About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
Job Summary
The Executive Director of Performance Marketing plays a pivotal leadership role in advancing strategic marketing planning and practices across the UMass campus system in alignment with the university’s strategic goals. This position leads transformative initiatives that position the university for sustained success, elevate its visibility as a national brand, and attract and retain diverse student populations that enable a dynamic and coveted learning community.
The role requires an individual with vast experience in full-cycle marketing with deep knowledge in marketing technology, expertise in site/search/campaign analytics, brand fluency, and an acute strategic sensibility. The Executive Director will pioneer a tiered service model, ensuring that all marketing efforts are fully integrated, data and consumer insights driven, and aligned with the University’s critical objectives. Through continuous optimization of digital and traditional marketing efforts, this position will bring a consultative approach, forward thinking mindset and executive presence as a skilled partner that plans, implements, and measures highly strategic and innovative marketing solutions.
Essential Functions
- Builds and implements comprehensive growth marketing plans to successfully achieve UMass Amherst brand and campus partner strategic goals.
- Ensures that the marketing roadmap leverages current technologies and emerging digital marketing innovations to achieve optimal outcomes.
- Analyzes and applies prospective and current student journey data to measure and optimize marketing campaign impact on student recruitment, engagement and retention.
- Implements a best practice internal marketing model. Ensures marketing strategies are aligned with institutional priorities in a tiered service model.
- Fosters strong cross collaborative relationships with internal teams with University Relations, particularly Media and Community Relations. Collaborates with key stakeholders to ensure that plans are cohesive, support institutional goals, and promote the university’s mission.
- Builds and maintains relationships with external vendor partners to enhance marketing capabilities and leverage industry expertise. Serves as lead partner in consultation with agencies for development and implementation of best-in-class programs.
- Effectively leads, mentors and develops team members to foster a high-performing, collaborative, and innovative work culture.
- Develops a team of account managers capable of developing and executing high impact annual marketing plans and cultivating collaborative relationships with key partners on a campus wide basis.
- Implements systems for tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) across all marketing campaigns. Assesses campaign and content strategy performance, ensures that tactics are being executed as planned, and adjusts as needed to optimize outcomes with a focus on achieving measurable results.
- Drives development and evolution of the brand strategy to position UMass Amherst as a national player, ensuring the positioning resonates with target audiences and articulates the UMass Amherst value proposition to effectively differentiate and competitively position the University in the market.
- Analyzes and applies market research, customer insights, data analytics, and target segmentation analyses to inform strategic marketing planning and execution. Applies an inventive mix of current and emerging marketing tools and strategies for maximized results.
- Oversees the end-to-end growth marketing funnel strategy, from awareness to enrollment and seamlessly integrates front and back-end strategies.
- Leverages technology including advanced data analytics, CRM tools, and marketing automation platforms. Utilizes business intelligence methodology and influences direction of strategy through data insights.
- Leads campaign optimization efforts, oversees the creation and execution of multi-channel marketing campaigns (digital, social media, email, etc.) ensuring continuous optimization based on real-time data and A/B testing results.
- Delivers compelling, user-centered messaging through a strong understanding of website UX and content strategy frameworks to enable outstanding site and campaign performance.
- Utilizes financial expertise to make informed decisions on resource allocation. Oversees fiscal responsibility for allocation of marketing expenditures, utilizes success metrics to inform future spending and adapt budget to market changes.
- Applies strategic foresight to anticipate future trends in higher education marketing, ensuring the university remains competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Keeps a pulse on evolving student expectations to anticipate industry shifts.
- Interfaces as lead contact with campus partners and communicators. Represents the Performance Marketing team at campus client meetings, key recruitment/retention events, and senior administration and organizational presentations and meetings.
Other Functions
Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- A Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Data Analytics, Business Administration, or a related field.
- 7+ (seven plus) years of experience in marketing leadership roles with a strong emphasis on digital and data-driven strategies.
- Expertise in digital marketing across various channels.
- Expertise in setting up analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics) and utilizing CRM systems and marketing automation tools.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated data analysis skills with ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable strategies that drive business outcomes.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Master’s degree in a related field.
- Experience working in higher education.
- Experience working within a professional centralized marketing function in a complex, data-driven organization.
- Demonstrated ability leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to translate and present insights as compelling narratives for diverse stakeholders.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
Typical office environment.
Work Schedule
- Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
- May work nights and weekends as business needs dictate.
- This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy.
Salary Information
Salary commensurate to experience.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume, and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.