Director of Marketing Strategy — Campus Brand Leader

Southern Methodist University; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SMU in Dallas seeks a Director of Marketing Strategy to translate university priorities into a focused, executable marketing portfolio. You will lead the marketing strategy team and align strategy, creative and digital efforts across units to deliver measurable outcomes in reputation, enrollment and advancement.

The role requires seven+ years in brand and marketing strategy, strong cross‑functional leadership, and proven budget, vendor and project management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• 7+ years of professional experience in brand strategy, marketing strategy development and execution, project management and data-driven marketing.
• 3+ years of experience managing and coaching full-time staff.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams or complex organizational initiatives.
• Experience managing omnichannel marketing campaigns or digital advertising campaigns; vendor/contracts experience preferred; higher education experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Govern the Marketing and Communications portfolio and operating cadence for priority initiatives.
• Lead and develop the marketing strategy team and set performance expectations.
• Improve processes, tools, and infrastructure to support planning and execution.
• Serve as a key integrator across strategy, creative, digital, multimedia and communications teams.
• Lead annual and multi-year strategic initiatives, including vendor governance and KPI alignment.
• Oversee budgets and resource allocation for major initiatives with forecast accuracy.
• Ensure strong brand governance across the University and collaborations with schools and units.

Skills

Brand strategy

Marketing strategy

Cross-functional teams

Project management

Data-driven marketing

Vendor management

Budget management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Marketing/communications/business degree

Tools

Asana

Filemaker

PowerPoint

Microsoft Office

Job description

SMU in Dallas seeks a Director of Marketing Strategy to translate university priorities into a focused, executable marketing portfolio. You will lead the marketing strategy team and align strategy, creative and digital efforts across units to deliver measurable outcomes in reputation, enrollment and advancement.

The role requires seven+ years in brand and marketing strategy, strong cross‑functional leadership, and proven budget, vendor and project management.