POSITION: Director of Marketing & Communications - Conservatory of Performing Arts

DEPARTMENT: Marketing

REPORTS TO: Managing Director of Marketing

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Point Park University seeks a creative and dynamic director of marketing and communications for the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) to lead strategic branding, public relations and enrollment-focused marketing initiatives for two of the nation's premier performing arts training programs: the School of Dance and the School of Theatre, Film and Animation. This position will play a central role in attracting, engaging and enrolling diverse, talented students while advancing the overall visibility of COPA and its nationally recognized programs.

The director will also develop marketing strategies that incorporate the Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University as a signature living-learning laboratory where COPA students gain hands-on professional experience. Reporting to the university's managing director of marketing, this role will work closely with COPA administration, faculty, artistic recruitment and enrollment management, the Playhouse leadership team and the university's AVP of public relations to build compelling campaigns and lead proactive outreach that showcase student success, faculty artistry and the unique career pathways nurtured within Point Park's COPA offerings.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, arts administration or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of marketing leadership experience, preferably in higher education, the performing arts or a related creative industry.
• Proven success designing and executing marketing campaigns that drive enrollment or audience engagement.
• Strong understanding of enrollment cycles and recruitment marketing within competitive arts-training environments.
• Excellent written, verbal and visual communication skills with the ability to craft compelling stories to gain local, regional and national attention.
• Experience managing digital campaigns, media buys and creative asset development.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with multiple internal and external stakeholders (e.g. faculty, staff, enrollment teams, artistic directors, vendor partners, media outlets).
• Passion for the performing and cinematic arts and a deep appreciation for COPA's mission to prepare students for professional lives in the arts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Lead the planning, development and execution of integrated marketing and communications strategies to drive enrollment and increase visibility for COPA's School of Dance and School of Theatre, Film and Animation.
2. Work closely with contracted agencies and in-house team to design targeted student recruitment campaigns across digital, social, print and event platforms with an emphasis on reaching high school students, families and arts educators.
3. Collaborate with the director of artistic recruitment and undergraduate enrollment management to ensure alignment of COPA recruitment marketing with university-wide enrollment goals.
4. Elevate the Pittsburgh Playhouse as a hub of artistic excellence and experiential learning, ensuring its productions and programs are integrated into broader marketing and student recruitment efforts.
5. Create storytelling content that highlights faculty, student and alumni achievements, positioning COPA as a national leader in performing and cinematic arts education to develop and pitch to media outlets, trade publications and our target audience of prospective students, families and arts educators.
6. Manage and analyze performance metrics for COPA marketing and communications efforts, providing data-driven insights to inform future strategy.
7. Oversee creative projects to include but not be limited to admissions materials, program guides, videos and feature stories.
8. Coordinate with faculty and administrators to ensure messaging accurately reflects program strengths and student experiences.
9. Serve as liaison between COPA and the university's Office of Marketing and Communications to maintain brand consistency and share best practices.