Associate Director, Brand Strategy

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Associate Director of Brand Strategy

JOB PROFILE : DEPARTMENT: Marketing and Communications

SCHEDULE: Hybrid (3 days in / 2 days remote) LOCATION: Hyde Park

/ McGifford

GENERAL SUMMARY: The Associate Director of Brand Strategy at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business helps to elevate our brand positioning, drive strategic marketing initiatives, and ensure consistent brand expressions across global touchpoints. The Associate Director of Brand Strategy has a passion for brand development and the ability to translate complex ideas into compelling narratives that resonate with diverse global audiences, from prospective students and alumni to corporate partners and media.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Working alongside the Senior Director of Brand, develop and refine strategic brand guidance that aligns with the school’s mission, values, and strategic objectives to impact overall channel and content strategies.
2. Participate in brainstorming and working sessions to uncover insights that inform strategic brand output across various channels and media.
3. Partner with internal stakeholders to translate brand strategy into creative briefs, messaging frameworks, and guidelines that increase awareness, lead generation, and promote faculty research.
4. Participate in the review of marketing collateral to ensure overall strategic alignment in brand voice, visual identity, audience alignment, and storytelling across all channels.
5. Collaborate with internal research teams and partners to monitor and evaluate brand performance through qualitative and quantitative metrics; use insights to make data-informed recommendations.
6. Support the evolution of global marketing campaigns with clear strategic brand direction and insights.
7. Identify trends and opportunities in the competitive landscape to keep the brand differentiated and relevant.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP: Senior Director, Brand Experience

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

1. Leverage strategic brand insights to increase the overall brand awareness of Chicago Booth across all global touchpoints.Provide strategic brand insights that continue to evolve our brand globally.
2. Successful integration and review of strategic brand tools like messaging frameworks, strategic objectives, and guidelines across internal teams and partners.
3. Work with internal research teams to uncover ways of driving engagement and perception among key audiences, measured by surveys, sentiment, and content performance.
4. Provide strategic brand insights that continue to evolve our brand globally.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelor’s degree required, with degrees in marketing, business, or communications preferred.
2. A minimum of five years of experience in a marketing/communications team is required.
3. Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) required.
4. Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills, are required.
5. Ability to work independently; identify opportunities for strategic brand improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes required.
6. Excellent strategic planning, critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills required.
7. Ability to handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions required.
8. Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty, and corporate contacts in a multitude of communication methods, i.e., in person, email, and phone required.
9. Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach, is required.
10. Expertise in integrated marketing, brand building, positioning, and marketing with a strong foundation in digital marketing is required.
11. Familiarity with higher education and the University of Chicago and Chicago Booth preferred.