Director, Integrated Marketing Communications

The Highlights: The Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) role works in collaboration with a team of directors to provide strategic leadership required to direct the creative development process: assignment framing, creative brief assessment, concepts and content and concepts. Brand Marketing drives affinity marketing primarily at the university level and select college programs (pending available budget) to drive DePaul Masterbrand health as measured by unaided awareness, consideration and familiarity. The Directors of IMC creates content that elevates the DePaul brand at a higher level to create brand intrigue that will garner the attention of prospective students (undergraduate teens & parents, advance degree prospects). This role must have a firm grasp of how to use ALL paid media channels existing or emerging and guide content creation with agency partners that leverages the strength of channels keeping audience insights in the forefront. Further, the role should understand lead generation, retargeting and nurture streams. Together, the IMC Director Team guide annual communications planning in collaboration with other Brand Marketing partners (e.g. Web/DXA Social, Media SME), monitoring the impact on brand health metrics including traffic to DePaul.edu, and harvesting insights from copy results.

What You'll Do:

• Direct development, implementation of equity/affinity content across paid channels and landing pages. Manages overall relationship and contracts with external agency partners, production vendors and consultants. This includes master service agreements, bid and contract negotiations.
• Responsible for elevating visibility of the department by serving as a marketing resource and thought leader to the university community regarding marketing tactics and industry best practices. Harvest emerging news across the university. Provide expertise and guidance to college leadership including Deans, Assistant/Associate Deans, EM, Athletics, Advancement on how to utilize current marketing best practices for content strategy, media channel placements and budget planning to help achieve their advertising campaign objectives. Serve as a university brand steward to colleges and other departments to ensure adoption of brand identity standards and compliance. 
• Monitor measurement and effectiveness of advertising
• Facilitate annual planning process – driving Masterbrand affinity, enterprise alignment with broader brand strategy, emerging news that will bolster DePaul master brand 
• Staffing levels may fluctuate based upon FTE budget availability. Could include manages and/or student workers. Directors should be at strategic level to dotted line supervise internal/external partners: graphic designers, copywriters, strategy specialists, research associates and media planners/buyers.
• The Directors partner with the department leader to prepare plans, forecasts & tracking, and administers an estimated budget of $5 million.

 

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree required, M.A. or MBA preferred. 
• Emphasis in marketing, communications or advertising strongly preferred. 
• Experience: Minimum 10 years’ IMC experience in advertising, media planning/buying, creative production, project management and external creative agency management. 
• 5-Years Digital & social proficiency: strategy, briefs, tailored content by paid digital placement and different social platforms.
• Strong strategic skills to interpret communication research results plus writing skills including extensive creative brief development & briefing agency partners. 
• 3-5 years’ Management Experience: leading agencies, cross-functional teams and/or direct reports.

Perks:

• Working for a stable and well-known University that values diversity and inclusion.
• Top choice medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Retirement plan matching contribution of 10%.
• Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
• Generous paid time off, sick time, holidays, floating holidays, and more!
• Full-Time Benefits

For consideration, please include a resume and cover letter.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement:
Guided by an ethic of Vincentian personalism and professionalism, DePaul compassionately upholds the dignity of all members of its diverse, multi-faith, and inclusive community. We seek to hire collaborative, open-minded, and dedicated professionals who are committed to advancing our university mission to making education accessible to all, with special attention to including underserved and underrepresented communities. Successful candidates thrive in an environment where ideas and perspectives representing a wide variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences are welcome and supported.

Required Background Check:

Employment at DePaul University is contingent on passing a background check. Only final candidates who are extended an offer of employment will undergo a background check.

Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse & Neglect:

Upon accepting an offer of employment with the university, you will also be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Mandated Reporter Status at the time of hire. A mandated reporter is required to make a report to the Illinois DCFS Hotline whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that a child known to them in their professional or official capacity may be abused or neglected. For more information, please visit the following pages:

Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS)  
Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act  
DePaul University is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other legally protected status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local EEO laws.