Director of Growth Marketing

Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Worcester (MA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) seeks a Director of Growth Marketing to lead enrollment-focused campaigns within Marketing Communications, reporting to the AVP and collaborating with campus partners to shape the university’s brand strategy.

You will drive multichannel demand generation, oversee CRM-enabled nurture programs, and optimize paid, owned, and experiential channels to boost undergraduate and graduate inquiries, applications, and enrollment across programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum eight years of progressive growth marketing experience with 3+ years in leadership.
• Track record of enrollment and growth marketing driving awareness, inquiry generation, and enrollment.
• Experience with CRM and enrollment marketing platforms, including Salesforce, Slate, marketing automation.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the university’s enrollment growth marketing strategy across the full student acquisition funnel.
• Develop audience segmentation and targeting for prospective students, families, counselors, educators, and influencers.
• Drive experimentation and evaluation of channels, technologies, and audience engagement strategies.
• Oversee planning, execution, optimization, and performance management of enrollment marketing campaigns.
• Work with Admissions and cross-functional partners to design CRM-enabled nurture programs and journeys.
• Lead recruitment-focused experiential marketing initiatives and strategic partnerships.

Skills

Growth marketing

Enrollment marketing

Demand generation

Analytics

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Salesforce

Slate

Marketing automation

CRM platforms

Job description

JOB TITLE

Director of Growth Marketing

LOCATION

Worcester

DEPARTMENT NAME

Marketing Communications

DIVISION NAME

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The Director of Growth Marketing is a member of WPI’s in-house team of experts in marketing strategy, messaging, creative, social media, multimedia, and production management. Under the direction of the AVP of Marketing Communications and in collaboration with campus partners, this team leads WPI’s integrated brand strategy and the campaigns that support it. With a heavy focus on student enrollment, the Director of Growth Marketing leads strategy and execution of demand generation initiatives that drive awareness, inquiries, and student pipeline growth across undergraduate and graduate studies and pre-collegiate programs.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Growth Strategy

• Lead the university’s enrollment growth marketing strategy across the full student acquisition funnel, driving awareness, audience acquisition, inquiries, engagement, and pipeline growth through integrated multichannel campaigns, digital nurture programs, and performance optimization across paid, owned, experiential, and CRM-enabled channels.
• Develop and lead pre-college engagement and retention strategies that cultivate long-term enrollment pipelines, progressing students from WPI middle school and high school programs toward undergraduate inquiry, application, and enrollment.
• Develop audience segmentation and targeting approaches for prospective students, families, counselors, educators, and other key enrollment influencers, including guidance counselors, superintendents, STEM coordinators, and STEM-focused student organizations.
• Drive innovation through experimentation, testing, and evaluation of emerging channels, technologies, and audience engagement strategies to improve enrollment marketing performance.

Campaigns, Channels & Execution

• Lead integrated omnichannel enrollment marketing campaigns.
• Lead planning, execution, optimization, and performance management of enrollment marketing campaigns in partnership with Creative and Digital Operations teams.
• Lead strategy for enrollment marketing platforms and third-party lead generation ecosystems (e.g., Niche, CollegeVine, U.S. News & World Report), maximizing visibility, engagement, and ROI.
• Drive continuous improvement of enrollment marketing assets and campaign experiences in partnership with Creative and Digital Operations teams.
• Work with partners in Admissions to design and optimize CRM-enabled nurture programs and omnichannel student journeys that improve engagement, conversion, and enrollment outcomes.

Experiential & Partnership Marketing

• Lead recruitment-focused experiential marketing initiatives, including conferences, competitions, trade shows, robotics events, and other strategic activations.
• Manage external marketing partnerships and sponsorships that support prospective student engagement and enrollment growth.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead a team of two marketing professionals, cultivating talent, collaboration, high performance, and a data-driven culture focused on growth and measurable outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional planning and execution across Admissions, Marketing Communications, Creative, Digital Operations, university stakeholders, agencies, and vendors to deliver integrated enrollment marketing initiatives and measurable business outcomes.
• Partner with Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions leadership to align enrollment marketing strategies, recruitment priorities, and institutional enrollment goals.
• Represent the Marketing team in leadership settings and in interactions with stakeholders within the campus community.
• Provide direction, prioritization, and performance oversight across enrollment marketing campaigns, initiatives, and investments.
• In partnership with the Creative Director and aligned with the university brand, ensure consistent application of positioning and messaging across recruitment marketing initiatives.

Data, Analytics & Performance

• Use analytics, attribution, and performance insights to optimize marketing investment and campaign effectiveness.
• Monitor and report regularly on funnel performance, inquiry growth, campaign ROI, and pipeline contribution.
• Establish testing frameworks and performance benchmarks across creative, audience targeting, messaging, and conversion strategies.
• Use AI-enabled tools and predictive insights to improve targeting, personalization, operational efficiency, and enrollment marketing outcomes.
• Performs all other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• A minimum of eight years of progressive experience in growth marketing, enrollment marketing, demand generation, or related marketing disciplines, including at least three years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated success leading enrollment and growth marketing initiatives that drive measurable awareness, inquiry generation, lead acquisition, engagement, and enrollment pipeline growth.
• Proven ability to develop and execute data-informed marketing strategies across paid, owned, experiential, CRM-enabled, and marketing automation channels.
• Experience with CRM and enrollment marketing platforms, including Salesforce, Slate, lead generation ecosystems, marketing automation technologies, audience segmentation, nurture campaigns, and prospective student journey development.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with experience using analytics, attribution, AI-enabled tools, and performance insights to optimize marketing effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams and initiatives within complex organizations.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, budgets, agencies, sponsorships, external partners, and marketing investments.
• Proven experience in higher education.
• Agency, consumer, or direct-to-consumer marketing experience preferred.

Salary Grade 10: $100,000 – $124,000 per year (depending on experience)

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.

Compensation at WPI

FLSA STATUS

United States of America (Exempt)

WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status,or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making.It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.