Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing - Cape Cod Community College

Cape Cod Community College; Barnstable (MA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Cape Cod Community College seeks a Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing to lead a high-performing team and shape the College's narrative for students, families, employers, and policymakers.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, exceptional writing, and an ability to align brand voice with enrollment goals while collaborating across academic affairs, student services, and development. This is a full-time, on-site position in Massachusetts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, English, or related field and 7+ years in strategic communications or public relations.
• At least 3 years of experience leading and developing a team.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills with leadership-level samples.
• Proven judgment and calm in urgent, sensitive, or high-visibility situations.
• Strong command of digital and social media strategy, web content management, and analytics.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and contracts.
• Unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.
• Commitment to community college mission and student success.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Strategic Communications & Marketing team; set priorities and expectations.
• Serve on the President's Cabinet; advise on communications in institutional decisions.
• Build partnerships across college departments to coordinate communications plans.
• Strengthen internal communications to keep students, faculty, staff informed.
• Provide brand guidelines, templates, and tools for campus communications.
• Develop and maintain a network of power users to keep pages current.
• Manage department budget, vendor relationships, and contracts.

Skills

Leadership

Writing & editing

Strategic communications

Digital/social media

Web content management

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

Budgets & contracts

Public representation

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications/marketing/journalism/English or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

CRM platforms

Marketing automation platforms

Job description

Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing

Cape Cod Community College is a place of personal discovery, enrichment, and professional development for those just beginning the quest and for those at many points along the path of higher education throughout life. It is a caring, comprehensive institution that belongs to the people it serves and responds to their individual and community needs. Students attending Cape Cod Community College are striving for personal excellence, and are finding it, day after day. Graduates of the College can be found in all levels of private business, the professions, and public service, and they excel at what they do.

For students seeking to lay a foundation for further study, there is no better place to begin than at Cape Cod Community College. In today's highly competitive market place, the well prepared transfer student is the most aggressively recruited person in higher education. For many Cape Cod Community College graduates, that Associate Degree opens the door to institutions that were just not an option after high school. And, when you consider the savings in the overall cost of a four-year degree at either a public or a private university, starting at Cape Cod Community College becomes an incredible bargain that blends quality with unmatched value.

The students' education is the first priority at Cape Cod Community College. As a learning-centered community, we value the contributions of a diverse population, welcome open inquiry, and promote mutual respect. The College offers a strong educational foundation of critical and creative thinking, communication competency, and a global, multicultural perspective that prepares students for life and work in the 21st century. Our liberal arts, sciences, and career programs provide educational pathways that serve the varied social, economic, and demographic characteristics of our community with a distinctive focus on sustainability. We honor our past, celebrate our present and imagine our future.

Job Description:

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing is the College's chief communicator and a trusted advisor to the President and Cabinet. The Director leads an established, high-performing team (Marketing Manager, Visual Communications, Digital Marketing Specialist, and Social Media Specialist) and is responsible for how Cape Cod Community College tells its story to students, families, employers, legislators, donors, and the communities of the Cape and Islands.

This is a leadership role first. The successful candidate will set direction, develop and empower a talented team, and build strong partnerships across the College so that 4Cs speaks with one confident, consistent voice, while making it easier, not harder, for faculty and staff to share their work. The Director is an exceptional writer and editor who can shape a message for any audience and format: a presidential address, a Board update, an op‑ed, a campus‑wide message, or a 30-second video.

The Director brings sound judgment and a steady hand when circumstances are sensitive, unexpected, or moving quickly, and helps the College respond with clarity, accuracy, and care when it matters most. The Director serves as the College's Public Information Officer (PIO). With community college now free for eligible Massachusetts residents without a bachelor's degree, this is a moment of real opportunity: the Director will help 4Cs reach new and returning learners, strengthen its reputation as a regional partner, and connect every message to the College's commitment to student success.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the Strategic Communications & Marketing team; set clear priorities and expectations, delegate meaningful ownership, and foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, accountability, and professional growth.
• Serve on the President's Cabinet, advising on the communications dimensions of institutional decisions and keeping the President informed early about emerging issues and opportunities.
• Build trusted, consultative partnerships with academic affairs, student services and enrollment management, workforce development, the Foundation, and other departments; actively seek input and translate campus priorities into coordinated communications plans.
• Strengthen internal communications so that students, faculty, and staff are informed, connected, and hear important news from the College first.
• Equip the campus community to communicate well by providing accessible brand guidelines, templates, and tools.
• Build and support a network of trained "power users" across campus who keep departmental and program web pages current, accurate, and engaging, with guidance and oversight from the Strategic Communications & Marketing team.
• Manage the department budget, vendor relationships, and contracts responsibly and transparently.

