• Development and Alumni Outreach
• Works closely with the Dean and Development officer to develop strategies for communications and outreach to alumni and current/prospective donors
• Assists in cultivating and nurturing relationships with current and potential donors, community partners, and alumni
• Creates materials such as newsletters and annual reports to increase donor and alumni engagement with the College
• Events
• Works with the Dean’s Executive Assistant and staff to plan various events, including creation of promotion and marketing plans, media or advertising buying, establishing and managing budgets, managing scheduling, and creation of digital or visual materials

Position Details

• Position is full-time, 1.0 FTE, MUS Contract and includes a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.
• Salary for this position is $50,000-$55,000 per year commensurate with qualifications.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated proficiency with written and verbal communication, social media content development and analytics reporting
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including advanced proficiency with Excel and database systems
• Exceptional writing skills under tight deadlines
• Demonstrated knowledge of professional office practices and procedures; business English, spelling, composition, and grammar, including the ability to write, edit, and layout documents in a variety of formats suitable for intended audience
• Experience in communicating with donors or sponsors
• Project management skills, including ability to develop timelines and meet stringent deadlines
• Knowledge of relevant reporting tools such as Google Analytics
• Strong presentation skills
• Great listener and skillful communicator
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to travel for outreach purposes to events and conferences outside of Missoula
• Demonstrated interpersonal, public relations and communication skills including the ability to work with a diverse group of individuals at all levels in the UM organization
• Familiarity with university policies and procedures
• Ability to synthesize and analyze complex information and discern trends for reporting purposes
• Ability to take initiative and work independently and proactively

Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, as well as at least three (3) years of professional experience in marketing and communications, including developing and leading implementation of an organization's marketing strategy; or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the competencies necessary to successfully discharge the duties and responsibilities assigned to the position

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a similar position in a higher education liberal arts focused setting
• Knowledge of UM communication resources, policies, and procedures
• Knowledge of web and graphic design programs (Cascade CMS, Adobe Creative Suite)
• Knowledge of CRM systems such as Slate
• Working knowledge of video production software such as iMovie
• Broad knowledge of the University of Montana and Missoula communities

About the College of Humanities and Sciences and UM

The mission of the College of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is to pursue academic excellence by providing unique educational experiences through integration of the liberal arts, graduate study, and professional training with international and interdisciplinary emphases.

The University of Montana is flagship, research institution with approximately 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It is located in Missoula, a culturally vibrant community of about 75,000. Nestled in at the base of Mount Sentinel and on the banks of the Clark Fork River, UM campus is described as one of the most beautiful in the US. The region boasts unparalleled year around recreational opportunities and a vibrant arts and culture community. UM offers a unique opportunity for professional growth in a magnificent environment. UM offers eligible employees a generous benefits package that positively separates UM from other employers and offers many programs and policies to support work-life balance for its employees.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action : Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always"; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.



To learn more about the University of Montana, Missoula, and the State of Montana, please visit the links below.

• University of Montana
  • Video: Mission First, People Always
  • UM on YouTube
• City of Missoula
  • Video: There's This Place
  • Destination Missoula
  • Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce
• The State of Montana
  • Visit Montana

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to the Offer of Employment In accordance with University regulations, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran's Preference Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. References: References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. Testing: Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility: All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

How to Apply

Priority Application Date: Monday, April 4, 2021 by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)

Complete applications received by the ‘Priority Application Date’ will be guaranteed consideration. The position will remain open until filled. Candidates are required to submit the following materials online.

A complete application Includes:

1. Letter of Interest – addressing your qualifications and experience related to the stated required skills for the position. A general letter salutation such as “Dear Search Committee” or “Dear Hiring Manager” is acceptable.
2. Detailed Resume – listing education and describing work experience
3. Professional References – names and contact information for three (3) professional references

Job Location Missoula, Montana, United States
Position Type Full-Time/Regular