Associate Vice President, Chief Strategic Communications and Marketing Officer

Job Details and Requirement

Please note, Claremont McKenna College has retained Berkhemer Clayton, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. All applications, inquiries, and nominations should be directed, in confidence, to the search firm as indicated at the end of this description.

Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is an internationally renowned liberal arts institution, with a uniquely higher education mission to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. CMC pursues its mission by providing a liberal arts education built on a wide-ranging, interwoven curriculum taught by world-class faculty that fosters critical inquiry, advances research and student opportunity across a variety of experiential institutes, centers, and programs, and champions freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue so students can engage with greater curiosity and openness in order to contribute to the growth of everyone around them.

CMC is a tight-knit residential community that thrives through deep intellectual pursuits in the liberal arts; prolific faculty and student research and applied experiential learning in 11 graduate-level institutes and centers; expanded career opportunities and outcomes through the Soll Center for Student Opportunity; and commitments to free expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue in and the College’s signature venue for thought leadership and social engagement, the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum.

CMC’s pervasive track record of success derives from taking on big challenges through bold strategic initiatives with demonstrable success. This trajectory creates several exciting communication and storytelling opportunities that will be centered on key leadership areas and themes, most notably, CMC’s new Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences and iconic Robert Day Sciences Center, which will anchor the campus and be completed in summer 2025; CMC’s remarkable return on value, including social mobility for students on financial aid; and the adaptive learning model and national influence of CMC’s Open Academy, including partnerships with leaders in civic engagement and ethical policy making like the Institute for Citizens and Scholars and the Constructive Dialogue Institute; and many others.

POSITION SUMMARY :

To help continue its momentum and realize future goals, the College seeks nominations and applications for the position of Associate Vice President, Chief Strategic Communications and Marketing Officer (AVP / CSCMO). The CSCMO will be a communications and marketing expert and leader who will harness the power of consistent, coordinated, and proactive creative messaging to drive greater visibility, internal and external awareness of CMC’s unique, mission-driven characteristics, and elevate the College to newer heights in national and international distinction.

The successful candidate will bring an inclusive and facilitative leadership style that inspires, nurtures, and empowers staff, encourages open communication and collaboration throughout the College, and fosters innovation by amplifying content and consumption preferences in the age of social media and multifaceted digital platforms—with distinctive relevance to higher education. Working alongside talented and dedicated staff within communications and marketing, as well as faculty and administrative leaders across the College, this leader will help develop and implement a clear, unified vision for CMC communications and marketing that will engage the campus community and position the College for future success.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a proven leader to initiate positive change and make a lasting impact for one of the world’s leading liberal arts institutions.

The CSCMO will serve as the leading communications and marketing officer for the College. In partnership with academic and administrative leaders throughout CMC, including the President and CMC’s Board of Trustees, the CSCMO will provide leadership and vision for all internal and external marketing and communications activities for the College, including institutional branding, admission marketing, executive and crisis communications, social media, public and media relations, internal communications, publications, and web editorial services.

As a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet, the CSCMO will be a key advisor to the President, Board, and leadership team, providing counsel on, and executing, an overall communications and marketing strategy that best highlights CMC’s many assets and ensures CMC is consistently, accurately, effectively, inclusively, and more proactively communicating content that supports the College’s mission, vision, and institutional priorities.

The CSCMO will work with campus leaders and the communications and marketing team to develop a clear, unified vision and direction for the team in how best to target and proactively engage broad external and internal audiences, including prospective and current students, board members, parents, alumni, donors, faculty and staff, the academic community, college neighbors, and industry leaders across a range of digital, print, and associated platforms, to include the College website, as well as all social media platforms and all facets of the College’s online presence.

This individual will be tasked with bringing CMC’s brand to life and communicating its story and impressive trajectory to the world at large, with strategies that reflect the institution as a whole, while celebrating the unique strengths and histories of individual departments, academic departments, centers, and institutes, including the scholarly and pedagogical achievements of the faculty, noteworthy achievements of a talented staff, and outstanding students. This will include the invigoration of past practices with fresh, creative tactics, drafts of aligned language, and the modernization of modes of communication, creating integrated campaigns and targeted strategies designed to better communicate content that supports college goals and reflects the CMC of today.

The CSCMO will also be the main point person for crisis communications and will be looked to for direction whenever challenging conditions arise, including participation in the College’s emergency response team to provide accurate, precise, and consistent information.

All of this shall be accomplished with a high level of professionalism and integrity, hands-on contributions, a transparent, team-oriented, and collaborative style, a demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and a passion for the mission of CMC, and a commitment to identifying and embracing opportunities for change that will move the College forward.

The CSCMO will report to the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and serve on the President’s Executive Cabinet, working closely with President Chodosh, the Board of Trustees, and College leadership. In turn, this leader will manage the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, with an in-house team of 12 talented communications professionals, in addition to several outside freelance and agency contractors.

The full annual salary range for the AVP / CSCO position is $195,000 to $225,000. This range takes into account the wide scope of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, internal equity, and other business and organizational needs.

HOW TO APPLY :

Claremont McKenna College has retained Berkhemer Clayton, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Submit resumes or nominations, with assurance of confidentiality, to Berkhemer Clayton, Inc. :

Ben Lambert

President

Higher Education, Healthcare & Nonprofit Practice

Claremont McKenna College hires and promotes individuals on the basis of their qualifications, consistent with applicable state and federal laws, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.Inquiries may be directed to the Director for Human Resources, 528 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont, California 91711-4015, (909) 621-8490.All applicants must complete and submit an online application to be considered for an open position.

Employment is contingent upon new employee providing documents verifying U.S. citizenship or, for aliens, documents verifying legal permission to work in the United States, applicant's acceptability for positions requiring use of a college vehicle is contingent upon a driving record acceptable to the College's automobile liability insurance. Promotion from within is encouraged whenever qualified employees of Claremont McKenna College are available. Interested employees of the College are urged to contact the Office of Human Resources if qualified for any open position. Please do not contact departments directly.

Disability Accommodations

In compliance with applicable laws ensuring equal opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, CMC will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual (applicant or employee) with a disability if the disability affects the performance of essential job functions, unless the accommodation results in an undue hardship for the College. Employment decisions are based on the merit and not an individual’s disability.

An applicant or employee who requires an accommodation should contact the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Office. If multiple accommodations are identified that do not pose an undue hardship for the College, the selection of an accommodation will be at CMC’s discretion. To request disability accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at (909) 621-8490 or for assistance.

Salary : $195,000 - $225,000