Director of Graduate Marketing and Communications

University of Denver

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) strives to provide exceptional leadership and service in advocating for excellence and integrity in all graduate programs at the University of Denver. Dedicated to quality, innovation, engagement, integrity, and inclusion, the OGE maintains the highest standards in enrollment management and student Services, focused on providing an excellent experience from inquiry to alumni association.

Under the direction of the Senior Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Education, OGE partners with deans, academic units, GSG and University governance on recruitment and retention, fellowships and financial aid, academic assessment, and program review to continually improve the quality of graduate education at DU.

In consultation with the Provost and Graduate Council, OGE is responsible for the authorship and oversight of graduate policy, upholding standards with fairness and respect to all. In all that we do, the OGE supports the University’s commitment to creating a diverse, ethical, and intellectually vibrant campus community.

Position Summary

The Director of Graduate Marketing and Communications is a cross-functional role designed to lead, support and coordinate graduate enrollment and marketing efforts across the University’s academic units. This position ensures alignment with institutional branding and communications guidelines while maintaining unit-level autonomy in decision-making and strategic direction. Serving as a liaison between graduate programs, the Office of Graduate Education (OGE), and University Relations, the Director facilitates collaboration, advocates for unit-specific needs, and helps drive efficiencies through shared tools, timelines, and best practices.

In its first phase, this role will be responsible for assessing current graduate marketing and enrollment activities across units. The Director will support the collection of insights, facilitate unit participation, and lead the development of actionable recommendations that serve the unique goals and needs of each graduate program. These insights will help inform cross-campus planning and improve coordination, while ensuring that individual unit strategies remain in the driver’s seat.

Essential Functions

• Serve as a project manager and liaison to coordinate graduate enrollment and marketing initiatives across schools and colleges, ensuring timely communication and collaboration across stakeholders.
• Lead collaboration to collect data, gather insights, and support the development of unit-informed marketing and enrollment strategies.
• Support academic units in defining and executing recruitment and marketing strategies based on performance and best practices, while ensuring alignment with institutional brand and compliance standards.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between graduate academic leads, OGE, and University Relations to streamline workflows and enhance transparency.
• Identify and implement shared tools, templates, and processes that improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and support enrollment success across graduate programs.
• Advocate for graduate units needs in university-wide marketing, lead generation, yield campaigns and communications planning.
• Monitor graduate marketing and communications budgets and ensure responsible stewardship of shared resources.
• Provide timely updates to leadership on trends, challenges, and opportunities gathered from units.
• Supervise a web content developer within OGE
• Work collaboratively with other senior level supervisors in OGE
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate complex workflows involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience managing the implementation of third-party software.
• Proven experience in higher education, particularly in graduate communications and marketing.
• Demonstrated success in supporting decentralized teams and navigating shared governance environments.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and listening skills, including the ability to facilitate collaboration across schools and administrative offices.
• Knowledge of HTML and CMS
• Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
• Understanding of CRM platforms and digital communication tools used in recruitment.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of work experience
• Minimum of 7 years of experience marketing and communication with at least 5 years in higher education, particularly in graduate enrollment and marketing

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Experience working with a variety of academic programs and diverse populations.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional roles.
• 5+ years of project or program management experience in a university setting.
• Familiarity with GA4, CRM platforms such as Slate and Salesforce and student information systems like Ellucian Banner.
• Understanding of international and domestic graduate recruitment strategies.
• Experience working within a decentralized academic environment.
• Supervisory experience

Working Environment

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.