Director of Brand and Marketing (Associate Director of External Relations)

The University of Reading is seeking an outstanding and highly experienced candidate to lead our Brand and Marketing Department driving implementation of a strategic and insight-led approach to embed and deliver consistent and sector-leading activities across all markets and channels to our audiences in the UK and globally.

The University of Reading has been at the forefront of UK higher education for nearly a century. We are a collaborative community of innovators and pioneers, pushing academic boundaries and leading social change. We are committed to working together to address the world’s biggest challenges. We are one of the UK’s leading research intensive universities, ranked among the top 200 universities in the world (172nd in the world, 25th in the UK - QS World University Rankings 2025) and extremely proud to be recognised for our leadership in climate and environmental sustainability. We are a truly international institution operating in a highly competitive, global market.

Our 2020-2026 Strategic Plan commits the university to “challenge and transform the outlook of the students we educate, and improve the lives of our neighbours, the prospects for our country, and the future of our planet”. Working towards the plan’s culmination in 2026 and continuing beyond this, our Centenary Year, we want to significantly build on our successes to date, growing our student body and strengthening our brand and profile around the world.

The role of the newly formed Directorate of External Relations is to support delivery of this ambition. Incorporating four professional service Departments; Global Engagement, Brand & Marketing, Communications & Engagement and Future Students, the Directorate will provide strategic guidance and advice on and delivery of integrated activities and services in global marketing, student recruitment and admissions, brand building, fundraising and communications, stakeholder and reputation management.

The Director of Brand and Marketing will lead and support an agile and flexible Department which includes our teams of talented professionals delivering our student recruitment marketing and campaigns and our marketing engagement (incorporating Market Research and Engagement Services, CRM and Data Insights, Events, Creative and Print, Content and University of Reading Music).

The role reports to the Director of External Relations and will provide long-term, as well as day-to-day, strategic and operational advice and guidance on brand and marketing across the University.

As an Associate Director of External Relations, the postholder will also play a crucial role within the Directorate Senior Leadership Team (SLT), working closely and collaboratively with the other Department Directors responsible for strategic and operational oversight of the Directorate. Across the Directorate there is a strong legacy of working together, using RACI and matrix management principles, to maximise the impact of the skills and expertise across the Directorate in an efficient and effective way. it will be the shared responsibility of the SLT to further embed this, within their own Departments, ensuring all within the Directorate are able to work in cross-team groups, taking direction different, relevant project leads as required for specific outcomes.

Please note that interviews for this role will take place on Wednesday 18 December 2024. The interview process will include a short, 10min, presentation and Q&A with colleagues from across the Brand and Marketing Department, a chance to meet senior colleagues across the wider Directorate as well as a standard panel interview.

We are looking for someone with substantial experience in a directly relevant role:

You will:

• Be a creative and strategic thinker with clearly evidenced experience of leadership within higher education brand and marketing and successful legacy of outstanding and high impact delivery.
• Be a strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills able to inspire trust and confidence across multiple audiences and stakeholders with whom you will work.
• Have extensive knowledge of brand and marketing disciplines and operations and their potential within Higher Education e.g. campaigns (UK and global), marketing, content, creative services, market research etc.
• Be highly collaborative and personally driven with experience of cross-team (matrix) working and project leadership and a proven track record of motivating teams and individuals.

Contact Name: Fiona Blair

Contact Job Title: Director of External Relations

Contact Email address: f.j.blair@reading.ac.uk

Alternative Contact Name: Vicky Pearson

Alternative Contact Job Title: Director of Communication and Engagement

Alternative Contact Email address: v.a.pearson@reading.ac.uk

Closing date: 8/12/2024

Interviews will be held: Wednesday 18 December 2024

By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants wishing to consider the SWR must ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement before applying. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.