Associate Director of Marketing Operations

KU Marketing strengthens the University of Kansas's global brand and serves the communication needs of many of the institution's units. KU Marketing does this through strategy, words, still and moving images, electronic and print communications, design and more. To fulfill our strategies, needs, and goals, resources must be deployed at the right time, in the right amounts, and of the right types. This is the role of the marketing operations team, and the associate director of marketing operations leads and supports those efforts. Marketing operations lifts the effectiveness and satisfaction of the entire Marketing team.

The associate director of marketing operations maximizes the productivity (quantity of output) of the department and optimizes our efficiency (output per resource invested) while maintaining or elevating the quality of our work and workplace satisfaction of KU Marketing team members. This is accomplished by exploring, testing, implementing, managing, and scaling methods, processes, systems and other actions. The associate director of marketing operations has a team of professionals reporting to it to help achieve these goals. The resources managed by marketing operations, and therefore its associate director, include KU Marketing's talent, finances, and assets.

The associate director of marketing operations works closely with its peers and KU Marketing leadership to understand the team's vision, mission, priorities, and available resources. The associate director will convert those into actionable plans. Those plans will help KU Marketing team members know what to do, when to do it, and what comes next. The plans will be mindful of individuals' talents and workloads, as well as our duty of stewardship of university resources. The manifestation of the plans for which this role is responsible will include project plans, financial resource budgets, departmental processes and workflows, and other standard operations. When well crafted, these plans enable the rest of the Marketing team to focus its energies and talents on delivering results to our institution. Highly effective marketing operations also increases the team's total output and therefore results, returns on investments, and avoidance of negative events.

The associate director will support, mentor, coach, and supervise a team of individuals including project management and financial management skillsets. It will also be responsible for regular office administration, such as but not limited to supporting department human resources responsibilities (e.g., searches for new team members), office space use and allocation, financial transactions (e.g., vendor payments and accounts reconciliation), coordination of large (internal) events, internal billing, and management of departmental hardware and software including relations with their suppliers. The associate director will also oversee the marketing operations team's contributions to reporting resource allocation, productivity and efficiency, including but not limited to our investment of human resources (e.g., hours) and financial resources (e.g., the department's annual budget and special financial allocations).

This role will also be an individual contributor. It will assist with key functions of the marketing operations team as needed, such as during the absence of a team member or to manage work overflows. Individual contributions may include writing project plans, preparing reports, participating in meetings, and other activities. The associate director of marketing operations is an important member of the KU Marketing leadership team. As such, it provides input and ideas to departmental decisions, helps communicate and support the vision and mission, builds and maintains positive working relationships with all team members, and represents KU Marketing to individuals in other University units and beyond KU.

Key performance measures for this role include KU Marketing team member satisfaction, partner satisfaction, adherence to budgets, adherence to priorities and deadlines, accurate and timely reporting, avoidance of significant negative events, improvements in productivity and efficiency, and time reporting of the marketing operations team members including the associate director.

Duties Include:

• 30% -
  • Supporting the marketing operations team within KU Marketing. This may include hiring and coaching team members, monitoring performance, equipping team members with information and tools, setting methods and other standard guidance for marketing operations, and more.
• 30% -
  • Personally contribute to marketing operations efforts. This may include writing and implementing project plans, producing special reports, interfacing with other teams and units, and internal event management.
• 15% -
  • Study and seek to improve departmental methods, processes, systems, and other regular operations in order to improve team member satisfaction, internal partner satisfaction, productivity, and efficiency. Implement minor adjustments and propose to peers and leadership major adjustments.
  • Personally conduct and/or oversee standard (i.e., routine) reporting of resource allocation, usage, productivity and efficiency. Distribute these reports to Marketing team members.
  • Serve as a member of KU Marketing's leadership team. This includes regular interactions with peers and leaders to identify, communicate, and act on opportunities, challenges, and risks. This also includes representing the team and its leadership throughout KU Marketing, the institution, and beyond.
• 10% -
  • Personally monitor, scrutinize, and forecast the use of departmental resources. This includes financial budgets and the investment of people's time to make sure they align with priorities, expectations and constraints. Advise leadership of opportunities, issues or risks.
• 5% -
  • Other related duties as assigned.

Candidates must supply at least the following materials in order to be considered for this position.

1. Cover letter speaking to the applicant's relevant skills and experience. Please clearly communicate how you meet each required qualification and explain which preferred qualifications you meet and how.
2. Resume that clearly shows how the applicant meets each required qualification and any applicable preferred qualifications.
3. Names and contact information for at least three people willing and able to speak with KU about the applicant's fit with this position and work history.

Application review will begin Monday, February 3rd, 2025. To ensure consideration apply by Sunday, February 2nd, 2025 at midnight.

Chris Gregory, cgregory@ku.edu

$72,000 - $76,000

M-F: 8-5

Monday February 3, 2025

Monday February 24, 2025