Senior Director of Brand Communications

Company: Western Governors University

Job Location: Salt Lake City Office

Category: Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs

Type: Full-Time

Job Type: Full time

Job Number: JR-023079

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Management_Executive 612 Pay Range: $ - $

Job Description

$163,200 to $293,800

The Senior Director of Brand Communications will shape, elevate, and expand WGU's brand presence across owned, earned, and brand foundations. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement, this leader will direct a cross-functional team, including in-house production studio, social media, brand communications and owned content platforms to ensure the brand is consistently represented, strategically amplified, and deeply engaging for diverse audiences, including philanthropy, thought leaders, government/policy officials, business and academic leaders, current and potential employees and students.

Combining creative vision with data-driven execution, the Senior Director will advance WGU's mission by increasing brand awareness, strengthening reputation, and fostering meaningful engagement. The Senior Director is responsible for a multi-million-dollar budget. This role requires expertise in social media strategy, influencer partnerships, brand management, SEO optimization and multi-channel content activation, as well as the ability to connect compelling storytelling to measurable impact.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities Brand Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the development and execution of WGU's brand strategy across owned and emerging channels. Create a unified brand playbook (messaging, tone of voice, brand visual standards) that guides how WGU shows up across channels which is maintained and updated regularly to reflect institutional priorities, audience insights, and market shifts.
• Ensure consistent application of WGU's brand identity, voice, and messaging across all touchpoints.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (marketing, communications, fundraising, government relations, partnerships) to align brand positioning with institutional priorities.

Channel & Content Strategy

• Create a comprehensive, rolling editorial calendar spanning WGU's owned content and social media channels, including campaign integration, SEO-driven topics, channel management, content production, thought leadership placement, and seasonal priorities.
• Create a social media strategy for channel growth, influencer engagement, and community building that is continually tested and optimized, including platform-specific playbooks, influencer/ambassador partnerships, community engagement and performance dashboards.
• Collaborate with Marketing to ensure SEO best practices are embedded in content production to increase discoverability and organic reach.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor a team of creative professionals, including production studio, social media, brand communications and owned content/channel leads.
• Showcase proven expertise in change management and the development of large, high performing teams.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive culture.
• Oversee resource allocation, budgeting, and performance management for the team.

Measurement & Optimization

• Set and track KPIs for brand engagement, reach, sentiment, and channel growth.
• Use data and analytics to inform ongoing strategy, optimize content performance, and identify emerging opportunities.
• Stay ahead of trends in digital media, social engagement, and influencer marketing.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven expertise in brand strategy and identity management across owned, shared, and emerging channels.
• Strong understanding of multi-channel content strategy, SEO, and social media ecosystem dynamics.
• Skilled in storytelling and content creation that connects brand narratives to measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing creative teams, fostering innovation and collaboration.
• Effective collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across all levels
• Proficient in data-driven decision-making, translating analytics into actionable strategies for engagement and growth.
• Adept at building cross-functional partnerships to align brand positioning with institutional priorities.
• Agile in adapting to emerging trends, platforms, and audience behaviors to keep the brand relevant and competitive.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree

Required Experience

• 10+ years in brand, content, or digital strategy roles.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience driving integrated campaigns spanning paid, earned, owned, and shared media.
• Understanding of brand reputation management and thought leadership positioning.
• Proven expertise in social media growth strategies, owned content optimization and influencer engagement.
• Experience managing multi-channel brand presence and aligning creative output to strategic goals.
• Demonstrated success using analytics to drive decision-making and optimize performance.