Executive Director of Communications & Marketing

Position Purpose

The Executive Director of Communications & Marketing at Geisel School of Medicine will develop and unify communications strategy; clarify governance as well as lines of decision-making and responsibility; and build a cohesive, high-performing team charged with advancing Geisel's research reputation, strengthening faculty visibility, supporting enrollment and philanthropy, and elevating the school's positioning locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Description

The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth seeks a strategic, enterprise-minded Executive Director of Communications & Marketing to lead at a transformational time in the school's evolution.

Reporting to the school's new Dean, who assumes office on Aug. 1, and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, the Executive Director will establish-for the first time-a centralized communications and marketing function that brings together roles currently distributed across three separate units.

This role requires an organizational leader with demonstrated success building systems, structures, and teams, and leading change in complex, matrixed environments - particularly through enterprise-level content strategy as well as major website redesign or digital transformation initiatives.

Required Qualifications - Education and Yrs Exp

Bachelors or equivalent combination of education and experience

Required Qualifications - Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• 10+ years of progressively senior communications and marketing leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing teams, including managing managers and building organizational capability.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing enterprise-level content strategy.
• Strong understanding of brand strategy, visual identity systems, SEO and AEO, analytics, digital platforms, and marketing technologies.
• Experience advising senior executives and operating effectively in politically complex environments.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, executive presence, and sound judgment.
• Strong emotional intelligence, with the ability to build trust, navigate ambiguity, manage change, and influence stakeholders with diplomacy and credibility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or related field.
• Experience in academic medicine, higher education, healthcare, or research-intensive environments.
• Proven experience centralizing or reorganizing communications functions in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Knowledge of communications and marketing budget management.
• Experience working across affiliated or co-branded organizations.
• Familiarity with research communications, faculty visibility strategy, and national reputation metrics.
• Proven leadership of major website redesigns or digital transformation initiatives, including CMS governance and UX strategy.

Strategic, Organizational & Brand Leadership

• Establish and lead a centralized communications and marketing function.
• Serve as chief communications advisor to the Dean and the other members of the senior leadership team.
• Develop and execute a multi-year strategic communications and marketing plan aligned with institutional priorities.
• Own and steward the Geisel brand, including oversight of brand strategy, positioning, messaging architecture, and visual identity standards.
• Ensure consistent and appropriate application of brand guidelines across all communications, marketing materials, and digital platforms.
• Create governance frameworks, clarify roles and decision rights, and implement performance standards.
• Lead organizational change thoughtfully, building trust and alignment across stakeholders.

Percentage Of Time: 25

Content Strategy & Editorial Direction

• Design and execute a comprehensive content strategy that advances research visibility, faculty thought leadership, enrollment growth, and philanthropic engagement.
• Build an integrated editorial model aligning storytelling, media relations, social media, video, and digital channels.
• Establish audience segmentation, content pillars, and measurable KPIs.
• Create scalable systems for translating complex scientific and clinical research into compelling narratives.

Percentage Of Time: 20

Website Design & Digital Governance

• Lead a comprehensive website strategy to modernize and unify Geisel's digital presence.
• Develop and implement web governance standards, content models, and UX improvements across a multi-site ecosystem.
• Partner with institutional web and IT leaders to align platform decisions, accessibility compliance, SEO and AEO, and analytics.
• Ensure digital infrastructure supports long-term brand, enrollment, and growth objectives.

Percentage Of Time: 20

Team Leadership, Coaching & Accountability

• Lead, manage, and develop a diverse communications and marketing team, including setting clear goals and performance expectations aligned with strategic priorities.
• Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, and professional development to direct reports.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and deliver constructive feedback to ensure accountability and continuous growth.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture grounded in shared responsibility and results.

Percentage Of Time: 15

Reputation, Media & Marketing Integration

• Oversee proactive media strategy to elevate faculty discoveries and national recognition.
• Integrate enrollment marketing, brand marketing, and philanthropic storytelling under a unified strategic framework.
• Establish and manage a departmental budget focused on ROI and judicious use of shared resources.
• Align paid media, marketing technology, and analytics to support performance-driven decision-making.
• Support faculty thought leadership and executive positioning for the Dean.

Percentage Of Time: 10

Relationship Building & Cross-Institutional Collaboration

• Build strong, trust-based partnerships with faculty, department chairs, and administrative leaders across Geisel.
• Maintain close collaboration with communications leadership at Dartmouth Health to ensure coordinated storytelling and appropriate co-branding.
• Partner effectively with the Dartmouth Office of Communications to align strategy while advocating for Geisel's distinct priorities.
• Foster a collaborative culture across historically siloed teams.

Percentage Of Time: 10