Associate Vice President of Marketing Strategy

Kansas State University seeks an Associate Vice President of Marketing Strategy to lead enterprise marketing strategy, market intelligence, and integrated planning across a distributed marketing and communications environment. Reporting to the Vice President for Communications and Marketing, the AVP provides senior counsel to university leadership and partners with colleges and units to strengthen brand positioning, campaign impact, and measurable outcomes.

The Division of Communications and Marketing advances Kansas State University's mission by strengthening brand reputation, supporting recruitment and engagement, and enabling colleges and units with strategy, creative services, digital platforms, and data-informed marketing practices.

This position is On-site. This position is eligible for hybrid work with regular on-campus expectations in Manhattan, Kansas. The role requires availability for routine and scheduled meetings during the work week and occasional evening/weekend commitments for key events and time-sensitive institutional needs. Remote work is granted at the discretion of the direct supervisor and consistent with university policy.

All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• 10 years of relevant experience. Education beyond the minimum degree requirement may count toward required experience if deemed relevant by the hiring manager.
• Must have a valid driver's license (or the ability to obtain one) to support occasional travel between K-State locations as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, business, journalism, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible marketing experience, including integrated campaign strategy.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing people and/or leading complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to use market research, analytics, and performance metrics to drive decisions.
• Master's degree in a related field.
• Higher education experience, ideally within a research-intensive, land-grant, and/or Big 12 or Power 4 environment.
• Expertise in audience segmentation, journey mapping, and omnichannel campaign strategy across digital and traditional channels.
• Experience establishing marketing governance and standards in a decentralized organization.
• Experience with marketing technology ecosystems (CRM/automation integrations, web analytics, SEO/SEM, DAM).
• Strong executive presence and consultative skills; ability to influence without authority and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in sensitive matters.
• Proficiency with standard office productivity tools; ability to learn and use analytics and marketing platforms.
• Ability to work occasional evenings/weekends and to travel for university business.
• Ability to be available outside of office hours or standard work day.

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship

Please submit the following documents:

1. Letter of interest addressing minimum and preferred qualifications
2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
3. Contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notice.

Applications close on: February 27, 2026

$145,000 to $190,000, commensurate with experience