Senior Director, Marketing Communications

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Overview

Reporting to the Vice President, Communications, the Senior Director, Marketing Communications crafts and executes strategic internal and external communications campaigns to elevate the university's profile and thought leadership presence. This role will empower Yale to actively position itself as a thought leader in national and global areas of interest. The position will participate in the development of marketing communications plans and lead in their execution, ensuring timeliness and appropriate prioritization of internal and external, written, graphic, and verbal communications. This role is responsible for recommending new strategies and tactics to engage audiences and ensuring consistency of messaging, tone, and voice, as well as impeccable editorial quality, across all Yale Communications campaigns and channels.

The Senior Director will ensure that all messaging and communications initiatives align with the University’s mission. Inherent in this is the opportunity and responsibility to strategically and effectively disseminate Yale’s groundbreaking research and innovation and its impact, as well as to amplify Yale’s academic, cultural, community engagement, and thought-provoking programs to wide audiences. The role is tasked with developing a strategic vision for public-facing communications campaigns, development, and implementation of several campaigns a year, including all marketing, communications, audience engagement, and community engagement initiatives. The Senior Director also has leadership responsibility to design and execute a comprehensive communications strategy through brand management, media relations, internal communication, storytelling, marketing communications, and across digital, social media, and multimedia platforms with a heavy focus on the utilization of generative AI to support communications strategies and tactics, as well as a keen interest in goal-setting, tracking, and measurement of each campaign.

The Senior Director will be an integral part of the Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC) Senior Leadership team.

• Develop and implement several marketing communications campaigns annually promoting Yale’s strength to a variety of audiences throughout the globe, using both traditional and digital media to reach identified target audiences with strategic messaging and branding by innovating with, and using, existing technology and communication platforms (social media, live streaming, website, generative AI, etc.)
• Ensure that strategic communications campaigns emanate from, amplify and actively assist with the goal of building brand reputation and trust in Yale university among key audiences.
• Direct communication strategies based on user and audience preference; analyze and understand various communication preferences of client group
• Direct the production of all campaign-related marketing materials. Develop and implement an integrated digital communications strategy for several communications campaigns annually.
• Lead a data-driven process to identify key messages, stakeholders and audiences, and proactively identify and tell compelling stories,
• Develop benchmarking criteria and track and evaluate the effectiveness of communications campaign strategies on a regular basis.
• Ensure consistency across all visual, written, and digital materials.
• Oversee the design and execution of exterior marketing initiatives,.
• Plan and execute paid campaigns across print, digital, and broadcast media.
• Act as executive producer of content including articles, video and photo galleries. Partner with the Editorial team, Social Media team, Photography and Videography team, and Brand and Digital Strategy team on the design and content of all communications assets for major university-level communications campaigns and projects
• Directly manage relationships with key vendor partners.
• Play a consultative role with schools as needed. Socialize and communicates branding strategies and guidelines.
• Manage key relationships with clients with high degree of professionalism, judgment, and understanding of University initiatives, goals and mission.
• Oversee long-range and short-range planning for coordinated communications channels.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated ability to conceive and write publicly-consumed material and material for use with internal audiences and external audiences. Ability to manage relationships with key stakeholders with a high degree of professionalism.

2. Exceptional communication skills with special emphasis on advanced writing ability, and editorial precision and consistency. Demonstrated advanced writing and editing skills. Proven experience in advancing strategic objectives.

3. Understanding of or certification in generative AI for communications and understanding of digital and social media, user experience and platforms.

4. Understanding of marketing strategies and tactics as well as paid tactics.

5. Advanced knowledge of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, database software and reporting; ability to conduct data analysis. Must demonstrate excellent project management and process management skills, with a track record of delivering work that is free of errors, on time.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Ability to manage multiple projects to deadline amidst competing priorities. High level of personal initiative and innovation, well developed work ethic.

2.Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team. Resourcefulness in problem solving and grace under pressure.

3. Agility in mastering complex topics and situations and then in conveying them to different audiences in clear and compelling ways. Ability to evaluate and solve communications needs quickly. Ability to navigate through a complex organization with sometimes conflicting priorities.

4.  Demonstrated knowledge of Yale, its organization, its alumni, students, and faculty members.

5.Communications experience at Yale University or another academic institution.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Develops and implements strategic marketing plans for digital and print communications initiatives, including social media, and leads all branding initiatives. Directly manages relationships with key vendor partners.
2. Oversees the development of a full range of communication vehicles in support of Yale’s initiatives. Plays a consultative role with schools as needed. Socializes and communicates branding strategies and guidelines.
3. Provides high level strategic oversight and guidance for all Marketing & Communications teams, setting overarching unit goals and providing mentoring and opportunities for professional growth.
4. Provides extensive consultative and creative services for specific teams, incorporating both “evergreen” and various other initiatives.
5. Oversees concept development, content strategy, and design for websites.
6. Develops annual non-salary unit-wide Marketing & Communications budget. Responsible for approving all expenditures, providing monitoring and forecasting, and operating within the established budget policies and parameters.
7. Collaborates closely and effectively with key stakeholders and other colleagues in offices and departments across the university in the development and implementation of fundraising communications, stewardship, and event-related initiatives and projects.
8. Performs duties and/or projects relevant to creating and implementing full communications and marketing strategy. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree and ten plus years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Posting Date

08/24/2026

Job Category

Manager

Bargaining Unit

NON

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Senior Manager; Senior Program Leader (M7)

Salary Range

$120,000.00 - $225,000.00

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

Hybrid

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through  their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.