Job Details

Executive Director of Brand, Marketing and Creative Strategy

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis.

Position Overview

The Executive Director of Brand, Marketing and Creative Strategy serves as East Carolina University's senior executive leader responsible for stewarding and advancing the university's institutional brand, marketing, and creative strategy as an enterprise‑wide asset. The role ensures that ECU presents a clear, compelling and aligned identity to its audiences while enabling effective collaboration across a complex institution.

Responsibilities

Institutional Brand Strategy & Stewardship

• Serve as ECU's chief steward of the institutional brand, ensuring clarity, consistency, and credibility across all audiences and channels.
• Lead the development, articulation, and ongoing evolution of ECU's brand positioning, narrative framework, and value proposition.
• Ensure the brand reflects ECU's mission, vision, academic strengths, research enterprise, and community impact.
• Guide the strategic application of the brand across recruitment, reputation‑building, research visibility, advancement, and public engagement.

Marketing Strategy and Enrollment Alignment

• Provide executive oversight and strategic direction for central marketing functions, which may include brand and creative services, strategic marketing and campaigns, and marketing initiatives that drive awareness, engagement and conversion throughout the enrollment funnel.
• Establish enterprise‑wide priorities that guide both central and distributed marketing activity.
• Apply market research, analytics, and audience insights to optimize messaging, targeting, and channel strategy.
• Ensure coordination across functions to reduce duplication, fragmentation, and inefficiencies.

Creative and Campaign Oversight

• Provide strategic direction regarding brand and creative university‑centric vision in producing high‑quality, audience‑centered assets, campaigns, and visual identity systems.
• Oversee development of integrated marketing campaigns that elevate ECU's brand, support enrollment objectives, and reinforce institutional priorities.
• Ensure brand standards are upheld and evolve in response to emerging trends and strategic needs.

Partnership with Enrollment, Advancement & Academic Leadership

• Serve as a strategic partner to enrollment management, advancement, academic leadership, research, and health sciences.
• Ensure brand alignment across recruitment, retention, reputation, philanthropy, and research materials.
• Advise senior leadership on market positioning and emerging trends affecting ECU's visibility and competitiveness.
• Support institutional initiatives through integrated messaging and coordinated go‑to‑market strategies.

Team Leadership & Organizational Capability

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing brand, marketing and creative services organization.
• Define clear roles, expectations, and career pathways for staff across central and distributed teams.
• Build institutional capability in modern marketing practices, including audience insight, digital optimization, and performance measurement.
• Foster a collaborative culture that values shared accountability and continuous improvement.

Measurement, Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Establish and monitor metrics that connect brand and marketing efforts to institutional priorities and outcomes.
• Use data and insight to inform prioritization, resource allocation, and strategic decision‑making.
• Promote a culture of learning, experimentation, and accountability across the marketing ecosystem.

Collaboration & Institutional Integration

• Work closely with the CCO as a key member of the University Communications leadership team.
• Collaborate with senior university leadership to align marketing strategy with institutional goals, including enrollment, reputation management, and community impact.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the senior leaders on brand and marketing matters.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree with 6 years of relevant experience, or Bachelor's degree with 8 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in marketing, brand strategy, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise‑level brand or marketing functions within complex organizations.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in decentralized or matrixed environments.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, align, and lead across multiple stakeholder groups.

Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education

• Experience in higher education, academic health systems, or similarly complex public institutions.
• Familiarity with enrollment marketing, reputation management, and stakeholder communications.
• Experience designing governance models, operating frameworks, or enterprise‑wide standards.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational change.

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation

None.

Employment Requirements

Final candidates will be subject to criminal and sex offender background checks. Some positions may also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E‑Verify, and all employers must verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired in the United States.

Equal Opportunity Statement

East Carolina University is committed to workforce success and cultivating a culture of care for our employees. ECU prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment based on race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their protected veteran status or disability. Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) should contact the ADA Coordinator at (252) 737‑1018 (Voice/TTY) or ADA‑Coordinator@ecu.edu.