Job Details

Executive Director for Marketing & Strategic Communications, Dedman School of Law (HR Title: Dir, Mktg & Communications)

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Position Number: 7145829
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Public Relations, Marketing and Communications

Executive Director for Marketing & Strategic Communications, Dedman School of Law (HR Title: Dir, Mktg & Communications)

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

Lead the Dedman Law Marketing and Communications team implementing a cutting-edge marketing and communications strategy campaign to highlight the strengths of Dedman Law. Manage and enhance the school's brand image and messaging across various channels, including the law school's website, email communications, and social media for faculty, staff, centers, clinics, etc. Work with the Dean and staff to implement a communications plan for key external audiences. Collaborate with faculty, media outlets, and stakeholders to enhance the law school's visibility. This role will be responsible for leading and actively producing high-impact storytelling that elevates the law school's national visibility, strengthens faculty thought leadership, supports enrollment and alumni engagement, and reinforces Dedman Law's distinct brand narrative. The goal of this position is to consistently produce high-quality, high-impact content while elevating the visibility and reputation of Dedman Law internally and externally-regionally, nationally, and globally. This is a hands-on role responsible not only for leading strategy, but also for directly creating, writing, and producing a high volume of content across channels.

Essential Functions:

Implement and execute a marketing and communications strategy to highlight the strengths of Dedman Law. Work with the Dean, the marketing and communications team, and other law staff in the administration to maintain an innovative communications plan for key external audiences. Maintain awareness of faculty scholarship, events, programs, faculty, staff, center, and clinic accomplishments that should be publicized.
Lead and produce a high volume of regular content for the website, press releases, alumni magazine, social media, and alumni and stakeholder correspondence. Write and edit high-quality stories across faculty scholarship, student profiles, alumni leadership, clinics, centers, rankings, and institutional milestones. Own writing and editorial production for the website, digital content hubs, social campaigns, email, magazine features, admissions collateral, and donor communications. This role is expected to be a primary content creator, not solely an editor or manager of content.
Partner with law faculty and media relations and develop written content that amplifies faculty scholarship, op-eds, and expert commentary.
Develop and execute a law school-wide editorial content calendar aligned to institutional priorities. Monitor content performance and recommend new opportunities based on search trends and audience behavior. Establish writing standards, editorial workflows, approval timelines, and publishing processes.
Optimize content for search engine optimization (SEO) and AI-driven generative search environments through keyword strategy, metadata, schema-informed structuring, and internal linking.
Write scripts, develop storyboards, and contribute to the creation of video and multimedia content.
Overall management of the school's brand image and messaging across various channels, including the law school website and social media for faculty, staff, centers, and clinics. Manage a team responsible for web, email communications, and social media presence, as well as oversee the creation of printed materials for internal and external use. This includes planning, writing, honing messaging, and overseeing communication tools such as the law school's monthly newsletter, email communications, annual magazine, media pitches, annual giving fundraising letters and emails, videos, presentations, speeches, and more.
Establish and maintain relationships with media contacts and awareness of media coverage of Dedman Law. Draft and edit press releases and oversee public relations efforts to promote and enhance the law school's reputation and crisis management, if necessary. Connect with SMU central marketing and communications to ensure university brand guidelines are upheld and Dedman Law is accurately represented and promoted across print and digital channels.
Assist the Dean, the law school administration, alumni relations, and development with various law school board meetings, events, lectures, and programs. Coordinate and communicate directly with key Dedman Law alumni and stakeholders for events and Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Coordinate and communicate directly with key Dedman Law alumni and stakeholders for events and Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Track deadlines, oversee internal and external data gathering, and alumni/peer/school/employer outreach efforts for law school rankings. Report ranking results to the key law school administration and appropriate external media outlets. Maintain awareness of new rankings and determine which ones are relevant for Dedman Law participation. Oversee and track marketing and external relations budget.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A Bachelor's degree is required, preferably a degree in marketing, journalism, or communications.

A minimum of seven years of experience is preferred in marketing and communications, professional writing, editorial, and/or content strategy experience. Experience in higher education, legal education, or mission-driven institutions preferred.

Experience with CRM systems and data management is required, Blackbaud or Salesforce CRM is highly preferred. Salesforce Marketing Cloud, desired.

Must have strong executive management skills to manage the Marketing and Strategic Communications Office at Dedman Law.

Must have exceptional writing, editing, interviewing, and story-mining skills. Experience developing content for magazines or institutional publications is preferred.

Must have demonstrated expertise in SEO content strategy and GEO principles and experience with CMS environments and digital publishing workflows.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Experience in communications and/or marketing at a university, law firm, professional school, nonprofit, public or private organization is preferred. The ideal candidate must have a high degree of autonomy, must exercise independent and good judgment, and be able to manage a team. The candidate must have the ability to prioritize and manage projects to meet deadlines and delegate as appropriate to team members. The candidate must possess creative thinking skills and be a strategic thinker.

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University, foster productive internal and external relationships, and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies.

Candidate must demonstrate strong written and communication and editing skills, and have strong organizational, planning, and time management skills. Must have a strong attention to detail and accuracy.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Strong project management skills are essential.

Candidate must have the ability to attend/participate in some evening or weekend events as needed.

Candidate must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Adobe Creative Cloud. Familiarity with CMS (Sitecore), GA4, and social analytics is preferred.

Understanding of law school rankings, and faculty scholarship ecosystems is preferred.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

May 29, 2026.

EEO Statement:

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas

Job: Marketing and Communications

Organization: Dedman School of Law

Schedule: Regular

Shift: Staff

Employee Status: Manager with Direct Reports

Job Type: Full-time

Job Level: Day Job

Travel: No

Job Posting: May 8, 2026, 8:30:20 PM

To apply, visit https://smu.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=DED00000472&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=UTC