Job Description

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is the cornerstone college of The Ohio State University, with three mission areas dedicated to one essential purpose: We Sustain Life. CFAES is one college spread across three campuses, with our faculty and staff split evenly among the three campuses. Comprised of ten academic units including the School of Environment and Natural Resources and Ohio State ATI, plus Ohio State University Extension, CFAES has 22 bachelor’s degree majors, 26 associate degree majors, and 34 minors. Students have the unique opportunity for hands-on learning with scholars and scientists in the field. The College values diversity and offers a supportive, open, and inclusive community.

The CFAES Marketing and Communications team serves as a strategic resource for the college. The team is responsible for setting marketing and communication strategies and plans that align with the initiatives and priorities of the college. The team will be responsible for supporting the recruitment, retention, development, research, outreach and issues management for the college. They are a group of strategic marketing and communication thinkers and doers who are both proactive and reactive, identifying opportunities and removing challenges to elevate awareness, enhance reputation and ultimately inspire choice for the college. This position will report jointly to the Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean and to the Senior Associate Dean/Director of Faculty and Staff Affairs.

Position Summary

The Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, oversees all marketing and communications, branding and internal and external communications across all channels and across all audiences for The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). A strategic thinker, this role will define and activate an audience-centric marketing and communications strategy and plan that aligns with the goals and priorities of the college. By leveraging modern marketing and communications approaches, the Senior Director, Marketing and Communications will identify relevant messaging and approaches to meet audiences where they are. Has a core responsibility to identify new opportunities and address potential challenges.

The Senior Director, Marketing and Communications will steward awareness of the college’s statewide role and elevate its national reputation by promoting research and innovation in agricultural, food and environmental sciences that takes place on its campuses. They will also be integral in inspiring choice for the college among future and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and strategic partners.

With an inquisitive mindset, the Senior Director, Marketing and Communications will anticipate and identify opportunities to promote the college and provide support to the dean, leadership and partners across the college. A relationship builder, collaborator and connector, the Senior Director, Marketing and Communications proactively and regularly meets with the dean and other members of college and department leadership to seek out ways for marketing and communications to advance the priorities and goals of the college. They will position the M&C team to be a go-to resource to support the marketing and communications needs for the college.

Provides senior leadership and direction to a team of subject matter experts in brand marketing, channel, public relations and media relations, and research communication, instilling a can-do culture that is anchored in strategy and audience experience. The Senior Director, Marketing and Communications will guide their team and dotted line marketing and communications team members across the college to play an integral role in supporting the marketing and communications priorities and needs of the dean, the college and its departments. The Senior Director, Marketing and Communications will help the team prioritize focus and empower them to respond to requests in a timely manner.

Serves as an ambassador of the university’s brand expression platform, stewarding alignment across the college. Builds strong relationships with the university’s Office of Marketing and Communications and peers across the university. Represents the college on university committees and work groups related to marketing and communications, identifying opportunities to promote the college. Serves as a liaison to the university, other colleges, and units within the college regarding marketing and communication. Further, this leader builds a positive culture of collaboration with other marketers and communicators embedded within units across the college.

The Senior Director, Marketing and Communications oversees and manages the marketing and communications budget for the college, identifies ways to measure and optimize outcomes, and grow and empower the team to operate more effectively. This role must be willing to travel across the state for meetings and events. Work for this position will be hybrid.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, public relations or related field, or equivalent experience. 10 years of relevant experience in higher education, agency or industry and at least 5 years of experience leading and/or managing a team.

Desired Experience

Knowledge and familiarity with higher education; experience fostering a collaborative and creative work environment; extensive experience in brand, marketing, communications, channel engagement, strategic planning and implementation; ability to communicative effectively with diverse audiences; superior oral, written, editing, and presentation skills; proven ability to deliver projects that achieve strategic objectives, on-time and on-budget; prior responsibility for a marketing and communications budget; strategic and long-range planning experience.

The offer for this position will be based on internal equity, unit's available budget, and the candidate's qualifications.