Senior Brand & Store Leader

WGU; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 117,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

HSA/FSA

Retirement savings plan

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Tuition discount

Job summary

Western Governors University is seeking a senior Brand Director to set the vision for brand elevation, governance, and the Store/Merch program. You will lead a small, diverse team and partner across design, content, communications, events, and finance to keep brand expression aligned with institutional strategy.

You will own brand standards, manage budgets and vendor relationships, and report results to the Senior Director, contributing to a mission-driven, growth-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in brand management or brand marketing.
• 3+ years in a people-management role with a diverse team.
• Experience overseeing retail, merchandise, or product operations.
• Strong budget and P&L management experience.

Responsibilities

• Set the vision and operating strategy for WGU’s brand elevation, governance, and store/merch functions, partnering with Senior Director and overseeing execution across workstreams.
• Lead a team of 3–4 direct reports spanning Brand Elevation, Brand Governance/Policy, and Store/Merch; set hiring plans and career development.
• Drive initiatives to evolve WGU’s brand identity with design, content, communications, events, and marketing.
• Own brand standards, guidelines, and approval processes across the university, including policy enforcement and training.
• Oversee the WGU Store and merchandise program, including product strategy and vendor relationships.
• Partner with Finance and Operations on budget, inventory, and P&L for store and merch.
• Balance protecting brand integrity with enabling internal teams’ speed and flexibility.
• Track governance compliance and store/merch performance; report to Senior Director regularly.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Content & Social, PR/Communications, Finance, and Academic leadership to stay aligned with mission.
• Stay current on brand, retail, and merchandising trends and advise on evolution.

Skills

Brand strategy

Leadership

Brand governance

Retail operations

Budget & P&L

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Brand risk & compliance

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field

Job description

Western Governors University is seeking a senior Brand Director to set the vision for brand elevation, governance, and the Store/Merch program. You will lead a small, diverse team and partner across design, content, communications, events, and finance to keep brand expression aligned with institutional strategy.

You will own brand standards, manage budgets and vendor relationships, and report results to the Senior Director, contributing to a mission-driven, growth-focused environment.