Our client, a well-established university, is seeking an experienced Director of Marketing, Communications and Advancement to lead a newly formed office at the heart of its growth strategy. We are managing this search on a confidential basis.
About the role
Reporting directly to the President, the Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for the University’s proposed Office of Marketing, Communications and Advancement, which will comprise:
- Student Recruitment and Enrolment Marketing
- Brand Management, Social Media, Communications and Public Relations
- Fundraising and Alumni Relations
- University Contact Centre and Central Telephone Switchboard
The broad title reflects the position’s responsibility for student recruitment, institutional marketing and communications, fundraising, alumni engagement, and external stakeholder relations.
The Contact Centre and Central Telephone Switchboard will manage general incoming calls and serve as a principal point of contact for prospective students. Its responsibilities will include receiving enquiries, capturing and following up on leads, providing approved information about academic programs, admission requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, and University services, and routing calls to the appropriate units.
Position purpose
The Director will lead the development and implementation of an integrated strategy to strengthen the University’s reputation and market position, increase qualified student applications and enrolment, enhance stakeholder communications, develop fundraising and partnership opportunities, and provide a professional and responsive experience for prospective students and other stakeholders.
The Director will also serve as the President’s principal adviser on institutional marketing, brand positioning, public communications, media relations, reputation management, and market engagement.
Principal responsibilities
The Director will be expected to:
- Develop and implement the University’s integrated marketing, communications, student-recruitment, and advancement strategy.
- Translate the University’s strategic objectives into annual operating plans, campaigns, budgets, targets, and performance indicators.
- Lead student-recruitment and enrolment-marketing activities in coordination with Admissions and Registration, the faculties, and the International Office.
- Manage recruitment communications and prospective-student engagement from initial enquiry through application and enrolment, while formal admission decisions remain the responsibility of the designated University authorities.
- Oversee school visits, education fairs, open days, campus tours, digital recruitment campaigns, and relevant regional and international outreach.
- Establish effective CRM processes for capturing, assigning, following up on, and converting prospective-student leads.
- Protect and strengthen the University’s brand across digital and traditional channels.
- Oversee the University’s website, social-media platforms, digital advertising, publications, content production, photography, video, and promotional materials.
- Lead public and media relations, internal and executive communications, and crisis-communication planning.
- Ensure that Arabic and English communications are accurate, consistent, appropriately approved, and aligned with the University’s values.
- Develop fundraising initiatives supporting scholarships, academic programs, research, facilities, and other approved institutional priorities.
- Oversee donor and partner engagement, sponsorships, fundraising campaigns, donor stewardship, and alumni relations, with the President remaining directly involved in major donor and strategic-partnership relationships.
- Manage the Contact Centre and Central Telephone Switchboard, including enquiry recording, referral procedures, follow-up standards, approved call scripts, frequently asked questions, and quality-control measures.
- Lead, develop, and evaluate the Office’s employees and manage its approved budget, agencies, suppliers, consultants, and other service providers.
- Provide the President with regular performance reports and recommendations.
Preferred candidate profile
The preferred candidate should have:
- A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, business administration, media, or a related discipline; a relevant master’s degree is preferred.
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, public relations, student recruitment, advancement, or related work.
- At least 5 years of successful leadership and staff-management experience.
- Demonstrated success in developing and implementing integrated, data-driven marketing and communications strategies.
- Strong knowledge of student recruitment, digital marketing, social media, content strategy, advertising, branding, media relations, and marketing analytics.
- Experience using CRM systems to manage enquiries, applicants, campaigns, or stakeholder relationships.
- Proven ability to lead teams and manage budgets, agencies, suppliers, and several high-priority projects simultaneously.
- Excellent written and spoken Arabic and English.
- Strong executive-writing, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Sound judgment when handling confidential, sensitive, or reputational matters.
- Integrity, creativity, commercial awareness, accountability, data-informed decision-making, and the ability to collaborate effectively across academic and administrative units.
Experience in higher education, enrolment marketing, fundraising, donor relations, sponsorship development, alumni engagement, or the Jordanian and regional education market would be highly advantageous.
Key performance indicators
Performance will be assessed against agreed indicators, including:
- Volume and quality of prospective-student enquiries and qualified leads.
- Application, acceptance, and enrolment conversion rates.
- Enrolment performance against approved targets.
- Cost per lead and cost per enrolled student.
- Recruitment-campaign effectiveness and return on marketing expenditure.
- Brand awareness, media performance, and institutional reputation.
- Website traffic, digital conversions, and social-media reach and engagement.
- Contact Centre response times, follow-up completion, service levels, and enquiry resolution.
- Funds raised, donor-pipeline development, sponsorships, partnerships, and donor retention.
- Delivery of approved plans and projects within budget and agreed deadlines.
