Brand Director

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, one page or less, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skills. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file, due to system limitations.

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a heterogeneous learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to build a better world through business. Through our powerful ideas, purpose-driven leaders, and positive impact, we empower business leaders to improve the world. Learn more about Ross HERE.

This role is hybrid with on-site expectations in Ann Arbor, MI 3 days per week. For a full job description, see link here. For questions about this role, email talent.acquisition@umich.edu.

Purpose:

The Brand Director leads the creation, execution, and evolution of a comprehensive brand strategy that elevates the school's reputation, drives engagement, and supports enrollment and institutional goals. This role ensures consistent brand identity and messaging across all touchpoints, fosters cross-functional collaboration, and guides a high-performing team to deliver impactful, data-informed marketing initiatives that align with the school's mission and strategic priorities You will report to the Chief Marketing Officer.

Brand Strategy & Development

• Develop and execute long-term brand strategy aligned with school priorities.
• Define and maintain brand identity and messaging consistency.
• Conduct brand audits and research to guide strategy.
• Establish and monitor brand KPIs.
• Lead annual strategic marketing planning process.

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of five Brand Managers.
• Set objectives and provide feedback and development support.
• Oversee workload allocation and team performance.
• Hire and onboard new team members.

Recruitment Marketing Oversight

• Manage external paid media agency relationships.
• Oversee development and performance of student recruitment campaigns.
• Use data to optimize strategies in partnership with the Director of Marketing Intelligence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Ensure brand consistency with Creative and Communications Directors.
• Align messaging with PR and internal communications.
• Use market research to inform branding with Marketing Intelligence.
• Collaborate with departments across the school for alignment.

Budget Management

• Develop and manage the brand marketing budget.
• Monitor spend and report regularly to the CMO.

Brand Governance & Compliance

• Enforce brand standards across all communications.
• Stay current on industry trends and best practices.

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in brand management.
• 3-5 years of leadership experience driving brand vision, managing high impact projects or managing and mentoring teams.
• Proven success in developing and executing comprehensive brand strategies that have driven measurable results.
• Experience managing and mentoring a team of marketing professionals demonstrating empathy and a focus on individual growth.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing principles and experience managing paid media campaigns, ideally within an educational or similar complex environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work strategically and think creatively.
• Demonstrated experience leading with empathy and fostering a positive and supportive team culture.

The posting range for this position is $102,000 - $143,650. This posting range reflects multiple factors involved in determining compensation, such as skills, experience, training, certifications, and other organizational needs. At Ross, it is not common for new hires to be offered a salary at the upper end of the range. Compensation decisions are based on the details of each situation.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.