Senior Director of Communications and Marketing

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Closing Date:

06/18/2025

Type of Position:

Marketing and Communications StrategyNo

Job Type:

RegularDay Shift (United States of America)No

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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For general application assistance or if you have questions about a job posting, please contact Human Resources at 479.575.5351.

Department:

Fulbright College Dean's Officehttps://fulbright.uark.edu/communications/

Summary of Job Duties:

Join the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas as its next Senior Director of Communications and Marketing.

Fulbright College is seeking a visionary leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, content creation, and collaboration. The right leader for this position is passionate about and experienced with elevating brand reputation, student recruitment, and philanthropic efforts through innovative communications and marketing.

As the college’s principal communications strategist and brand steward, the Senior Director develops and implements a multi-year communications and marketing plan that aligns with institutional priorities while providing expert counsel to leadership on media relations, crisis communications, and reputation management. The position requires exceptional writing and editing skills to create compelling content across platforms that maintains consistent messaging and showcases the college’s achievements to key stakeholders locally, regionally, and nationally.

This leader directly supervises the marketing and communications team while fostering collaborative relationships across all college units. The role demands strategic partnership with development, student recruitment, and academic departments to synchronize communications efforts, coordinate campaign launches, and ensure alignment with the Dean’s priorities. The Senior Director applies data-driven approaches to measure communications effectiveness, preparing analytical reports that inform continuous improvement strategies and optimize return on investment.

Through visionary leadership, editorial expertise, cross-functional collaboration, and analytical assessment, the Senior Director of Communications and Marketing serves as a key strategic partner in advancing Fulbright College’s mission. In other words, the Senior Director’s work will help shape how the world sees Fulbright College, including its programs, people, and purpose.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a related field

• Eight (8) years full-time professional experience in public relations, marketing, communications, or a related field

• Supervisory experience leading a team of marketing and communications professionals

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a related field

• Professional experience in developing, executing, and evaluating a strategic marketing and communications plan

• Professional experience in supporting web creation and/or redesign projects

• Professional experience in supporting a comprehensive brand and message guide that articulates key themes, tone, and message standards

• Professional experience in supporting marketing and communications efforts in support of philanthropic priorities

• Professional experience in external and internal marketing and communications in higher education or governmental organizations

• Professional experience in developing, executing, and evaluating marketing and communications efforts in support of student recruitment

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• The candidate is knowledgeable of:

  • Higher education organizations and structures

  • Challenges and opportunities facing higher education

  • State government and politics

• The candidate is skilled in using:

  • Microsoft Office Suite

  • Adobe Creative Cloud products

  • Website content management systems

  • Customer relationship management systems

  • Project management system

• The candidate has the demonstrated ability to:

  • Interact effectively, cooperatively, confidentially, diplomatically and tactfully with internal and external stakeholders

  • Establish productive working relationships with media, college faculty and staff, and the community at large

  • Manage multiple competing priorities at once

  • Perform responsibilities in a timely and efficient manner and is reliable, resourceful, tactful, self-starting, flexible, and cooperative

Additional Information:

$84,000 - $94,000Cover Letter/Letter of Application, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Other (see special instructions for details), ResumeProof of Veteran StatusKaleb Turner, Chief of Staff, kat022@uark.edu

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Writing samples of news writing, feature writing, marketing campaigns, development campaigns, or recruitment campaigns.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes