Product Marketing Manager, Graduate Programs

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Fairfield (CT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairfield University is seeking a Product Marketing Manager for Graduate Programs to shape market-facing positioning for our graduate offerings. In collaboration with the Director of Online Programs and Graduate Marketing, you will translate academic programs into compelling narratives that support enrollment growth and reflect our mission.

You will analyze market insights, leverage SEO and AI-driven discovery to boost program visibility, and partner with graduate program leaders to align

Qualifications

• Translate market research and insights into clear positioning and value propositions.
• Leverage market data, search behavior, and performance indicators to inform strategy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across academic, enrollment, and marketing stakeholders.
• Strong project planning and organizational skills for managing multiple initiatives.
• Solid understanding of the higher education landscape, especially graduate programs.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains clear positioning, value propositions, and messaging for graduate programs.
• Supports content strategy with Graduate Marketing to launch and refresh programs.
• Translates market and competitive insights into actionable positionings and messaging strategies.
• Collaborates with graduate program directors, Deans, and enrollment teams to align priorities with goals.
• Uses data to evaluate engagement and enrollment outcomes and inform recommendations.

Skills

Market research

Positioning & messaging

SEO

AI-driven discovery

Cross-functional collaboration

Content strategy

Project planning

Higher education knowledge

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Marketing/Communications/Business/Education)

Job description

Fairfield University is a co-educational, comprehensive Jesuituniversity with a 200-acre campus located along the scenicshoreline community of Fairfield, CT. The University is comprisedof approximately 3,500 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate studentspursuing degrees within 5 schools: The College of Arts andSciences, The Charles F. Dolan School of Business, The School ofEngineering, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and HealthStudies, and School of Education and Human Development. As anexpression of our Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity, Fairfieldembraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouragingcritical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fosteringethical and religious values.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Product Marketing Manager, Graduate Programs plays a strategicrole within the Department of Strategic Initiatives at FairfieldUniversity, serving as the steward of market-facing positioning,and program knowledge for the University’s graduate academicportfolio. Working in close collaboration with the Director ofOnline Programs and Fairfield University’s Director of GraduateMarketing, this role ensures graduate programs are clearlydifferentiated, accurately represented, and discoverable throughoutthe prospective student journey. The Product Marketing Managertranslates academic offerings into compelling, audience-centerednarratives that support enrollment growth while aligning with theUniversity’s mission and brand.

Key Responsibilities

Program Positioning & Messaging

• Develops and maintains clear positioning, value propositions,and key messaging that articulate graduate program strengths,outcomes, and differentiation.
• Supports product-aligned content strategy in partnership withthe Associate Director of Graduate Marketing to support programlaunches, growth, and refreshes.

Market & Audience Insight

• Works closely with the Academic Program Strategist to translatemarket and competitive insights into actional program positioningand messaging strategies.
• Leverages search behavior, SEO insights, and emerging AI-drivendiscovery trends (AIO) to inform program discoverability andprospective student intent.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partners with graduate program directors, Deans, enrollmentleadership, and admissions teams to ensure alignment betweenacademic priorities and enrollment goals.
• Leads monitoring, project planning, and online management ofgraduate program initiatives ensuring clear ownership,accountability, and progress toward enrollment goals.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Leverages data and reporting tools to evaluate how programpositioning impacts engagement, inquiry, and enrollmentoutcomes.
• Applies performance insights to refine messaging, informrecommendations, and support long-term graduate portfoliostrategy.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree is required in Marketing, Communications,Business, Education or a related field.

Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated ability to translate market research, competitiveinsights, and academic offerings into clear positioning and valuepropositions.
• Experience leveraging market data, search behavior, andperformance indicators to inform strategic recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with theability to work effectively across academic, enrollment, andmarketing stakeholders.
• Strong project planning and organizational skills, with theability to manage multiple initiatives across a graduateportfolio.
• Strong understanding of the higher education landscape,particularly graduate program models.

Experience

• Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant experience in productmarketing, program strategy, market research, enrollment strategy,or academic program administration.
• Experience supporting academic programs in higher educationstrongly preferred.
• Proven success working cross-functionally with academicleaders, enrollment teams, and marketing partners to supportprogram growth and differentiation.
• Familiarity with digital discovery environments (e.g., SEO,AI-driven search) and how prospective students evaluateprograms.

Reports To

Director, Online Programs

Location

Fairfield, CT

Category

President - Admin

Performs such other duties, responsibilities, and activities asrequired by supervisor and as departmental/University needsindicate.

Disclaimer

The above information indicates the general nature and level ofwork performed by employees within this classification. It is notdesigned to contain and should not be interpreted as acomprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities,activities, and/or qualifications required or expected of employeesassigned to this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities maychange and new ones may be assigned at any time, with or withoutnotice.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactorybackground check.

Fairfield University provides equal employment opportunities to allemployees and applicants for employment and prohibitsdiscrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race,color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status,genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, genderidentity or expression, or any other characteristic protected byfederal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms andconditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement,promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves ofabsence, compensation and training.