Sr Director, Communications & Marketing (Peabody)

We are seeking a Sr. Director, Communications & Marketing who will be responsible for the development and implementation of division-wide communications strategies. The Sr. Director advises divisional/school senior leaders on communications-related matters and leads a team to help achieve the goals of the division and enhance its reputation. The Sr. Director will be the accountable leader of the divisional communications and marketing function, with direct responsibility for the development and execution of a communications strategy that drives national and local media relations, raises the division’s public profile, and increases brand awareness. This position will manage the use of owned media assets and all social media channels to amplify the reach of the school’s core messages while building the school’s external reputation. In addition, this role oversees all internal and crisis communication efforts for the division.

The Senior Director, Communications & Marketing will lead the strategy and execution of comprehensive communications and marketing programs to advance the Peabody Institute’s mission to lead at the intersection of performing arts and education. They will enhance the school’s visibility and reputation by effectively communicating its achievements; sharing the accomplishments and contributions of faculty, students, staff, alumni, and centers; highlighting the artistic excellence and academic rigor of its Conservatory degree offerings; emerging programs in Extended Learning and non-credit education; the Preparatory community music and dance school, and showcasing the nearly 1,000 public performances presented each year in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Peabody is experiencing a period of substantial growth including increases in enrollment, positive trends in selectivity, financial aid and affordability, and program expansion particularly in areas such as technology and media, and the new Center for Performing Arts and Health, a collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine. In addition, Peabody is embarking on a major campus renovation project.

Reporting to the Associate Dean of External Relations, the Sr. Director will oversee the school’s communications and marketing team, and work closely with Peabody’s leadership team, faculty, and staff along with senior leaders across the university. The Sr. Director will have direct responsibility for the development and execution of a communications and marketing strategy to advance the school’s reputation, increase brand awareness, and attract engagement and expanded participation among Peabody’s primary audiences – potential Conservatory students, Preparatory families, lifelong education participants, donors, alumni, and concert patrons. The Sr. Director will manage national and local media relations and the use of owned media assets, including all digital communications channels, to amplify the reach of the school’s core messages while building the school’s external reputation. In addition, this role oversees all internal and crisis communications efforts for the division.

The role requires a strategic thinker with a deep and nuanced understanding of the challenges of building a respected brand and audience development strategy within today’s complex and evolving performing arts and higher education landscape. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing multifaceted communications and marketing programs and building effective partnerships with key stakeholders.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Oversee the development and implementation of broad-reaching, omnichannel, and data-driven, marketing, communication, and brand strategies that focus on growing, generating brand awareness, and attracting audiences to advance divisional goals.
• Ensure that the divisional team utilizes the latest digital communications strategies to increase outreach, brand recognition, and develop an integrated social media and digital strategy
• Proactively identify strategic communication opportunities with internal and external partners.
• Develop benchmark criteria to track and evaluate the effectiveness of communications strategies on a regular basis.
• Responsible for visibility, branding, and promotion of the school/division through a variety of approaches, e.g., online and print media, radio/television, etc.
• Devise a long-term communication and/or marketing strategy and set operational goals.
• Develop and manage enterprise-wide marketing and promotional programs that support objectives for all lines of business.
• Oversee external public and media relations strategies that optimize the positioning of the division.
• Manage cross-department communications and work with members of the divisional leadership team to resolve communications issues as they arise.
• Monitor and approve all external communications and provide support, guidance, and mentorship to team staff.
• Receive and review reports on the progress of communications campaigns.
• Manage the flow of both internal and external communications across multiple channels.
• Ensure that all communications comply with JHU visual and editorial brand standards and other policies.
• Oversee earned media strategies and directs paid advertising efforts.
• Develop a reporting strategy to monitor performance against goals and optimize performance.
• Support analytics capabilities across the organization to address traditional business intelligence needs.
• Identify key audience types/ targets and develop effective evaluations/metrics for individual programs and campaigns.

Cross-Divisional Communications

• Collaborate with internal peers on matters with anticipated impact beyond the division.
• Partner regularly with Central Communications contacts to address JHU-wide strategy and work to address matters that involve cross-divisional strategy and effort.
• Participate on cross-divisional committees and project teams as requested.

Team Leadership

• Manage and mentor members of the divisional communications and marketing team, including annual performance management, learning and team development.
• Ensure that the appropriate budget and resources are approved and in place to meet the needs of the division.

In addition to the duties described above

• Collaborate with admissions and program leadership to design and implement targeted marketing strategies that support enrollment goals for the degree-granting Conservatory, as well as the Peabody Preparatory community music and dance school, and non-degree/non-credit educational offerings.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive content strategy that translates artistic and academic programs, complex research, and faculty, student, and alumni creative endeavors, student outcomes, and institutional achievements into clear, engaging narratives for external audiences.
• Provide content, marketing and promotional support for a variety of public engagement opportunities, including performances and concerts, academic symposia, and donor and alumni engagement events and initiatives.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Marketing or related field.
• Twelve years related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/ graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

• Master’s Degree in a related field.
• Media relations background.
• Previous experience in the performing arts and higher education landscape

Technical Qualifications or Specialized Certifications

• Mastery of the analytical tools used to determine the effectiveness of issues and reputation management programs and an ability to communicate the ROI of such work to leadership.
• Proven track record of managing multifaceted communications and marketing programs, leading high performing teams, and a demonstrated ability to build effective partnerships with key stakeholders.

Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency

• Branding - Authority
• Budgeting - Advanced
• Communications Planning - Authority
• Editing - Advanced
• Internal Communications - Advanced
• Media Relations - Advanced
• Public Speaking - Advanced
• Stakeholder Engagement - Advanced
• Vendor Relationship Management - Advanced
• Workflow Management - Advanced
• Writing - Advanced

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

Classified Title: Sr. Director, Comms & Mktg-Divisional 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Sr Director, Communications & Marketing (Peabody)   
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PH  
Starting Salary Range: $119,515 - $209,100 Annually ($165,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.) 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: 37.5 hours per week/exempt 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Location: Hybrid/Peabody Institute  
Department name: Communications and Web Services   
Personnel area: Peabody