Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Job Description Summary The Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary seeks a visionary and results-oriented Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (CMO) to lead the global brand strategy and marketing team at a pivotal moment of growth and transformation. Reporting to the Vice Dean of Academic Programs and serving as a member of the Dean's Leadership Team, the CMO provides strategic leadership for all marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives that advance the reputation, enrollment growth, and stakeholder engagement across residential, online, and non-degree programs. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape the narrative and market presence of a world-class business school known for innovation, academic excellence, and global impact. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Brand Stewardship Define, evolve, and promote the Mason School global brand identity, positioning, and messaging. Lead the development and execution of integrated marketing and communications strategies aligned with school and university priorities. Ensure consistent and compelling brand representation across all channels and touchpoints. Serve as a strategic advisor to the Dean and leadership team on brand reputation, positioning, and market opportunities. Enrollment & Growth Marketing Develop and execute data-driven marketing strategies to drive interest and enrollment across 12 residential and online graduate programs and multiple certificate programs. Partner with admissions and external vendors to align recruitment marketing with enrollment goals. Define KPIs and performance metrics to evaluate campaign effectiveness and ROI. Communications & Public Relations Lead proactive media relations and thought leadership strategies to enhance institutional reputation. Oversee content strategy, storytelling, and reputation-building efforts across earned and owned media. Build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets and strategic partners. Digital & Marketing Technology Oversee and enhance the effectiveness of the digital ecosystem, including website strategy, SEO, and content optimization. Guide integration and effective use of marketing technologies (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, TargetX, Marketing Cloud). Leverage analytics and insights to inform strategy and continuous improvement. Team & Vendor Leadership Lead and develop the marketing and communications team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Manage and optimize relationships with multiple marketing, creative and strategic agencies and vendors. This includes managing a major OPM relationship. Evaluate opportunities for scaling impact through structural improvements or selective insourcing. Budget & Resource Management Manage the marketing and media budget with strategic discipline and transparency. Align spending with performance metrics and institutional priorities. Ideal Leadership Characteristics The Raymond A. Mason School of Business is looking for a strategic, collaborative marketing leader who combines creativity with analytical rigor. We are interested in a leader who is energized by growth, comfortable navigating change, and skilled at building consensus across complex organizations. Think like a brand builder and a growth strategist. Balance data with storytelling. Develop people and cultivate strong teams. Lead change with confidence and clarity. Inspire trust and alignment across stakeholders. Why Join the Mason School of Business? At William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business, you will join a collaborative, mission-driven community backed by the reputation of one of the nation’s most respected institutions. The CMO role is an opportunity to: Shape the future of a globally recognized business school. Lead meaningful brand and enrollment growth. Work with a leadership team committed to innovation. Build a legacy through impactful storytelling and strategy. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, or related field or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training. Extensive progressive marketing leadership experience (typically 7+ years). Demonstrated success leading integrated marketing strategies. Experience managing teams, budgets, and agencies. Strong communication and executive presentation skills. Proven ability to work cross-functionally in complex organizations. Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree in a relevant field. Experience in higher education or mission-driven institutions. Expertise in digital marketing, SEO, and audience segmentation. Experience managing significant media budgets. Demonstrated success in change management and organizational growth. Understanding of enrollment marketing and higher education market dynamics. Conditions of Employment This position may require additional hours beyond the typical 40-hour work week, to include occasional evening, night and weekend work, and/or overnight travel, as needed to meet the business needs of the operation. While the preference is for this role to be in-person with regular on-campus presence, there is the possibility for a remote or hybrid arrangement. Salary Posting Range: $100,000 - $140,000 commensurate with experience. Job Duties 45% - Enrollment Management, Marketing, Branding, and Promotion Oversight: Direct the development of branding and promotional strategies and oversee campaign execution. Oversight of the holistic scope of the Raymond A. Mason brand, brand assets, brand representation, and brand utilization in-market. Ensure brand alignment across the variety of school initiatives. Oversight of the social media strategy and review of social media content as necessary prior to publishing/posting. Oversight of media purchases, sponsorships, and partnerships that will promote the school or one of its departments or centers. Operate as the point of contact for agency and OPM service providers in matters related to marketing and communications. Ensure alignment and support of admissions and recruitment activities implemented by external partners and resources. Partner with program and admissions directors to ensure marketing and recruitment strategies align and coordinate across efforts. 20% - Communications and Public Relations Oversight: Direct the development of a Mason School of Business communications and public relations strategy that includes news, website content, faculty research, brand promotion and earned media opportunities. Assist in the development of a public relations and communications publishing calendar that supports the overall communications strategy. Develop a pathway for continued growth of Mason organic content through greater media exposure, more frequent internal publishing and increased sophistication of content. Aid in the development of communications assets as necessary. Serve as the point of escalation for all public relations needs at the Mason School of Business. Draft executive communications and statements on behalf of the organization as necessary. 20% Web Strategy and Marketing Technology Oversight: Direct the development and implementation of short- and long-term goals, objectives, policies and procedures for all Mason web properties that support the mission, goals and objectives of the school. Ensure Mason web properties remain in compliance with accessibility standards as dictated by Titles II & III of the ADA. Work alongside institutional CRM team to increase the usability of and access to data that might be used to progress marketing and recruitment efforts. Oversee the use and maintenance of marketing data systems such as Hubspot, Marketing Cloud and Salesforce for Mason marketing and recruitment efforts. 10% - Department Management: Source, assign, and onboard support resources as needed to support marketing and communications efforts. Participation in university committees on marketing, branding, and communications as necessary. Represent the needs and interests of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business and its brand as it relates to broader university strategies and initiatives. Ownership of the Mason MarComm budget. Responsible for the development, management, utilization, and reporting related to the budget. 5% - Performance Management: Expectations are clear, well communicated, and relate to the goals and objectives of the department. Staff receive frequent, constructive feedback, including interim evaluations as appropriate. Staff have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish goals. The requirements of the performance planning and evaluation system are met, and evaluations are completed by established deadlines with proper documentation. Performance issues are addressed and documented as they occur. Safety issues are reviewed and communicated to assure a safe and healthy workplace. Background Check William & Mary is committed to providing a safe campus community. W&M conducts background investigations for applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial (credit) report or driving history check. Remote Work Disclaimer Remote work eligibility is not guaranteed and is subject to approval. Employee eligibility depends on the likelihood of the employee succeeding in a remote work arrangement and the supervisor’s ability to manage remote workers. Departments and/or Human Resources may amend, alter, change, delete, or modify eligibility. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement EEO is the Law. Applicants can learn more about William & Mary's status as an equal opportunity employer by viewing the Know Your Rights poster published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. #J-18808-Ljbffr