Marketing Director, Advancement

Brandeis University is seeking a curious, collaborative, and mission-driven Marketing Director, Advancement to join our Marketing and Communications team. If you’re inspired by technology’s role in supporting a world-class research university—and you love translating business needs into powerful system solutions—this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact across campus.

At Brandeis, our people are our strength. We offer a competitive salary, robust health and wellness benefits, a generous 403(b) match, and tuition assistance for employees and their families. We are also proud to support a hybrid work model, with meaningful in-office collaboration on our beautiful Waltham campus.

The maximum hiring budget for this position is $120,000.

Basic Function

In close partnership with Institutional Advancement, the Marketing Director for Advancement leads the marketing and communications strategy for Brandeis University’s comprehensive fundraising campaign. The role translates campaign priorities and fundraising goals into integrated marketing strategies, creative concepts, and multi-channel campaigns that engage donors and advance the university’s philanthropic objectives.

Positioned within the central Marketing Communications division, the Marketing Director collaborates closely with Institutional Advancement communications staff and coordinates university resources across brand, creative, digital, and analytics to ensure campaign communications are aligned, data-informed, and consistent with Brandeis’ institutional identity, academic vision, and broader marketing strategy.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Lead marketing strategy and execution for key Advancement initiatives (35%)

• Develop and direct measurable, multi-year marketing strategies that support the comprehensive campaign and strengthen donor engagement, institutional reputation, and philanthropic momentum.

• Partner with Institutional Advancement leadership and communications staff to translate campaign priorities into integrated marketing programs across web, digital marketing, social media, email, print, video, and events.

• Collaborate with senior academic and administrative leadership to ensure campaign marketing reflects Brandeis’ academic strengths, research impact, and institutional vision.

• Lead cross-disciplinary project teams and external partners to deliver high-impact campaign marketing deliverables efficiently and effectively.

• Provide leadership and support to large-scale campaign gift announcements, integrating resources from across the university.

Digital strategy, user experience, and optimization (25%)

• Provide strategic leadership for the campaign’s digital ecosystem, including the campaign microsite, donor landing pages, digital storytelling environments, and online giving pathways.

• Ensure digital campaign experiences meet standards for usability, accessibility, SEO, AI-search readiness, and mobile-first design.

• Partner with Advancement, digital strategy, web, and analytics colleagues to continuously improve donor journeys and digital performance.

• Guide testing, optimization, and refinement of digital marketing efforts using audience data and behavioral insights.

Analytics, measurement, and data-driven decision making (15%)

• Establish campaign marketing KPIs, dashboards, and reporting frameworks in collaboration with analytics team and Advancement staff.

• Use performance data, segmentation insights, and testing results to inform marketing strategy, channel investment, and resource allocation.

• Regularly evaluate campaign marketing effectiveness and recommend adjustments to improve engagement, conversion, and ROI.

Brand and creative leadership (15%)

• Collaborate with marketing, editorial, design, and multimedia teams to guide creative strategy and execution for campaign storytelling.

• Ensure campaign marketing assets adhere to Brandeis’ brand standards, voice, and visual identity while compelling engagement and action.

• Guide creative strategy for donor-facing campaign materials including case statements, donor impact stories, videos, presentations, and major campaign moments.

• Serve as a steward of the university brand within all advancement-related marketing efforts.

Leadership, collaboration, and fiscal stewardship (10%)

• Serve as the strategic marketing lead for advancement-related communications, coordinating closely with Institutional Advancement communications staff to ensure alignment, efficiency, and quality.

• Collaborate across Marketing Communications and with campus partners to align campaign marketing initiatives with broader institutional priorities.

• Manage relationships with internal stakeholders, external vendors, agencies, and consultants to deliver best-value solutions as a responsible steward of university resources.

• Contribute to divisional planning, prioritization, and budget management related to advancement-related marketing initiatives.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, or a related field, with 7–10 years of progressively responsible marketing experience .

• Demonstrated success developing, executing, and measuring complex, integrated marketing campaigns; significant experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising preferred.

• Significant experience with digital strategy, analytics, and performance measurement required.

• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and collaboration in a matrixed organization.

• Strong understanding of marketing principles, audience segmentation, content strategy, digital optimization, and brand stewardship.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders and senior leaders.

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, lead complex projects, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

• High degree of professionalism, judgment, and attention to detail; ability to make sound recommendations in high-visibility situations.

• Willingness to perform and support other duties and initiatives as assigned.

Pay Range Disclosure

The University’s pay ranges represent a good faith estimate of what Brandeis reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of posting. The pay offered to a selected candidate during hiring will be based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience and education/training, internal peer equity, and applicable legal requirements.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Brandeis University is an equal opportunity employer which does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, genetic information, disability, caste, military or veteran status or any other category protected by law (also known as membership in a "protected class").