Brand Manager

The University of Notre Dame is more than a workplace; it is a vibrant, mission-driven community where every employee is valued and supported. Rooted in a tradition of excellence and inspired by our Catholic character, Notre Dame is committed to fostering an environment of care that nurtures the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Here, you will find a deep sense of belonging, a culture that prioritizes well-being, and the opportunity to grow your career while being a force for good in the world. Whether contributing to world-class research, shaping the student experience, or supporting the University’s mission in other ways, you will be part of a dedicated team working to make a meaningful impact on campus and beyond. At Notre Dame, your work matters, and so do you!

Want to join an amazing team dedicated to providing quality services and enriching the experience of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as supporting the work of academic departments, centers, and institutes? Think you can thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative work environment that includes a variety of work and interactions with multiple stakeholders including students, faculty, and campus & community partners? Then we have an amazing opportunity for you!

Reporting to the Director, Integrated Marketing, the Brand Manager plays a key role in the development of annual marketing strategies and implementation plans to achieve targeted goals for a portfolio of graduate programs, including the MBA, Global EMBA, and Specialized Masters Programs. The Brand Manager collaborates closely with academic program directors and various functional teams to drive a cohesive, data-driven marketing approach and optimize recruitment, inquiries, applications, and enrollment.

Responsibilities:

1. Marketing Strategy & Planning: Develop comprehensive marketing strategies for a portfolio of programs to drive growth and align with Mendoza’s strategic goals and priorities. Execute marketing-related projects, such as building campaigns, developing promotional materials, and leading content management in various channels, including but not limited to social media, blogs, newsletters, the Mendoza Magazine, and more. 

2. Integrated Advertising Strategy & Oversight: Partner with internal paid media teams or external agency collaborators (as applicable by program) to lead the strategic direction, audience targeting, messaging alignment, and success metrics for digital and traditional advertising tactics. While not directly managing campaign execution or media buying, maintain a high-level view of campaign performance, ensure alignment with program goals, and make final strategic recommendations or adjustments to optimize effectiveness.

3. Strategic Stakeholder Relations: Cultivate strong collaborative relationships with key stakeholders and functional teams to ensure seamless project coordination and achieve strategic goals. Provide valuable insights to senior leadership to drive informed decision-making and strategic guidance. Maintain professional relationships that represent the Marketing and Brand Strategy team. 

4. Portfolio & Project Management: Oversee a collection of projects (graduate program portfolio) that align with Mendoza’s strategic goals and objectives, focusing on prioritization, resource management, and stakeholder communication.

5. Brand Identity & Communications: Manage alignment of all content with the program's and college's brand identity across all platforms, ensuring final review for quality and consistency. Create clear, consistent messaging that conveys the brand's values and supports recruitment and marketing objectives. Optimize a content strategy to enhance the brand's presence and reputation. Responsible for arranging and executing photography, videography, social media, storytelling, and branding for assigned account(s). 

6. Creative Problem-Solving: Identify and resolve key challenges in marketing strategies, resources, and operations by applying creative problem-solving skills and innovative approaches to navigate complex situations and maximize outcomes.

7. Student Worker Oversight & Project Support: Manage student workers who support your portfolio of programs in developing content for marketing channels and executing projects as assigned. Provide guidance on tasks such as trend analysis, competitor reviews, research projects, and other strategic initiatives that contribute to the broader goals of the marketing team.

The Brand Manager is responsible for crafting and executing a data-driven integrated marketing strategy and plan directly supporting a portfolio of programs. This position works closely with program directors to ensure targets are set and achieved for inquiries, applications created, and applications submitted across a portfolio of Mendoza Graduate Programs. In addition, this person will continue to streamline the marketing process to ensure consistency and collaboration across ten graduate programs. 

• Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree or advanced certification beyond Bachelor’s
• 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in marketing, brand strategy, account management, and/or communications
• Ability to analyze data and provide insights then move to action and implementation quickly
• Keen eye for design and detail, along with broad-minded ideation and innovation
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to facilitate discussions and build relationships
• Ability to prioritize for immediate impact
• Familiarity with project management systems, CRM systems, and marketing automation workflow/systems

Salary: Up to $75,000/year, commensurate with experience. This position will close on December 15th.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.