Lead Marketing Strategist

Department

ARD Marketing & Communications

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

ARD Marketing and Communications partners with colleagues within ARD and across the University to advance ambitious goals in fundraising and constituent engagement. The marketing and communications team produces several print and electronic publications, creates donor-facing propositions for both individuals and large audiences, and will be a key partner in creating and executing the upcoming campaign’s messaging, creative approach, and positioning.

Job Summary

Serving as a member of the marketing strategy team and working collaboratively with campus leadership and marketing and communications partners across Alumni Relations and Development (ARD), the Lead Marketing Strategist will develop and implement strategic plans focused on strengthening the UChicago brand reputation and supporting long-term alumni engagement. This position is also responsible for additional support for the overall marketing communications team and is responsible for a wide variety of functions that support and build effectiveness in strategic marketing and provider engagement.

This role independently plans, develops, designs, and implements the strategic and tactical marketing plans for a department, program, product or business. Coordinates and evaluates the production of marketing communication and research programs.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including communications, design, media, social media, web, annual giving, and alumni volunteer engagement, to develop and execute integrated marketing strategies that align with organizational goals and engage target audiences effectively.
• Leads the creation and execution of comprehensive marketing plans for various initiatives, ensuring strategies are aligned with desired outcomes and the target audience’s preferences, while adapting to industry trends and best practices.
• Maintains a deep understanding of brand marketing, marketing channels, and audience behavior, continuously researching and applying the latest trends to improve campaigns and drive measurable results.
• Monitors the competitive landscape and industry developments to identify new opportunities, adjusting marketing strategies as needed to advance the University's objectives and enhance its competitive position.
• Partners with internal teams and external agencies to evaluate campaign performance, utilizing data and analytics to measure success, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations for future marketing initiatives.
• Coordinates and aligns marketing strategies across multiple projects and teams, ensuring that goals, deadlines, and resources are effectively managed to maximize impact and meet organizational objectives.
• Oversees the development and execution of strategic marketing plans for specific departments or functional areas, including market research, data collection, target market definition, project timelines, and content creation.
• Manages relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including vendors and University leadership, providing expertise in curating marketing plans and ensuring their successful execution across various initiatives, events, and programs.
• Provides mentorship and guidance to junior marketing staff, fostering professional development and ensuring the team works efficiently to execute marketing strategies while also recommending process improvements to enhance operations.
• Leads ad-hoc projects from inception to completion, developing marketing recommendations, presenting findings to senior leadership, and ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals while responding to stakeholder requests and inquiries as needed.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Develops one or more of the following marketing functions : marketing communications and advertising, web blogs or other digital marketing, and market research. Reviews and updates marketing infrastructure which may include one or more database systems, the intranet, and external websites.
• May participate in developing new products and services and determining new markets. Acts as a resource for and trains lower level marketing staff. May attend trade shows as needed.
• May assist managing relationships with external sales agencies.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education : Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience : Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications :

Preferred Qualifications

Education :

Experience :

Technical Skills or Knowledge :

Preferred Competencies

Working Conditions

Application Documents

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

Health Screen Required

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

76,500.00 - $90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity / Disabled / Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at : http : / / securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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Salary : $76,500 - $90,000