Job Title

Goshen College is a Christian liberal arts institution that prepares students to thrive in life, leadership and service. We strive to model an inclusive community committed to transformative justice, peace, and sustainability. A respect and appreciation of the Anabaptist- Mennonite faith perspective and practices, and a commitment to the mission, vision, core values and community standards of Goshen College, are important for teaching and administrative faculty members.

Position Summary:

The Director of Marketing is a strategic build role responsible for creating Goshen College’s central marketing function from the ground up. This is the architect and infrastructure owner for how Goshen is discovered, understood, and chosen: the Marketing Plan Framework (MPF), digital and web strategy, search and AI discoverability, analytics and CRM systems, audience journey design, brand governance, and measurement discipline that connect institutional storytelling to enrollment, retention, and advancement outcomes.

The Director of Marketing leads strategy, digital infrastructure, data, and organizational design, and is the manager to whom the Marketing & Communications Office (Marcom) reports. The role is a builder and systems thinker first, moving seamlessly between setting direction and shaping the actual content and channel work; the Communications team continues to own writing, editing, and spokesperson duties within the framework the Director of Marketing establishes.

Essential Functions: (Core Job Responsibilities)

• Develop and manage the Marketing Plan Framework (MPF) across campus partners responsible for priority audiences (admissions, advancement, community engagement), including Goshen’s value proposition, message pillars, proof points, audience journeys, channel roles, content standards, and measurement expectations, in collaboration with the President’s Cabinet.
• Convert the MPF into channel plans, campaign priorities, and editorial direction that the Marcom team and campus partners execute against. Lead the annual MPF review, updating audience insight and strategic priorities based on results.
• Own web architecture, content standards, and publisher guidelines across goshen.edu and semi-standalone program sites (Merry Lea, the J.N. Roth Marine Biology Station, Maple Leaf Athletics), and recommend approval processes for major department web changes and new off-domain properties.
• Direct SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO/AEO) so Goshen’s signature programs surface in traditional search and AI-generated college recommendations.
• Manage the measurement infrastructure and CRM integration needed to track the funnel from awareness through inquiry, application, enrollment, and retention, and make that data usable by Admissions, Advancement, and Cabinet.
• In collaboration with the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Vice President for Institutional Advancement, determine strategy for paid media, email sequencing, and text/WhatsApp outreach, including consent, tone, and staff training standards.
• Deeply understand the friction points behind why prospective students disengage or choose no college at all, using inquiry data, admissions feedback, and market signals, and build and continuously refine audience journeys for each priority segment (prospective undergraduate, local first-generation, transfer, graduate, Mennonite-network, and current-family).
• Serve as strategic partner to Admissions, aligning inquiry- and application-generation, yield, and melt-prevention communications with Admissions’ operational execution.
• Serve as strategic partner to Advancement, establishing a recurring joint planning cadence covering campaign calendar alignment, shared content pipeline, and shared brand standards for donor-facing materials.
• Coordinate with Academic Affairs, Athletics, Student Life, and graduate programs to surface program-level proof points and stories into the institutional narrative.
• Develop and recommend a parent-endorser sub-brand model and standards for program-level marks (Marine Biology Station, Merry Lea, Maple Leaf Athletics), in collaboration with the design team, for Cabinet approval.
• Maintain visual and messaging coherence across every channel and campus partner producing public-facing content, without owning direct production of every asset.
• Supervise and direct the Marcom team, including the Communications editorial lead, News and Media Manager, Digital Media Specialist, Graphic Designer, and future marketing hires. Stay close to the work: review content, shape narratives, and give direct, actionable feedback as both coach and editor, rather than only overseeing outcomes.
• Build the operating model: define intake, prioritization, service levels, and working norms so campus partners can request and receive marketing support predictably, and create clarity and momentum for a matrixed structure where most contributors are not direct reports.
• Establish initial marketing budget baselines, refine Year 1 estimates within the first 90 days, and manage the budget going forward, including vendor and contractor relationships. Identify grant-eligible marketing expenditures, including AI-enabled storytelling and digital infrastructure investments.
• Recommend baselines and targets for search visibility, inquiry-to-application conversion, website engagement, and share of voice in AI-generated search, in collaboration with the Vice President for Enrollment Management, and report progress against them to Cabinet.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Supervise and direct the Marketing and Communication Team, including:
  • News and Media Manager
  • Digital Media Specialist
  • Graphic Designer
  • Web Strategist
  • Campaign Manager for Audience Journeys
• Develop and implement an operational model that assists the team define strategies for:
  • Intake
  • Prioritization of marketing requests and projects
  • Service levels
  • Working norms

