Heinze & Associates Executive Search is pleased to assist Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in its search for Executive Director of Marketing and Communications.

For priority consideration, please apply by November 17, 2024.
 
The Executive Director of Marketing and Communications is primarily responsible for working with the President, the Vice President for Enrollment Management, and other institutional leaders to advance the reputation of the University by building and enhancing the University’s brand across key audiences. The Executive Director leads a comprehensive strategic marketing and communications function that conditions the marketplace for support from many stakeholder groups. 

The Executive Director plans, manages, and administers all marketing and communications operations and activities of the Office of University Relations. The position leads marketing and communications efforts to attract and recruit prospective students to Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College and builds support among the university’s stakeholders, including faculty, student affairs educators, professional staff, students, alumni, donors, friends, and Minnesota residents.
 
The Executive Director collaborates closely with and supports the activities of other offices at both campuses and, as necessary, serves as a university liaison to relevant work groups, committees or other organizations in the Bemidji community.
 
This position provides advice and support for the Office of the President and serves on college- and university-level committees, task forces or workgroups as needed or as assigned by the Vice President for Enrollment Management and the President. This position builds relationships between the university and college and the Bemidji community.
 
The Executive Director is identified as the Marketing Communications leader for both the university and college by the Minnesota State colleges and universities system for its state-level communications, marketing and promotions activities and initiatives.
 
Special Working Conditions
It is important for this role to have a visible presence on campus to effectively engage with the team and campus community. Preference is for the Executive Director to be on campus full-time, but some remote work may be considered. Some overnight travel is required to attend off-campus meetings, conferences, and other activities where university or college representation is needed. This position will have frequent evening and weekend responsibilities as needed to fulfill communications and marketing responsibilities and to represent the university or college as needed.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Executive Leadership

• Serving as a member of the BSU Cabinet and attending NTC Cabinet meetings when appropriate.             
• Providing thought leadership related to the scope of responsibility in planning and decision-making for BSU and NTC including service as a senior advisor and partner to the President in pursuit of the vision and mission of BSU and NTC.
• Center holistic student learning, success, and achievement leading to long-term educational value in all professional practices.
• Demonstrating self-awareness of one's own cultural beliefs, perspectives, and privileges as a part of one’s orientation toward leadership.
• Acknowledging the specific and particular realities of Indigenous, Black and persons of color, 2SLGBTQIAP+ individuals, first-generation college students, people from low-income families, and other minoritized communities within Northern Minnesota while also connecting communities to local and regional experiences in order to foster a greater sense of belonging among employees and students.
• Advancing a campus culture of proactive, transparent, and inclusive engagement with shared governance. Actively and visibly engaging with campus, local, and regional communities.
• Promoting practices that are environmentally sustainable and consistent with practices advanced by American Indian stewards of the region’s land, water, and air.
• Proactively engaging in data-informed practices that lead to continuous improvement. 
• Committing to the highest level of ethical practice including allocation of time and resources for reflection, rest, mentoring/consultation, etc.
• Maintaining currency in areas of leadership responsibility including all aspects of marketing and communications delineated below through engagement with strategically selected and agreed-upon professional organizations.