Writing and Executive Communications

• Serve as the College's lead writer and editor, crafting and refining speeches, remarks, op‑eds, presidential and campus‑wide messages, Board of Trustees materials, annual reports, and other high‑visibility communications.
• Capture and adapt the President's voice across audiences and formats, from formal remarks to brief social posts.
• Set and uphold editorial standards for clarity, accuracy, tone, and accessibility across College communications, and coach team members and campus partners to strengthen their writing.
• Translate complex or technical information (budgets, policy, accreditation, data) into clear, compelling plain language.

Strategy, Brand, and Marketing

• Develop and lead an integrated annual communications and marketing plan aligned with the College's strategic plan and enrollment goals, spanning web, social media, email, video, print, broadcast, and paid media.
• Steward the College brand and voice (warm, approachable, student-centered, and credible), ensuring consistency while leaving room for creativity and authentic student, faculty, and alumni storytelling.
• Partner with enrollment management to reach prospective students at every stage and in every segment, including recent high school graduates, adult and returning learners, career changers, and workforce and non‑credit students, and clearly communicate opportunities such as free community college for eligible Massachusetts residents.
• Oversee the College website and social media strategy, ensuring content is current, accessible (ADA/WCAG), mobile‑friendly, and easy to navigate.
• Use data and analytics to set goals, measure results, and report on effectiveness and return on investment; adjust strategy based on what is learned.
• Stay current on trends in higher education marketing, digital media, and emerging tools, including the responsible use of AI, and bring effective practices to the College.

Sensitive and Time‑Critical Communications

• Serve as the College's Public Information Officer (PIO), leading communications when situations are urgent, sensitive, or unexpected, working closely with the President, Cabinet, Public Safety, and campus partners under the Emergency Response Plan to deliver timely, accurate, and compassionate information to students, employees, families, the media, and the community.
• Prepare in advance for difficult moments: maintain protocols and message templates, oversee the College's emergency notification system, anticipate emerging issues; and take part in periodic exercises with campus and community partners.
• Provide thoughtful counsel to the President, Cabinet, and campus leaders on issues management, reputation building, and complex or sensitive matters.

Media, Government, and Community Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with regional and statewide media and proactively identify opportunities to raise the College's profile; serve as College spokesperson as appropriate and prepare others to speak on behalf of the College.
• Support communications with legislators, the Department of Higher Education, and regional partners, telling the story of the College's role in the economy and life of the Cape and Islands.
• Partner with the President's Office and the Foundation on signature events such as Convocation, Commencement, and community and partner events, and help promote College events to campus and community audiences.

Requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, English, or a related field, and seven years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, marketing, or public relations, including at least three years leading and developing a team.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, demonstrated through a portfolio that includes leadership‑level writing such as speeches, op‑eds, or institution‑wide messages.
• Demonstrated success leading a team, including coaching, delegating, and building a collaborative, high‑performing culture.
• Proven judgment and composure communicating in urgent, sensitive, or high‑visibility situations, including coordinating timely communications with senior leaders and partners.
• Strong command of digital and social media strategy, web content management, and the use of data and analytics to guide decisions.
• Experience advising senior leaders and working effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and contracts.
• Ability to represent and speak on behalf of the President and the College with professionalism and credibility.
• Commitment to the community college mission, to student success, and to serving students of all backgrounds.
• Unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

ADDITIONAL PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, business, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education, particularly at a community college or public institution.
• Experience with media relations and government or community relations in Massachusetts or New England.
• Experience with enrollment marketing and CRM or marketing automation platforms.
• Familiarity with the Cape and Islands region and its communities.

Equivalency Statement

Applicants who do not meet the qualifications as noted above are encouraged to upload a separate statement to define precisely how their background and experience haveprepared them with the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience required for the responsibilities of this position.

Additional Information:

COMPENSATION: Annual salary range of $125,000-$130,000, dependent upon qualifications. Full-time, Non-unit Professional Position. Includes participation in a comprehensive employee benefits program and the option for membership in the Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Immediate need, open until filled. Review of Applications will begin on November 18, 2026.

Please visit our website at www.capecod.edu for information on Cape Cod Community College.

This appointment is subject to the FY2027budget appropriations.

Appointment subject to SORI (Sex Offender Registry Information), publicly accessible Massachusetts CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) and national background checks.

The College cannot consider candidates who do not have unrestricted authorization to workin the United States .

Cape Cod Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunityemployer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, genetic information, gender identity orsexual orientation inits programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes andCollege policies. The College prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation or sexual violence shall be referred to the College's Affidea...