Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

The University of Arizona (U of A) seeks a creative, visionary, experienced professional to serve as its next Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (CCMO). Reporting directly to the President, the CCMO will act as a strategic thought partner and a dynamic and collaborative member of the senior leadership team that is helping forge a new direction for one of the world’s preeminent public research universities. With the arrival of the new President, Suresh Garimella, the U of A is positioned for a strong financial future with an accelerated focus on its mission of excellence in educating students, conducting outstanding research, and delivering on its land-grant mission. With a spirit of open communication and collaboration, the CCMO will advance the university’s goals, enhance public awareness, and maximize the reputation and potential for growth.
The Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (CCMO) will spearhead the development and implementation of strategic, innovative, creative, and measurable communications and data-driven marketing programs that are aligned with the strategic priorities established by the U of A’s senior leadership team. Additionally, they will serve as a trusted advisor to President Garimella and as a communications and marketing subject-matter expert to other senior university leaders. This individual will work in partnership with internal constituents, such as deans and vice presidents, shared governance groups, and faculty and staff leaders, in addition to other senior administrators across the U of A to develop strategies and practices that elevate public understanding and support for the university’s teaching and research mission; and strengthen communities through improved outreach and engagement.

The CCMO will act as a key partner in successfully interpreting and promoting the university’s mission to both internal and external constituencies to create a climate of public and private support. This dynamic leader will address challenges with poise and amplify the university’s consistent message on a local, national, and global scale.

Established in 1885, the University of Arizona (U of A) is Arizona’s flagship, land-grant university and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Recognized as a global leader in higher education and classified as a Carnegie R1 institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution, the U of A conducts more than $1 billion in research and development activities each year and is currently ranked in the top 25 among American public universities. Advancing the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships, the university benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $8.3 billion annually. The 3,300 faculty of the U of A serve more than 45,000 undergraduate students and over 11,000 graduate and professional students. The U of A offers more than 300 majors and provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in its 22 colleges.

The university is also closing in on its $3 billion Fuel Wonder fundraising campaign. Fuel Wonder harnesses the power of philanthropy to enhance the student experience and inspire the next generation of changemakers. Supporting scholarships for students and endowed professorships and chairs for faculty, Fuel Wonder helps the U of A continue to transform lives and conduct world-changing research.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; accessto UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!
The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here .

Responsibilities

Lead Communications and Marketing Strategy, Providing Executive Counsel

• Lead the development of a strategic, overarching, integrated communications plan that effectively engages all internal and external stakeholders, while broadly increasing the visibilityof the U of A’s mission, reputation, and impact.
• Provide strategic vision and institutional thought leadership for university communications and marketing, including cultivating a digital strategy utilizing social media and emerging trends, and ensure alignment with the university’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Serve as the President’s chief advisor for communications, marketing, and public relations around emergent issues, including crisis communications, and partner with the President’s office on public engagements, reports, white papers, and other documents and presentations.
• Lead internal communication efforts with the objective of informing and engaging key stakeholders (faculty, students, and staff), enabling knowledge sharing and informed decision- making across the university.
• Work with the U of A’s senior leadership team to ensure that future-oriented marketing strategies are in place, executed efficiently, and aligned with communications strategy to generate regional and national attention to the university’s strengths, achievements, and future goals. Galvanize the efforts of the marketing team to promote effective and consistent branding of the university.
• Collaborate with and serve as a partner for senior university leaders on specific communications-related strategies and initiatives.
• Remain current on shifts in government policy that could impact the university and work alongside government affairs to ensure effective planning and response.

Lead Communications and Marketing Professionals, Building Institutional Capacity

• Serve as the strategic leader of the communications and marketing functions, continuously assessing the staffing and operational needs as communications and industry trends change to ensure the office aligns appropriately and is staffed optimally to effectively advance the mission, vision, values, and brand of the university. Ensure continuing awareness and capacity to engage in issues of importance in higher education.
• Lead a dynamic team of communications and marketing professionals with a variety of responsibilities that promote and protect the U of A’s brand, seizing opportunities for productivity and efficiency gains within the division and advancing a culture based on collaboration and collegiality.
• Provide overall leadership, coordination, and strategic direction for communications and marketing professionals (both direct and indirect reports) across the institution; coordinate strategically with the University of Arizona Foundation’s marketing and communications efforts; and assess the organization and strength of communications and marketing operations to maximize coordination and efficacy.
• Partner with college and division communications professionals and their leaders to ensure that media inquiries and outreach opportunities are appropriately coordinated and aligned at all levels of the university and that they effectively represent institutional goals and interests.
• In collaboration with the university CIO and other leaders, evaluate and continually enhance the university’s use of CRM and other communications technologies to support implementation of strategy for internal and external audiences, tracking effectiveness and ROI for major investments in these tools.
• Develop communications and marketing benchmarks and use data analytics to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communications and marketing strategies.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure effective communications and messaging throughout the entire institution. Create means for two-way communications, including feedback mechanisms and sharing of ideas and best practices.
• Evaluate, develop, and implement policies and standards for the university’s print publications, websites, social media, official trademarks, logos, and other media.

Drive Effective Brand Reputation Management and Media Relations

• Oversee proactive and reactive reputation and brand management functions at the university, including anticipating and preparing for issues and events with the potential for reputational impact. Devise anticipatory communication plans as well as swift responses to unexpected events and issues and serve as a valued contributor to any crisis management effort.
• Build and leverage relationships with key stakeholders.
• Promote and reinforce the U of A’s culture, values, and beliefs across internal and external communications (across administrative units, colleges, departments, divisions, schools, centers, and programs), emphasizing creativity, innovation, authenticity, and transparency.
• Develop appropriate outreach plans for hearing and engaging key stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, alumni, and regional and national community and business leaders, for sharing the university’s accomplishments and strategies and for planning best approaches to communicate and elevate the university’s impact.
• Work consistently to gather, develop, and tell university stories, weaving them together to create a consistent, unified message in support of the U of A brand and identity.
• Oversee evaluation, review, and use of external marketing and communications vendors to ensure university brand, identity, and resources are stewarded effectively and in alignment with university vision, mission, and goals.
• Actively engage with key media outlets, both proactively and reactively. Provide media training to university administrators, shared governance leaders, and faculty and staff, as required. Serve as the university’s spokesperson when appropriate.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of industry best practices and a deep understanding of all aspects of communications, messaging, marketing, branding, and positioning. The ability to develop communications strategies across a wide range of platforms and audiences and evaluate their effectiveness.
• An enthusiastic and natural collaborator with the ability to work with a broad range of teams to develop plans and drive results.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategically sound, results-oriented, internal and external communication activities that drive the university’s goals and objectives.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a problem-solver and relationship builder, a trusted advisor.
• Demonstrated ability to strategically allocate and responsibly manage the budget.
• Demonstrated commitment to the ideals of a public, land grant research university.
• A skillful advocate and practitioner as well as an exceptional leader and manager of people, with a proven ability to develop and nurture talent.

• Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of leadership experience with a record of directly applicable success and evidence of scholarly, professional, or creative achievement are required.
• Track record of hiring, managing, motivating, retaining, and providing vision for high-performing teams, fostering an environment of teamwork and collaboration to drive the development of creative marketing and communications programs.
• Experience working with the media, including serving as an organizational lead contact/liaison and successfully positioning subject matter with the media to achieve high impact.
• Experience in expertly managing sensitive situations, crisis communications, and issues impacting reputation.
• Outstanding project management skills and experience.

• Advanced degree highly preferred.