• The Executive Director defines the strategic marketing and communications direction of the Office of University Relations.
  • Positioning the Office of University Relations as a strategic, marketing-forward department focusing on the most important priorities and objectives of the institution. The new department will serve as a strategic partner with internal units and have the authority to accept, decline and prioritize requests.
  • Leading a professional staff that provides strategic institution-wide services in the areas of marketing, advertising, brand management, public and media relations, news and story production, digital communications, social media, publications, and video/photography, and internal communications.
  • Developing and implementing a comprehensive annual strategic marketing and communications plan – taking plans and strategic goals of units system-wide into account – including messaging strategies and channels to reach various stakeholders and to advance the University’s strategic goals and initiatives.
  • Developing a strategic enrollment marketing plan to support recruitment goals.
  • Serving as lead in selecting and working with marketing agencies.
  • Setting goals, strategies, and measures to implement and assess integrated marketing and communications efforts that highlight and leverage content among University-owned communications tools, as well as in earned and paid media.
  • Exploring new and emerging channels and opportunities to meet marketing and communications objectives.
  • Supervising, managing and motivating University Relations staff by providing leadership, guidance, and professional development opportunities.
  • Managing UR budget and efficiently allocating resources as necessary to support the office’s goals and university and college priorities.
• The Executive Director leads all university- and college-level strategic marketing, branding and communications initiatives.
  • Providing leadership for integrated marketing efforts across functions and offices whose external communications and marketing activities align with institutional strategic priorities.
  • Providing strategic and material support to critical internal clients, including but not limited to the Office of Enrollment Management, BSU Alumni & Foundation, NTC Foundation, American Indian Resource Center, and others.
  • Collaborating with university and college administration, deans, faculty, staff and others to identify and develop efficient, effective and timely marketing and communications campaigns that align with strategic priorities.
  • Serving as lead marketing and communications liaison on campus-level initiatives such as the Academic Program Marketing Workgroup, Integrated Marketing Team, and others.
  • Managing UR collaboration with Digital Corps student workers and assigned faculty director in the Division of Academic Affairs.
  • Engaging marketing and communications staff and resources across a complex organization to ensure a unified and consistent University brand presence.
  • Providing leadership and support during crisis communications.
• The Executive Director provides leadership and strategic direction for the university and college websites, social media channels and other digital and new media communications channels.
  • Overseeing the BSU/NTC Web Content Manager, which employs between three and eight student workers annually, to manage all content in the BSU/NTC web ecosystem, which totals more than 200 individual websites.
  • Reviewing and evaluating current and emerging communications channels — including but not limited to social media networks, digital signage, text messaging systems, emergency alert systems, and others — to evaluate their efficiency and effectiveness at achieving UR and institutional goals and priorities.
• The Executive Director provides strategic marketing and communications counsel to the Office of the President.
  • Providing speechwriting and other communications support to the President.
• The Executive Director performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President and other senior leadership at both the university and college.

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, journalism, mass communication, public relations, or other related areas, and at least five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in marketing with knowledge in news media and public relations for a complex organization, preferably within higher education, including supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated achievement and outcomes in advancing a diverse, inclusive, and equity-minded environment for students, faculty, student affairs educators, professional staff, and the broader university community.
• A disposition for team leadership with executive peers and a proven capacity to lead cross-divisional and/or cross-functional teams to attain strategic outcomes.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills, organizational and problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and direct teams.

• Master’s degree with an emphasis on marketing, communications and/or journalism.
• Demonstrated experience working with faculty and administrators in higher education.
• Experience in higher ed enrollment marketing.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and direct work assignments for external vendors, consultants and agencies.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, project management, and problem recognition, avoidance, and resolution skills.
• Experience working with marketing and advertising agencies and vendors.
• Experience leading marketing and advertising campaigns.
• Knowledge of a broad variety of technology and software, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, video editing, and project and content management systems, at a level necessary to guide the activities of a creative team.
• Knowledge of best practices in modern visual communications functions — including graphic design, video, photography — at a level necessary to guide the activities of a creative team.
• Knowledge of best practices in modern website design and content management at a level necessary to guide the activities of a digital communications team.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, use good judgment, prioritize work to meet established deadlines and changing situations, function effectively under deadline pressure, and fulfill assignments on schedule.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions using various data analytics and analysis methods and market research.

The City of Bemidji

To Apply 

• A cover letter specifically addressing your qualifications, the core values of student success and DEI at BSU and NTC, and the focus on enhancing value for graduates at BSU and NTC.
• Resume / Curriculum Vitae.
• Unofficial transcript(s) of all undergraduate and graduate coursework.