Director of Spears Marketing (HR Title: Marketing Specialist III)

Salary Range: 

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Department:

The William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the SMU Cox School of Business, made possible by the largest gift from a non-alumnus in the history of SMU, has a mission to catalyze the next generation of entrepreneurs and build a lifelong community of experience, relationships, and resources. Through our flagship programs, including the Spears LAUNCH accelerator, Spears Speaker Series, Hilltop Founders Pitch, and Spears Internships, we help student founders grow, succeed, and meet their full potential.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director plays a pivotal role for the full strategic marketing needs of the Spears Institute. This role is responsible for Spears brand strategy along with ensuring the timely, consistent, and on-brand delivery of advanced content, campaigns, and communications across social media, website, video, podcast, print, merch, email and earned media channels for the overall Spears brand as well as sub-branded programs (e.g., Spears LAUNCH). The Director serves as a connector for the Spears Institute with brand strategies of SMU Cox and the broader university. The role is also responsible for supporting the Spears Brand Ambassador with social profile management and engaging with external partners to elevate the Spears national profile.

Essential Functions:

• Strategic marketing: Develops Spears brand strategy in line with SMU Cox and university priorities. Sets vision for the Spears Institute brand and translates to content and channel priorities, developing an integrated marketing calendar aligned with university stakeholders.

• Strategic planning: Helping translate strategic marketing plans into actionable campaigns and projects. This includes assisting in developing marketing collateral and other promotional materials while ensuring that all campaigns are executed on schedule and meet quality standards. The role requires collaboration with internal stakeholders to coordinate activation of marketing activities.

• Executes and manages the daily marketing activities under direction of the Exec Director. This includes scheduling, and publishing content across all marketing channels, ensuring all communications are aligned with brand standards. The role involves tracking data to inform content strategy and improve results, as well as coordinating with internal teams to gather content, approvals, and updates.

• Maintains marketing calendars, project trackers, and documentation for campaigns and external events. Includes providing performance reporting to the Executive Director and identifying opportunities to improve processes, workflows, and efficiency in marketing operations. These efforts ensure that marketing activities are organized, data-informed, and aligned with broader Institute objectives.

• Cross-functional collaboration & project management: Coordinate with internal stakeholders to align brand strategy and marketing with SMU Cox goals. Provide project management support for marketing initiatives.

• Evening and weekend hours will be required to oversee events, workshops, meetings and networking engagements.

• Travel will be required for events, conferences, corporate treks and competitions.