Senior Director of Strategic Enrollment Marketing and Student Experience

5410

The University of San Diego with its college and six schools distinctive academic centers and institutes proximity to Asia and Latin America and commitment to Catholic traditions offers students a unique educational experience. A USD education is characterized by academic rigor in its undergraduate and graduate programs offering transformative opportunities through student/faculty research global experiences community service learning and internships that develops the knowledge values and skills needed to serve the global civic and faith communities.

The University of San Diego an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972 USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any or no religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanitys urgent challenges.

The Senior Director of Strategic Marketing and Student Experience provides visionary leadership for marketing communication and user-experience strategies that drive undergraduate enrollment at the University of San Diego.
Reporting to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and working in close partnership with the Office of University Marketing and Communications this position serves as the chief architect of USDs prospective student journeydesigning how students discover engage with and ultimately choose the university.

Blending creativity UX design data insight and brand strategy the Senior Director ensures a unified authentic and compelling experience across every touchpoint from digital ads and social media to email flows web navigation and application portals. While initially centered on undergraduate recruitment this role will also help lay the groundwork for future integration of graduate program outreach ensuring consistent brand and experience alignment across all enrollment role advances USDs visibility strengthens brand affinity and deepens connection with prospective students and families through intentional experience design.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Planning

• Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing and experience strategy that advances USDs enrollment goals aligns with institutional brand standards and strengthens market position.
• Serve as the primary marketing strategist and experience designer for undergraduate enrollment advising leadership on market trends student journey insights and emerging opportunities.
• Lead strategic planning for the undergraduate marketing and communications budget ensuring optimal investment across digital channels storytelling initiatives and experience innovation.
• Champion a student-centered approach to marketing and communication that reflects USDs Catholic mission and commitment to belonging and inclusion.
• In collaboration with graduate and professional program leadership contribute to long-term strategies that align undergraduate and graduate marketing and communication efforts fostering a cohesive institutional enrollment narrative.

Experience Design and Innovation

• Center the student experience through user-experience (UX) design and journey mapping visualizing how students move through awareness engagement application and enrollment stages.
• Design and oversee integrated communication ecosystems that connect emails websites digital ads social media print and events into a cohesive and personalized experience.
• Collaborate with campus and vendor partners to ensure authenticity tone and alignment between institutional storytelling and digital campaigns.
• Lead cross-functional experience design sessions to identify friction points elevate moments of delight and ensure all digital and human touchpoints reinforce USDs values and distinctiveness.

Integrated Marketing and Campaign Management

• Direct the strategy design and deployment of multi-channel campaigns that increase awareness applications and yield among first-year transfer international and military-connected student populations.
• Oversee creative direction and storytelling for signature campaigns integrating brand messaging with dynamic content tailored to audience insights.
• Partner with University Marketing and Communications on brand strategy paid media and content creation to ensure message consistency and maximize ROI.

Digital Strategy and CRM Integration

• Lead strategic use of the Slate CRM to deliver personalized data-informed communications across the enrollment lifecycle.
• Partner with ITS and Marketing teams to optimize the admissions website portals and digital interfaces for usability navigation and accessibility.
• Oversee the integration of CRM data with digital advertising social and web analytics to enable real-time optimization and conversion tracking.
• Champion best practices in service design accessibility and inclusive communication across all platforms.

Collaboration and Campus Partnerships

• Build and sustain strong partnerships with campus stakeholdersincluding Student Financial Services academic deans Athletics Student Affairs and University Marketing and Communicationsto ensure unified outreach and messaging.
• Provide strategic guidance for high-impact recruitment and yield events including experience design storytelling and audience segmentation.
• Serve as the connective tissue between Enrollment Management and Marketing and Communications aligning institutional reputation and branding work with recruitment imperatives.

Analytics and Continuous Improvement

• Utilize analytics A/B testing and UX research to assess campaign performance website engagement and communication flow effectiveness.
• Translate insights into actionable design and marketing improvements that enhance the prospective student journey.
• Monitor emerging trends in digital engagement human-centered design and Gen Z recruitment behaviors to keep USD at the forefront of enrollment innovation.

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Marketing Communications UX Design or a related field.
• 7 years of progressive experience in marketing strategy communications or enrollment management.
• Demonstrated expertise in CRM-driven marketing (Slate experience highly preferred).
• Proven experience in user-experience design journey mapping or digital experience strategy.
• Strong writing storytelling and brand management skills.
• Ability to manage budgets vendors and cross-functional teams to deliver measurable results.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters degree in Marketing Communications or a related discipline.
• Experience in higher education marketing or agency environments serving educational clients.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite Canva Figma or related UX and digital design tools.
• Experience leading complex multi-channel campaigns.
• Understanding of accessibility data privacy and inclusive communication best practices.

Performance Expectations- Knowledge Skills andAbilities:

• Deliver measurable growth in brand engagement inquiry volume and application conversion rates.
• Strengthen USDs digital and user-experience reputation among prospective students and families.
• Develop high-performing cross-functional partnerships with University Marketing and Communications and academic units.
• Maintain data-driven marketing practices with continuous performance review and adaptation.
• Advance inclusive mission-aligned messaging that reflects USDs values and commitment to belonging.
• Strategic thinker with both creative vision and analytical discipline.
• Collaborative and inspiring leader who builds trust across departments.
• Passionate advocate for the student experience and USDs mission.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and leading innovation in a fast-paced environment.
• Deep understanding of enrollment marketing strategy brand positioning and audience segmentation.
• Expertise in CRM-driven communications (preferably Slate) and digital marketing analytics.
• Proficiency in UX and journey mapping methodologies accessibility and inclusive design.
• Strong leadership project management and change management abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; adept at storytelling for varied audiences.
• Ability to balance strategic vision with operational execution and data-driven decision making.
• Collaborative mindset and the ability to inspire creativity and accountability across teams.

$9167 - 10833 per month; Excellent Benefits

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical dental vision a retirement contribution given to you by the University and access to on-campus Fitness Centers. Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer.USD: Human Resources: Benefits

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience education and other factors including departmental budget.

Click the Apply Now button to complete our online addition please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers review. If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Closing date:November 28 2025

Note: External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information visit Experience:

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