The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Preferred Education:
Masters
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
For more than 60 years, Cal State East Bay has served the Bay Area as part of the California State University system, providing access to higher education for a diverse student body and advancing regional engagement through its academic programs and leadership. With approximately 14,641 students, a 140,000 global alumni base, and university locations in Hayward, Concord, and Oakland, California, Cal State East Bay invites applications and nominations for its next Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (CCMO).
The Opportunity
Cal State East Bay is seeking its inaugural Chief Communications and Marketing Officer to lead a unit that will centralize services and staffing in support of the campus community.
The University seeks to maximize its messaging, streamline its processes, and elevate its brand, reputation, and revenue streams specifically focused on public and private philanthropic support.
The inaugural CCMO should be an industry leader with proven experience; an experienced executive with a successful history of building and fostering a strong in-house team of creative, digital, and content professionals; a thought partner who has an extensive background in messaging and deliverables; and accurate communication and marketing professional with the highest levels of direct experience, industry expertise, and competitive drive.
Cal State East Bay seeks a proven professional who truly understands brand strategy and reputation management and has been successful in these arenas in a higher education setting.
Institutional Vision
To be a catalyst for student equity, life-long learning, innovation and educational success that amplifies upward mobility for all communities.
Mission Statement
Cal State East Bay serves and values a student body with diverse lived experiences. Through innovative teaching, experiential learning, research, campus life and community engagement, our students, faculty and staff use their knowledge and experience to build and contribute to an equitable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable world.
Institutional Values
Cal State East Bay believes in and upholds the following values:
Equity and Justice: We commit to identifying injustice and acting to make equity and accountability integral to all of our decisions and practices.
Educational Engagement: We align knowledge, resources, and equitable support to center students' strengths to grow personally and professionally.
Belonging: We foster a strong sense of belonging and pride with the goal of creating an engaged university community.
Innovative and Bold Action: We imagine and build a better future for all through an innovative exploration of ideas and critical thought.
Integrity and Accountability: We uphold a culture of integrity, which includes being honest, respectful, and transparent. We believe in holding ourselves and others accountable and always striving towards improvement.
Respect for the Planet: We honor the earth and our ancestral and indigenous intelligence and promote environmental sustainability on our campus, our communities, and our nation.
Accreditation
Cal State East Bay is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and University Commission. In addition to institutional accreditation, several individual programs have been accredited by national organizations.
Athletics
Cal State East Bay is an NCAA Division II member. In 2020-2021 there were over 260 student-athletes representing: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track and field, softball, swimming, volleyball, and water polo.
Responsibilities
The Chief Communications and Marketing Officer will be a visionary leader and facilitate Cal State East Bay’s activities and efforts surrounding content, marketing, branding, creative, digital, public relations, and media outreach.
Reporting to the Vice President of University Advancement, the CCMO will serve as a strategic thought partner for all campus entities, including constituents and leaders. Among a wide range of responsibilities, the position encompasses the following:
Lead, manage, and promote the Office of University Communications and Marketing;
Advise the Vice President of University Advancement, President, and senior leadership on all issues related to marketing and communications and serving as spokesperson for the institution;
Enhance the university’s reputation through strategic marketing campaigns, branding, media, public relations, and crisis communications;
Develop and implement a comprehensive and inclusive brand strategy and marketing plan for all university programs and services;
Lead the university’s crisis communications planning and response and executing strategies related to issues and reputation management by FEMA and other federal, state, and local guidelines;
Review and approve all external branding, marketing, and communication contracts after soliciting appropriate feedback from campus stakeholders.
Salary
The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Leadership Profile
Evelyn Buchanan, Vice President of University Advancement, joined Cal State East Bay in May 2022. She leads the offices of alumni and constituent engagement, university communications & marketing, and university development. Additionally, Buchanan serves as the Cal State East Bay Educational Foundation Board president. Prior to her arrival at CSU East Bay, Vice President Buchanan led Chico State’s fundraising and campaign initiatives as Associate Vice President of Development and has more than 25 years of prior experience in advancement. She has maintained vice president for advancement positions at Carthage College and Franklin Pierce University and has had leadership roles at Colgate University, SUNY Empire State College, and the Culinary Institute of America.
Applicant Review
Confidential applications and nominations will be accepted until the position is filled. For best consideration, applications and nominations should be provided by February 28, 2023.
How to Apply
Shaff Fundraising Group, LLC is assisting California State University East Bay in this search. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. Individuals who wish to nominate a candidate should submit a nomination letter, including the nominee's contact information. Application materials should include a letter addressing how the candidate’s experiences match the position requirements, a curriculum vitae or resume, and five references. References will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission. Submission of materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged.
Confidential inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be directed to the following:
For more information about CSU East Bay, please visit www.csueastbay.edu.
EEO Statement
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Cal State East Bay does not discriminate on the basis of any protected categories: age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, gender, immigration status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status. The university is committed to the principles of diversity in employment and to creating a stimulating learning environment for its diverse student body.
Qualifications and Preferred Characteristics
Cal State East Bay’s inaugural Chief Communications and Marketing Officer should have a master’s degree from an accredited institution. The CCMO should have significant experience in marketing and branding with demonstrated knowledge and success in managing and growing diverse revenue streams. The inaugural CCMO should also have considerable experience in communications and public relations; experience designing, leading, and/or assessing comprehensive campaigns for brand strategy and programmatic approaches; a strong track record for building partnerships that foster an appreciation for the mission and impact of higher education, especially at the highest levels of research and service; excellent management skills including concise communication and organizational skills; and an understanding of the efficiencies gained through centralized operations. Candidates with considerable experience in enrollment and philanthropic marketing are preferred. Candidates are required to have a minimum of a graduate degree and three years of management experience.
About California State University, East Bay
Cal State East Bay serves and values a student body with diverse lived experiences. Through innovative teaching, experiential learning, research, campus life, and community engagement, our students, faculty, and staff use their knowledge and experience to build and contribute to an equitable, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable world. Through its educational programs and activities, the university strives to meet the educational needs and to contribute to the vitality of the East Bay, the state, the nation, and global communities.
Founded in 1957 as State College for Alameda County, Cal State East Bay has undergone several strategic transformations throughout its history. Most recently, in January 2005, the CSU Board of Trustees voted to change the university’s name from California State University, Hayward, to California State University, East Bay, to better reflect the university’s regional service to Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
With three campuses, one in the Hayward Hills overlooking San Francisco Bay and the other in the Concord foothills of Mt. Diablo, plus a professional center in dynamic downtown Oakland, the ...university’s footprint covers critical areas throughout the Bay Area. Today, Cal State East Bay serves approximately 14,000 students, employs approximately 1,700 faculty and staff, and maintains 140,000 alumni globally. The operating budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023 is $221 million. In 2020-2021 the institution secured over $7,000,000 in private support and $18.3 million in sponsored contracts and grants.
Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top public university, Cal State East Bay offers more than 80 degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels each year and 30 credential and certificate programs. Academic programs are offered through the College of Business and Economics, the College of Education and Allied Studies, the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, the College of Science, and the Continuing Education unit. Students are provided a rigorous academic course of study with a real-world curriculum to prepare graduates for a lifetime of personal achievement and career success. In a combined effort from faculty and staff, the university prides itself on creating an environmentally sustainable campus and fostering a culture committed to ancestral and indigenous intelligence that promotes climate consciousness.
