Director of Marketing and Communications

New London, CT (On-site)

$60K/yr – $67K/yrDirector/Executive5+ years expRegular Ft

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Drive Mitchell College’s marketing and communications as a hands-on leader responsible for brand, strategy, and public presence.

  • Own and execute integrated marketing and communications strategies to boost visibility, advancement, and enrollment.
  • Must-have: 5+ years in marketing/communications, preferably in higher education or mission-driven orgs.
  • Standout: Brand leadership with cross-department collaboration and crisis-ready counsel.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute integrated marketing and communications strategies that strengthen Mitchell College’s visibility, reputation, advancement and enrollment efforts, and community engagement across local, regional, and national markets.
  • Create annual marketing plans aligned with institutional priorities and strategic objectives; monitor performance metrics and provide regular reporting and recommendations.
  • Serve as the institution’s lead brand strategist and storyteller, ensuring cohesive messaging and visual identity across all channels and constituencies.
  • Collaborate with campus leaders to provide strategic marketing counsel, guide communications planning, and ensure alignment with institutional brand standards and best practices.
  • Support the development and promotion of new academic and institutional initiatives through market-informed strategy and messaging.
  • Work closely with Advancement, Alumni Relations, and the President’s Office to strengthen alumni affinity, donor engagement, and community partnerships.
  • Serve as a communications advisor to senior leadership on institutional reputation, media strategy, and crisis response.
  • Maintain and enforce institutional brand standards, style guides, templates, and visual assets across all print and digital platforms.
  • Provide training and guidance to faculty and staff on appropriate brand application and communications practices.
  • Personally design and produce a wide range of creative materials, including advertising, publications, event collateral, signage, social media graphics, presentations, digital campaigns, and institutional communications.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
  • Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, branding, or creative services, preferably within higher education, nonprofit, agency, or mission-driven organizations.
  • Demonstrated success developing and executing strategic marketing and communications initiatives while also performing hands-on creative and operational work.
  • Strong experience in graphic design and content production using Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) for print and digital applications.
  • Experience managing websites and CMS platforms, including WordPress, Modern Campus, and higher education web best practices.
  • Excellent writing, editing, storytelling, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Experience managing budgets, vendors, projects, and competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
  • Knowledge of social media strategy, digital advertising, branding, photography, and video production workflows.
  • Collaborative leadership style with strong customer service orientation and ability to work effectively across departments and organizational levels.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office and enterprise collaboration tools including Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

Nice To Have

  • Experience in higher education marketing and communications.
  • Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and fostering inclusive, collaborative work environments.
  • Familiarity with Canva and digital asset management systems.
  • Experience overseeing photography and video production projects.
  • Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of institutional events and priorities.
  • Willingness to travel in support of the President’s Office.
Mitchell College logo

Mitchell College

An inclusive, independent institution, Mitchell College believes in harnessing the power of transformation and uncovering what’s radically possible for every student, supporting a wide spectrum of diversity in race, gender, class, age, ethnicity, and learning style. Over more than 85 years, Mitchell has developed the Mitchell Ability Model, a distinct educational approach blending a tradition of mentoring with expertise in teaching those with different learning and processing styles. Through a journey of self-discovery, learning adaptability, career development, and mastery of essential abilities, students are challenged, supported, and equipped for lifelong success. Mitchell is committed to the broader community through building strong, creative, and cooperative partnerships. Located on a beautiful waterfront campus in historic New London, Connecticut, the college is part of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and home to championship NCAA Division III athletics, Thames at Mitchell College, SAILS, the renowned Bentsen Learning Center, STAIRs, and the Mitchell Hub for Digital Innovation and Educational Excellence. We are Radically Possible. Powerfully Mitchell.

Founded in 1938
New London, Connecticut, USA
345 employees (13 in marketing)

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
13.8K
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$1.8K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
38.9%
Direct
48.3%
Referral
6.4%
Social
5.6%
Paid
0.8%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~345

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
11 (3% of company)
Median Career Experience
16 years
Median Tenure
4.6 years

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