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; emphasis in marketing, digital marketing, business, or a related field preferred. Master’s degree preferred.
• 7 to 10 years of progressive marketing leadership experience, including building or substantially scaling a marketing function, with direct supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated depth in digital marketing: web strategy, SEO, analytics, CRM, email and paid media, content architecture.
• Preferred: Experience with generative engine optimization (GEO/AEO) or a track record of adapting quickly to new discoverability channels.
• Higher education, non-profit, or mission-driven organization experience strongly preferred; experience serving multiple simultaneous audiences (enrollment, advancement, academic, alumni) is directly relevant.
• Active, hands-on use of AI tools for content, analytics, and audience research.
• A commitment to the mission, vision, core values, and community standards of Goshen College.

Skills and Competencies:

Required:

• Strategic architect and hands-on builder: able to set direction and move execution forward at the same time, moving seamlessly between shaping strategy and shaping the actual content and channel work, without waiting for perfect conditions.
• Strong data and analytical fluency; comfortable setting baselines, targets, and measurement systems where none existed before.
• Strong writer and editor with sound messaging judgment, able to lead value proposition development and give precise, actionable feedback on others’ work.
• Able to create clarity and forward motion in a matrixed environment, earning trust and cooperation across departments without direct authority over every contributor, and building a service model that campus partners actually want to use.
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity and building systems, policies, and standards from scratch.
• Budget development and vendor management experience.
• Sound supervisory and people-development skills.
• Sensitivity to the dynamics of a small, relationship-driven campus community.
• Interest in higher education and in serving multiple constituencies simultaneously.

Physical Demands: 

• Ability to lift light loads (up to 25 pounds)
• Prolonged sitting and use of keyboard
• Ability to complete primary tasks by viewing computer screen(s) for the majority of any given work day (extensive use of computer technology)
• Movement from building to building on campus

Work Environment/Environmental Conditions:

• Work will primarily take place in a standard indoor office environment

 

All of the essential job functions are subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform other job-related instructions as requested by the supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and may change at the option of the (supervisor or department head). Any major change will result in the position being reviewed for reclassification. 

Benefits:

• Healthcare/Prescription insurance (Goshen College pays employee premium)
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life/AD&D (Goshen College pays employee premium)
• Long Term Disability (after 1 year of employment – college pays employee premium)
• Retirement (403(b))
• College contribution to retirement after 90 days
• Free membership to GC Recreation-Fitness Center
• Paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Tuition discounts

How to Apply

Application materials may be attached to the Administrative & Teaching Faculty Application or sent electronically to [email protected].

Goshen College will not be sponsoring candidates for this position.

Required:

• Complete the online Administrative & Teaching Faculty Application
• Letter of Application
• Resume
• A list of three professional references with contact information

E-Verify Statement of Participation

Goshen College participates in E-Verify. If you are hired, we will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Goshen College is an equal opportunity employer, committed to enhancing diversity across the institution. Goshen College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any legally protected status. As a religious institution, Goshen College expressly reserves its rights, its understandings of, and its commitments to the historic Anabaptist identity and the teachings of Mennonite Church USA, and reserves the legal right to hire and employ individuals who support the values of the college. To protect the welfare and provide for the safety of the students, employees, visitors, and resources of Goshen College, background checks are conducted by the Office of Human Resources on all new and re-hired employees.

About Goshen College

Goshen College is a nationally-ranked college and Hispanic-Serving Institution in Indiana renowned for its distinctive hands-on, real-world educational opportunities, and its commitment to creating positive change in the community and the world. The college offers over 65 undergraduate areas of study; as well as best-in-class graduate programs in nursing, business administration, social work and environmental education. This caring, safe and diverse campus prides itself on providing excellent academic programs that connect arts with sciences, and theory with practice — exposing students to multiple perspectives and encouraging them to think deeply, live creatively and lead purposefully. The college is located in the City of Goshen in the heart of Elkhart County, within several hours of Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit. Residents of Goshen enjoy a culturally diverse small-town atmosphere with an active arts community, a vibrant and entrepreneurial downtown, the Maple City Greenway network of bicycle paths and affordable housing prices. Learn more at goodofgoshen.com.

Contact HR

Human Resources
Goshen College
1700 S. Main Street
Goshen, IN 46526-4795
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: (574) 535-7111