Associate Director of Enrollment Marketing

5588

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

The Associate Director of Enrollment Marketing is a strategic, data-driven position responsible for developing and executing comprehensive enrollment marketing campaigns for the Knauss School of Business graduate program portfolio. This role oversees market positioning, lead generation, content strategy, conversion optimization, and top-of-funnel growth with a focus on volume and quality across a diverse range of programs, including MBA, specialized master’s, dual-degree offerings, and future program expansions, while adhering to brand standards and strategy.

This role serves as a growth-oriented strategist responsible for driving the inquiry-to-applicant pipeline for the Knauss School of Business; leveraging data-driven paid media, SEO, GEO, LLM-visibility optimization, and CRO, amidst an evolving digital and technological landscape. Bridging the gap between Admissions and Marketing, the Associate Director shall ensure that marketing spend translates into qualified prospective student leads and measurable enrollment growth.

The role leverages A/B testing, data analysis and performance insights to continuously optimize campaigns, maximize lead acquisition, enhance audience targeting, and improve conversion outcomes.

This position manages collaboration with internal stakeholders and external partners, ensuring marketing efforts are integrated, high-performing, and tailored to the needs of prospective graduate students, ultimately driving enrollment growth and program visibility. The Associate Director will periodically need to be available on nights and/or weekends for various Knauss School events and occasionally may be asked to travel to graduate business recruitment or marketing events, as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Campaign Management

• Develop and execute an annual multi-channel enrollment marketing plan for each graduate program to meet inquiry, application, and enrollment targets.
• Manage paid media strategies (SEM, LinkedIn, Meta) in collaboration with external agencies and/or the marketing teams (Knauss and USD Central), focusing on lead generation and ROI.
• Develop high-impact drip campaigns and "journey" communications within the CRM (Slate) to nurture leads through the funnel.
• Actively manage and coordinate vendor agreements as they relate to enrollment management strategies and services
• In coordination with the Director of Business Admissions, provide directives and feedback via regularly scheduled meetings with contracted vendors
• Coordinate with the Knauss School Finance and Administration Team regarding contract renewals and new contract engagements
• Perform related tasks and assignments that support enrollment growth and brand visibility.

Content and Conversion Marketing 

• Lead the creation of compelling, conversion-focused content across landing pages, brochures, emails, ads, text messaging, social media platforms and other analog and digital channels that inspire action and reinforce the Knauss value proposition.
• Ensure all graduate-level messaging aligns with USD’s brand guidelines while maintaining the professional, high-touch tone expected by graduate audiences.
• Manage and audit graduate program web pages for SEO, accuracy, user experience, and improved conversion pathways.
• Leverage storytelling, success metrics, and alumni outcomes to strengthen engagement and conversion at each stage of the funnel.

Data Analysis and Optimization

• Track, analyze and report on the effectiveness of all marketing tactics, using data from A/B testing, vendor dashboards, Slate and Google Analytics to optimize spend and messaging.
• Monitor competitor graduate business programs and market trends to ensure Knauss remains a leader in the San Diego and global markets.
• Manage the graduate enrollment marketing budget with the Director of Business Admissions, ensuring efficient allocation across different program priorities.
• Monitor pipeline health, identifying opportunities to improve lead quality, conversion rates, and campaign efficiency.
• Produce regular performance reports and insights to guide resource allocation and strategic decision-making.
• Work with the Knauss School Finance and Administration team on the annual submission of graduate business tuition rate proposals and enrollment targets

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration 

• Act as the primary liaison to the Knauss Marketing and Communications team for the Graduate Business Admissions team
• Maintain ongoing collaboration with the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications to ensure Knauss-wide initiatives (e.g., rankings, reputation building) support recruitment goals.
• Attend weekly recruitment meetings to ensure alignment of marketing spend with enrollment needs
• Partner with Knauss School Faculty Program Directors and Coordinators to gather success stories, alumni data, and program updates to keep marketing materials current.

Other duties as assigned 

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must be available on periodic nights and/or weekends for various Knauss School events and occasionally may be asked to travel to graduate business recruitment or marketing events, as needed.

Background check:  Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with preference given to Business, Marketing and/or related field of study
• 5 years of work experience in product marketing, email marketing, campaign planning, digital marketing, messaging, positioning, copywriting, academic program recruitment and/or related field

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college of university in Business, Marketing or a related field
• 5+ years of progressively responsible marketing experience in product marketing, email marketing, campaign planning, digital marketing, messaging, positioning, copywriting and/or academic program recruitment
• 2+ years of hands-on experience in lead generation, search, online advertising and pay-per-click (PPC)
• Experience working in higher education

Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Enrollment management strategies within higher education, particularly for graduate business programs
• Development and execution of integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns (digital, email, paid media, CRM-driven outreach)
• Market research, audience segmentation, and persona development to inform targeting and messaging strategies
• Brand positioning and content strategy, including storytelling that resonates with diverse prospective student audiences
• Marketing analytics platforms and CRM systems (e.g., Slate, Salesforce, Google Analytics) to track and measure performance
• Lead generation, nurturing strategies, and enrollment funnel management
• Vendor management and collaboration with external marketing agencies or partners
• Budget development and management for marketing and enrollment initiatives
• Higher education trends, competitive landscape, and best practices in graduate student recruitment and marketing
• Interacting with the professional business community
• Designing and executing data-driven enrollment marketing campaigns that drive measurable increases in leads, applications, and enrollments
• Using data and analytics to assess campaign effectiveness and continuously optimize performance and ROI
• Leading cross-functional initiatives and collaborating effectively with admissions, marketing, academic units, and external partners
• Translating complex data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations for senior leadership
• Managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Developing compelling messaging and content strategies that strengthen brand awareness and engagement
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendors
• Exercising sound judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making in dynamic and evolving situations
• Communicating clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, to a variety of audiences
• Ability to use mature judgment
• Ability to form productive working relationships with faculty, staff and administration
• Working with diverse personalities
• Being flexible and versatile in coping with evolving work situations
• Ability to focus on technical details in an environment with many distractions
• Ability to handle the stress of last-minute deadlines and changes
• Ability to assume responsibility and effectively resolve problems by exercising independent judgement

$6,666.67 - $7,166.67 per month; Excellent Benefits

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers.  Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer.  USD: Human Resources: Benefits

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position.  Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letterand resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review.  If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at

jobs@sandiego.edu

Hours: 37.5 hours per week. In addition, the Knauss School of Business offers two different compressed work schedule options following a 9/75 structure in which employees have 1 to 1.5 days off over every two-week period as well as a hybrid option for those positions that can complete some work remotely.

Closing date: Open until filled

Note: External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.