Director of Admissions Marketing & Communications

Western Washington University with over 15000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school is nationally recognized for its educational programs students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham Washington a coastal community of 90000 overlooking Bellingham Bay the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes Bremerton Everett Port Angeles and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes such as being named one of the top public masters-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success increasing our Washington impact and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship research and creative activity. Westerns greatest strength is the outstanding students faculty staff and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can pursuit of this excellence individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff faculty administration student and external constituents. Further individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic societal environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

Housed within University Marketing this role leads the development and coordination of integrated admissions communications strategies in close partnership with Undergraduate Admissions Financial Aid and Orientation & Transition. The Director ensures that messaging timing and channels are aligned across units to create a cohesive student-centered experience and to support institutional admissions goals.

This position serves as the primary strategic lead for admissions communications executed through Slate coordinating CRM-based messaging campaign sequencing and performance assessment in collaboration with Admissions leadership and Marketing Operations. This role also provides strategic guidance and consultation to support Admissions marketing and communications efforts across Westerns campuses and locations ensuring a cohesive approach that reflects both institutional priorities and local context.

The Director exercises a high degree of independent judgment and supervises professional staff supporting admissions marketing initiatives.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

35% - Provide strategic direction for admissions-related marketing and communications within University Marketing.

• Lead the development of integrated admissions communications strategies spanning recruitment application admission financial aid awareness and transition to enrollment.
• Provide strategic leadership and guidance for Admissions marketing and communications initiatives that span Westerns multiple campuses and academic centers including Bellingham Western on the Peninsulas and other locations ensuring alignment with institutional brand messaging and admissions goals.
• Ensure admissions communications are student-centered accessible and aligned with institutional brand and messaging frameworks.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Admissions Financial Aid and Orientation & Transition leadership to align communications with admissions priorities and student needs.
• Translate admissions goals into coordinated communications approaches across channels and units.

30% - Serve as the primary strategic lead for admissions-related communications executed through Slate.

• Establish and maintain frameworks for admissions lifecycle messaging campaign sequencing and audience segmentation in collaboration with Admissions and Enrollment Management partners.
• Coordinate CRM-based admissions communications to ensure consistency clarity and appropriate timing across recruitment and yield phases.
• Partner with Marketing Operations and Enrollment Systems staff to align communications strategy with data structures governance practices and technical capabilities.
• Analyze performance data to evaluate effectiveness and inform refinements to admissions communications strategies.

20% - Foster strong ongoing collaboration between University Marketing and Admissions-related units to ensure coordinated planning and execution of admissions communications.

• Align admissions marketing efforts with broader institutional marketing initiatives and calendars.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for cross-unit admissions campaigns and communications initiatives.
• Represent University Marketing on admissions-related working groups and committees as appropriate.

15% - Supervise and support professional staff working on admissions marketing and communications initiatives.

• Provide functional guidance and mentorship related to admissions campaign development messaging coordination and communications assessment.
• Establish metrics and reporting frameworks to assess the effectiveness of admissions marketing efforts.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes workflows and use of marketing technologies to support admissions goals.
• Contribute to long-range planning related to admissions marketing strategy tools and staffing.

• Bachelors degree in communications marketing public relations English or a related field or equivalent education and experience.
• Minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in marketing communications or admissions-related work.
• Demonstrated expertise with Slate in an admissions communications context evidenced by Slate certification and/or a minimum of one year of hands-on Slate experience.
• Experience working in undergraduate admissions enrollment management or student transition programs.
• Excellent written verbal and interpersonal communication skills.

• Strong analytical skills and experience using data to inform communications strategy.
• Demonstrated experience developing and leading integrated multi-channel marketing or communications strategies.
• At least one year of experience leading staff or complex cross-functional communications initiatives.
• Advanced experience coordinating communications across multiple functional units.
• Experience working within a centralized or matrixed marketing organization.
• Demonstrated success aligning admissions communications strategy with institutional goals and student experience outcomes.

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

Application materials should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.

Western Washington University is being assisted with this search by Another Source. To apply please visit: Director of Admissions Marketing & Communications

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity compliance with applicable laws WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race ethnicity color national origin age citizenship or immigration status pregnancy use of protective leave genetic status sex sexual orientation gender identity gender expression marital status creed religion veteran or military status disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law in its programs or activities including employment admissions and educational programs. See WWUs Policies onProhibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance Title IX and ADA Coordinator Western Washington University Old Main 126 (MS 9021) 516 High Street Bellingham WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay);

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation please contactHuman Resources Disability Services 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

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All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.