Assistant Director, Marketing Communications

Tucson, AZ (On-site)

$76K/yr – $98K/yrSenior Level5+ years expFull time

Posted 5 months ago

Top 1% of applicants do these two things.

The other 99% submit and hope. You're about to do something different.

Job Summary

Shape and drive cross-channel marketing for university research, turning complex discoveries into compelling stories while coordinating with central marketing, executive comms, and events to deliver high-impact campaigns across platforms.

  • Own integrated marketing plans and content that translate research into clear narratives for diverse audiences.
  • Lead a multi-disciplinary team to manage workflows, maintain quality, and meet tight deadlines while ensuring brand alignment.
  • Collaborate with executives and campus partners to optimize narratives and visuals for national events and showcases.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute holistic, integrated marketing and communications plans for specific strategic research focus areas.
  • Manage day-to-day editing, writing and marketing to highlight U of A research achievements for internal and external audiences.
  • Assign, write and edit high-quality content marketing pieces, including web news stories and digital narratives that translate complex scientific discovery into clear, persuasive narratives for both broad and focused audiences.
  • Regularly review processes and procedures to refine and streamline team workflow, ensuring rigorous quality control and operational efficiency.
  • Ensure all ORP communications efforts are strictly on-brand and aligned with the larger University of Arizona brand and goals and ORP priorities.
  • Lead marketing research and campaigns promoting faculty, research breakthroughs and world-class facilities. This includes directing the creation of high-level presentations and printed marketing materials and coordinating with the creative team.
  • Propose and develop creative marketing concepts and strategies for national-level events and high-profile research showcases.
  • Serve as the primary liaison with central University Marketing and Communications to ensure cross-campus synergy.
  • Collaborate closely with the Executive Comms Sr. Director, Social Media Manager, Creative Manager and Events team to ensure strategic narratives are visually and digitally optimized across all platforms.
  • Successfully manage multiple competing priorities, managing the workflow for various research focus areas simultaneously to meet tight deadlines.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional-level experience.
  • Minimum of 5 years of related work experience, including 2 years of managerial experience.

Preferred

  • Expertise in content marketing.
  • Experience in high-level communications and content marketing within a research-intensive or higher education environment.
  • Experience coordinating, organizing and producing executive-level deliverables, including magazines, reports and booklets, and identifying and coordinating advertising/paid media opportunities.
  • Experience translating scientific or technical information for a general audience.
  • Experience in managing professional creative or communications staff.
  • Evidence of using project management tools to streamline team workflows.

Benefits

  • Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!
  • The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here .
University of Arizona logo

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is the leading public research university in the American Southwest and Arizona's only member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. As the state's land-grant university, our research and resources enrich communities around the state and worldwide. Named #1 in alumni earnings potential among Arizona's public universities by PayScale, Wildcats graduate with the tools and skills needed for a rewarding and meaningful career. Follow along to see how enrolling in the University of Arizona is an investment in yourself.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
21K employees (847 in marketing)

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
5.6M
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$2.1M
Traffic Source Mix
Search
44.1%
Direct
49.1%
Referral
5.4%
Social
0.8%
Paid
0.5%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~20.8K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
577 (3% of company)
Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
5

Funding

Total Funding
$88.9M
Last Raise
$610.2K
Grant, 1 years ago

Funding History

  • Dec 2024
    Grant • $610.2K
  • Jun 2024
    Grant • $1M
  • Sep 2023
    Grant • $30M

Recent News