Associate Director, Marketing Strategy and Planning

Summary

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 to the CFAES Senior Director of Marketing and Communications.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Marketing Strategy and Planning drives the development, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive marketing and communication plans and strategies that support recruitment, retention, brand awareness, and community engagement for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and OSU Extension at The Ohio State University. Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, this strategic leader partners with departments and initiatives across the college, crafting audience-centered, multi-channel marketing plans. They lead a team focused on strategy, research, measurement, planning, and operations, collaborating across the college and university to align integrated marketing efforts with CFAES, OSU Extension, and Ohio State’s brand standards and strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate research, data, and audience insights into actionable plans and strategies that drive brand awareness and meet recruitment, retention, outreach, and reputational objectives for both CFAES and OSU Extension.
• Lead the development and execution of recruitment-focused marketing and communication plans to attract and retain prospective undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, along with workforce development initiatives.
• Collaborate with undergraduate and graduate admissions, academic departments, and OSU Extension to ensure recruitment and outreach messaging effectively support CFAES’s enrollment goals and community engagement initiatives.
• Utilize audience insights and data to create tailored, multi-channel campaigns that inspire choice and affinity among prospective students and Extension participants, building awareness of CFAES’s academic programs, research strengths, and statewide impact.
• Partner to develop and implement marketing strategies specifically for OSU Extension that highlight its role in community engagement, education, and outreach across Ohio, reinforcing its connection to local needs and contributions to state and national initiatives.
• Cultivate collaborative relationships with stakeholders across CFAES and OSU Extension to ensure marketing efforts are cohesive, aligned with the college’s strategic priorities, and proactively address challenges and opportunities.

• Develop lifecycle marketing strategies that address the evolving needs of students at each stage (e.g., awareness, application, enrollment, retention, and alumni engagement), ensuring a seamless journey from prospect to engaged alumnus.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for marketing and recruitment activities, regularly reporting on engagement metrics, campaign performance, and strategic outcomes to drive continuous improvement.
• Utilize insights from research to proactively adapt recruitment marketing strategies, ensuring CFAES maintains a competitive edge within the higher education landscape.

This a hybrid position working from the Columbus campus, with a combination of remote and in-office work. This role must be willing to travel across the state for meetings and events.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, public relations or related field or equivalent experience and a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience. At least three years of experience leading and/or managing.

Desired Experience

Master’s degree in relevant discipline; knowledge and familiarity with higher education; experience fostering a collaborative and creative work environment; extensive experience in brand, marketing, communications, channel engagement, strategic planning, implementation and optimization; ability to leverage data, research, and audience insights to create targeted and effective strategies; 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; proficiency with CRM systems, digital marketing platforms, and project management tools.

Salary

The salary for this position will be within the range of $94,400 - $124,200

annually and based on experience and education, internal equity, and department budget.

Resume and cover letter must be attached with application.