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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Penn State Smeal College of Business

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

The Opportunity

Penn State Smeal: A college of business partners

Since its founding in 1953, the Penn State Smeal College of Business has evolved into one of the nation’s leading public university-based business schools. Built upon outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs, executive education initiatives, and renowned research centers, Smeal is guided by the belief that the true measure of a business leader lies in their drive and capacity for growth. By continuously striving to improve themselves, Smeal graduates enhance their organizations, communities, and the world around them.

Success as a leader is defined not only by what one knows and does, but also by the people who surround them from the very beginning. At Smeal, the community becomes a lifelong partner. With a vibrant network of more than 8,000 undergraduate, professional graduate, executive, and doctoral students, nearly 400 dedicated faculty and staff members, and over 94,000 accomplished alumni, the Smeal community is global and ever-present. Wherever graduates go, members of this exceptional network are always in their corner—ready to open doors, share insights, and cheer them on.

In July 2024, Corey Phelps was appointed as the John and Karen Arnold Dean of Penn State's Smeal College of Business and at the start of 2025 the College began a comprehensive strategic planning process. The Imagine Smeal 2030 initiative is a bold strategic planning effort aimed at positioning the Smeal College of Business as a leader in business education for the next decade. This initiative leverages stakeholder engagement, market analysis, and innovative thinking to craft a clear, actionable vision for the future. Imagine Smeal 2030 is designed to establish strategic priorities, align resources with ambitious goals, and create transformative initiatives that not only inspire but also guide the College toward excellence. This process will culminate in a comprehensive, actionable plan aligned with a strategic budget and poised for implementation, ensuring Smeal’s sustained success and transformative impact on business education.

To help continue its momentum and realize the goals of this new strategic plan, the College seeks nominations and applications for the position of Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMCO). The CMCO will be a marketing and communications expert and leader who will harness the power of consistent, coordinated, and creative messaging to drive greater visibility, internal and external awareness of Smeal’s unique, mission-driven characteristics, and elevate the College to newer heights in national and international distinction.

The successful candidate will bring an inclusive and facilitative leadership style that inspires, nurtures, and empowers staff, encourages open communication and collaboration throughout the College, and fosters bold innovation. Working with talented and dedicated staff within communications and marketing, as well as faculty and administrative leaders across the College and University, this leader will help develop and implement a clear, unified vision for marketing and communications that will engage the Smeal College community and position the College for future success.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a proven leader to initiate positive change and make a lasting impact for the Smeal College community.

Smeal College has retained Berkhemer Clayton, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. All applications, inquiries, and nominations should be directed, in confidence, to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document.

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Dean and serving as a member of the College’s leadership team, the CMCO will provide overall vision and strategic leadership for all internal and external communications and marketing activities for the Smeal College of Business.

In partnership with academic and administrative leaders throughout the College, this individual will lead the development and execution of comprehensive branding, performance marketing, and communication strategies that build upon existing efforts to elevate the College’s reputation, strengthen student and faculty recruitment, enhance corporate and alumni engagement, and drive fundraising initiatives. The CMCO will also support internal units to ensure their marketing and communications efforts align with the College’s mission and strategy.

This leader will oversee a skilled team of marketing and communications professionals, fostering collaboration across Smeal departments, centers, and programs and with university marketing and communications teams to ensure alignment with broader institutional strategies. They will also serve as Smeal’s representative on the University’s Lead Communications Council, advocating for and integrating the College’s marketing priorities within the broader university framework.

All of this shall be accomplished with a high level of professionalism and integrity, hands-on contributions, a transparent, team-oriented, and collaborative style, a passion for the mission of Smeal, and a commitment to identifying and embracing opportunities for change that will move the College forward.

Additional areas of responsibility will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Leadership and Brand Management

• Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy aligned with the College’s strategic plan and Penn State’s broader branding, enrollment, and digital marketing initiatives, collaborating with the PSU Office of Strategic Communications (OSC) to ensure consistent application of the University’s brand framework, messaging, assets, and visual identity.

• Oversee the College’s branding efforts, ensuring consistency and impact in all messaging and marketing collateral.

• Monitor and enhance the College’s national and international reputation through strategic public relations and thought leadership initiatives.

• Provide strategic counsel to the Dean and senior leadership on key communication initiatives.

• Lead and manage a team of marketing and communications professionals, setting priorities, performance expectations, and professional development opportunities.

• Advocate for the resources – people, technology, third-party partners, etc. – needed to support and execute the College’s marketing and communications strategy.

• Stay updated on industry trends through professional development and engagement with higher education marketing organizations.

Marketing, Digital Presence, and Analytics

• Collaborate with the PSU OSC to scale the University’s technical strategy, when possible, to Smeal websites and develop a content and digital marketing strategy aligned with Smeal and University priorities, while ensuring the accuracy, accessibility, and strategic integrity of Smeal’s digital presence through continuous SEO, user experience optimization, and social media management.

• Develop and execute innovative, data-driven performance marketing campaigns to increase program visibility, enrollment, and engagement.

• Utilize marketing analytics and reporting tools to measure effectiveness, optimize performance, and inform future marketing decisions.

• Ensure compelling storytelling that highlights faculty research, student success, and alumni achievements through digital and traditional marketing channels.

Communications, Media Relations, and Content Development

• Identify and surface opportunities to elevate and strengthen the Smeal and Penn State brands through proactive communication related to research, education, and service.

