Chief Marketing Officer/VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Columbia, MO (On-site)

$150K/yr – $175K/yrSenior Level7+ years expFull time

Posted 3 months ago

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Job Summary

Lead Columbia College’s brand, enrollment marketing, and AI-enabled digital marketing strategy as the chief marketer guiding brand standards and cross‑functional execution.

  • Own enrollment marketing across undergraduate, graduate, adult, and online pipelines.
  • Define brand voice and standards with cross‑functional consistency.
  • Direct marketing technology strategy and platform governance with senior leadership input.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Hold institutional accountability for the Columbia College brand, including brand architecture, visual identity, and market positioning across all audiences and channels.
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and brand strategy aligned with institutional priorities, in coordination with the Chief Strategic Communication Officer to ensure consistency between market positioning and institutional voice.
  • Own and maintain brand standards, identity systems, and guidelines that inform the work of marketing, communications, and institutional partners across all functions.
  • Track brand health, market perception, and competitive positioning through research and analysis, sharing findings with the CSCO and cabinet to inform both marketing strategy and institutional communications.
  • Advise the President and cabinet on the brand and market implications of strategic decisions, including new program development, naming opportunities, and institutional partnerships.
  • Define brand voice and content standards that inform marketing materials and paid channels; partner with the CSCO to ensure those standards are applied consistently across institutional communications.
  • Represent Columbia College in external marketing, business, and community contexts as appropriate, in coordination with the CSCO on matters involving institutional communications or public affairs.
  • Partner with the President, Provost, and cabinet to inform program development, pricing strategies, and new market opportunities based on market demand and competitive analysis.
  • Provide market-informed guidance on strategic partnerships, new academic offerings, and geographic or modality expansion opportunities.
  • Hold primary accountability for enrollment marketing strategy across undergraduate, graduate, adult, and online pipelines, partnering with Enrollment Management on goals, audience targeting, and campaign priorities.

Requirements

  • Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
  • Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field; graduate degree in the preceding or adjacent fields preferred.
  • Seven or more years of progressive leadership experience in marketing, with at least three years in a senior or executive marketing role preferred.
  • Demonstrated success in brand strategy, enrollment marketing, and integrated digital marketing.
  • Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a complex, mission-driven environment.
  • Strong expertise in digital marketing, marketing analytics, CRM integration, and marketing technology platforms.
  • Excellent communication skills across verbal, written, and presentation contexts.
  • Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work across a cabinet and diverse institutional stakeholders.

Preferred

  • Experience in higher education marketing, with familiarity with the modern learner landscape and enrollment trends.
  • Demonstrated success leading marketing during institutional change, transformation, or growth periods.
  • Experience with AI-assisted marketing tools and emerging generative search optimization strategies.
  • Familiarity with small private college contexts and the competitive dynamics of regional higher education markets.
  • Experience supporting or collaborating on fundraising and advancement campaigns.
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Columbia College

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Columbia, Missouri, USA
1.8K employees (76 in marketing)

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
127.2K
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$1.2M
Traffic Source Mix
Search
41.7%
Direct
51.1%
Referral
5.3%
Social
1.3%
Paid
0.4%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~1.8K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
58 (3% of company)
Median Career Experience
17 years
Median Tenure
7.3 years

Funding

Last Raise
Grant, 4 years ago

Funding History

  • Jul 2022
    Grant

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