The director of brand marketing serves in a leadership position within the UT System Division of Communications and Marketing and plays a key role in advancing the mission and statewide impact of the University of Tennessee through strategic marketing and brand leadership. Reporting to the associate vice president for communications and marketing, this position supports the development and implementation of marketing strategies and initiatives that increase awareness, understanding and affinity for the UT System among key audiences.

This position provides leadership and coordination across marketing functions including brand strategy and management; research and analytics; content marketing; web and digital strategy and user experience; creative services; and marketing operations. Working collaboratively with division leadership, colleagues and external partners, the director translates research findings, audience insights and institutional priorities into creative, digital and content marketing strategies that support goals.

The director serves as a steward of the UT System brand and provides leadership and mentorship to marketing staff. This position identifies opportunities to strengthen brand presentation, improve marketing effectiveness and advance the continued growth and maturity of the university's marketing function.

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The University of Tennessee System is the state’s oldest higher education institution and preeminent public university. The UT System is comprised of campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski and Martin; the Health Science Center at Memphis; and the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service. With a presence in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties and through the combined force of education, research and outreach, the University serves students, business and industry, schools, governments, organizations and residents statewide.

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The University of Tennessee System is the state’s oldest higher education institution and preeminent public university. The UT System is comprised of campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski and Martin; the Health Science Center at Memphis; and the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service. With a presence in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties and through the combined force of education, research and outreach, the University serves students, business and industry, schools, governments, organizations and residents statewide.

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Successful candidate will hold Bachelor's degree and four years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, or an equivalent combination of training, education, and experience.

Additional skills, experiences and qualifications include:

• Understanding of, appreciation for, and commitment to the Be One UT values
• Uncompromised integrity and ethics
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use data to improve marketing effectiveness
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in marketing, branding, communications or a related field
• Demonstrated experience supervising, coaching and developing professional staff, including establishing goals, managing performance and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated success in brand management, marketing strategy, campaign development and audience engagement initiatives\Advanced knowledge of audience-centered marketing strategies and techniques, including digital marketing, content marketing and audience engagement
• Strong understanding of brand awareness, perception and audience research methodologies and the ability to translate findings into actionable strategies and initiatives
• Strong understanding of digital marketing, website strategy, user experience principles and marketing analytics
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement and optimize integrated marketing campaigns across multiple channels
• Demonstrated ability to establish goals, measure performance and use data to improve marketing effectiveness
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and coordinate complex projects involving multiple stakeholders
• Ability to guide and mentor creative, digital and marketing professionals while fostering innovation, collaboration and accountability
• Excellent project management, organizational and prioritization skills
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated proficiency in clear, concise writing and editing, including adherence to AP Style
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to act professionally and represent the division in interactions with senior leaders, campus partners, vendors and external organizations
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a knowledgeable resource to leadership and provide sound professional judgment
• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise-wide initiatives across complex organizations and build consensus among diverse stakeholders
• Ability to practice a high level of confidentiality

Preferred

• Master's degree
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in marketing, branding, communications or a related field
• Experience in higher education, public service or other mission-driven organizations
• Experience leading brand strategy, brand evolution or brand positioning initiatives
• Experience conducting, interpreting or applying quantitative and qualitative research to marketing strategies
• Experience with agency, vendor and freelance relationship
• Experience with website strategy, content management systems and user experience optimization
• Knowledge of digital accessibility requirements (ADA Title II compliance)
• Experience using analytics and reporting platforms such as Google Analytics 4, social media analytics and marketing performance dashboards
• Experience with paid advertising, audience targeting and campaign measurement
• Experience with brand governance and enterprise brand architecture
• Experience supervising professional staff and leading multidisciplinary teams

Application Process

For full consideration, applications should be accompanied by a letter of interest, a resume, and three professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Benefits and Compensation:

Compensation for the position is budgeted for $90,000 to $100,000.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits and much more. Additionally, Tennessee residents do not pay a state income tax. For more information on the University of Tennessee benefits, visit https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/

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Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Brand Leadership and Marketing Strategy

• Guide the development and ongoing evolution of the UT System's brand positioning, framework and value proposition
• Identify opportunities to strengthen brand identity and personification, while ensuring increased consistency and visibility across all marketing channels and touchpoints
• Support division leadership and colleagues in establishing overall marketing and communications goals, defining objectives and measuring success
• Support the associate vice president in development, implementation and optimization of integrated marketing campaigns and initiatives
• Lead the development of audience-centered creative, digital and content marketing initiatives that improve how stakeholders discover, learn about and engage with the UT System across all marketing channels and touchpoints
• Monitor emerging trends and best practices in marketing, branding and audience engagement and propose, test and adopt opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement

Research and Analytics

• Support the associate vice president in conducting and analyzing brand awareness, perception and audience research and translating findings into strategies and initiatives
• Oversee integrated reporting to incorporate goals and monitor and communicate progress to colleagues and university leadership
• Drive utilization of channel-specific analytics and performance data to evaluate effectiveness and recommend improvements

Team Leadership and Marketing Operations

• Provide leadership and supervision across web and digital strategy, creative services and graphic design functions
• Establish goals, priorities and expectations for assigned staff and ensure alignment with divisional and institutional objectives
• Coordinate workflow, resource allocation and project priorities across assigned marketing functions
• Develop and implement — in partnership with division colleagues — processes, tools and standards that improve efficiency, collaboration and
  operational effectiveness
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous improvement and audience-centered thinking
• Support professional growth, coaching and development opportunities for staff

Additional Support

• Support the associate vice president in day-to-day trademark licensing responsibilities for UT Chattanooga, UT Southern, UT Martin and the UT Health Science Center — ranging from artwork approvals to licensing education and vendor relations to marketplace monitoring
• Support revenue-generating marketing activities, including advertising sales and sponsorship opportunities for university publications and other initiatives
• Provide strategic marketing writing and editing support for campaigns, digital content and other high-priority initiatives as needed
• Serve as a liaison with external agencies, vendors, freelancers and other partners to support marketing objectives and project execution