• Develop and execute strategies to communicate faculty research to practitioners, industry leaders, and key stakeholders, with the goal of fostering thought leadership, collaboration, and securing media coverage.

• Develop and execute a robust content strategy that supports brand awareness and engagement across multiple platforms, including video, podcasts, articles, and social media.

• Oversee internal and external communications, including crisis communications, media relations, and stakeholder engagement.

• Continuously monitor online and offline sources for Smeal issues that could adversely impact the reputation of Penn State and Smeal. Promptly report issues to the OSC, implement communication guidance, and provide feedback on their impact on Smeal.

• Serve as the primary media contact, managing press releases, media requests, and proactive engagement with journalists.

• Collaborate with OSC to amplify the College’s thought leadership in national and global media outlets.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Work closely and collaboratively with CRM and internal IT, which includes creative partners, ensuring clear communication and alignment on collaborative project goals, priorities, and timelines.

• Work closely with development and alumni relations teams to support fundraising and donor engagement through strategic marketing efforts.

• Partner with admissions teams to develop and execute enrollment marketing strategies that attract and convert prospective students.

• Engage with corporate partners, industry leaders, the Smeal Board of Visitors, and other external stakeholders to enhance the College’s reputation and visibility.

• Represent the College in university-wide marketing and communications meetings, including the Lead Communications Council, and higher education professional organizations.

Team Leadership

• Set priorities and goals for the marketing and communications team.

• Ensure efficient and clear project management and workflow processes for the team, creating shared expectations for customer service to internal constituents.

• Make hiring, evaluation, and other management decisions for the unit within a diverse and inclusive college.

• Lead team to actively participate in campus life, to ensure deep awareness of the Smeal College story as it continues to evolve.

Budget and Resource Management

• Develop and manage the marketing and communications budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

• Oversee relationships with external agencies, vendors, and consultants for marketing, advertising, and creative services.

• Implement cost-effective strategies to maximize the impact of marketing investments.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will bring the professional experience and leadership style needed to inspire others towards a common vision within the marketing and communications team, and throughout the campus community, with ten or more years of relevant marketing, communications, and/or media relations experience, in positions of increasing responsibility, and at least five years in a supervisory or management capacity. 

This leader will have demonstrated success working with organizational leadership to develop successful campaigns and strategies and the willingness and ability to work directly with staff in day-to-day execution of these strategies.

This individual will have a solution-oriented service approach with interpersonal, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills to work effectively and thrive in an inclusive, highly collaborative, and consensus-driven environment. Current or prior experience in an educational environment would be helpful but not required.

Smeal seeks candidates with the following specific qualities, characteristics, experience, and degrees. Understanding that each candidate brings relative strengths and areas in need of improvement and that no single candidate will be equally strong in every area, we encourage all who are interested to apply.

• Strategic Vision: Ability to conceptualize and articulate a clear vision for the College's brand and marketing initiatives, aligning with the strategic priorities of the University.

• Leadership: Demonstrated experience in leading and motivating a team of marketing and communications professionals, with a track record of strategic decision-making and effective team management.

• Communication Excellence: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with the capacity to develop compelling stories that enhance the College's reputation and brand image.

• Full-Stack Marketing Expertise: Extensive knowledge of marketing principles and practices, including digital and traditional advertising, public relations, owned and sponsored content, and marketing analytics.

• Digital Proficiency: Strong understanding of digital marketing channels, SEO, web presence management, and the ability to leverage social media platforms effectively.

• Analytical Thinking: Proficiency in using data analytics to track, measure, and optimize marketing campaign performance, with experience in managing a significant marketing budget.

• Content Development: Experience overseeing the production and distribution of high-quality content across various platforms, including managing relationships with third-party designers, talent, and production partners.

• Problem-Solving: Proven capability to tackle complex, varied problems with innovative solutions and creative thinking.

• Fiscal Management: Experience in budgetary planning and oversight, with a clear understanding of monitoring and tracking financial resources.

• Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively across different departments and with external partners, agencies, and consultants to achieve marketing objectives.

• Adaptability: Flexibility to respond to and manage changing priorities and operate effectively in a dynamic environment.

• Project Management: Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.

• Ethical Leadership: Commitment to ethical principles in overseeing marketing practices, ensuring integrity in all communications.

• Cultural Competency: Sensitivity and awareness to effectively engage with diverse populations and foster an inclusive environment within the team.

Education Requirements and Certifications

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business administration, or a related field is required. 10+ years of relevant experience, includes 5+ years of supervisory experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. Advanced degree preferred. Professional certifications in performance marketing, digital media, or related fields are advantageous.

Location

The CMCO position will be based at Smeal College on Penn State’s University Park campus, and on-campus presence will be critical to the success of the role. The campus is adjacent to the town of State College, Pennsylvania. With a population of just over 40,000, State College has been ranked as one of the nation's most livable communities by Kiplinger's and among the best college towns by the American Institute for Economic Research.

Procedure For Confidential Candidacy

This search is being assisted by the search firm Berkhemer Clayton. To be considered for the position, candidates are requested to also apply to the Berkhemer Clayton website for the search:

Applications@berkhemerclayton.com.

Commitment to Culture and Belonging

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging in all its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports both broad and specific equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure. 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: