Head of Marketing and Communications

Salary: £47,389.00 - £50,253, with progression to £56,535 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 01 February 2026

The Role

The Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to drive marketing, communications and student recruitment across the Faculty. You will lead a specialist team, work closely with academic and professional partners, and play a pivotal role in promoting our research strengths, meeting recruitment targets and enhancing the Faculty’s reputation.

You will have substantial experience of working across marketing and communications activities and with extensive knowledge of developing, implementing and evaluating evidence-based marketing, communications and student recruitment strategies for a wide range of audiences.

This role is full time, fixed-term until 31 December 2027. Interviews will be held Friday 6th February. For informal enquiries about the role please contact Laura Johnson, Deputy Director of Faculty Operations, [email protected]

We currently operate a blended working model with the majority of time spent on campus. The hiring manager will discuss the requirements of the role, should you be invited to interview.

To apply, please attach your CV and a cover letter that demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria for the position, as outlined in the Person Specification of the Job Description. Any requested additional documents required as part of your application, should be included within the same file as your cover letter. The total file size must not exceed 10MB.

Key Accountabilities

To lead, motivate and manage the Faculty Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment Team and oversee a wider community of practice across the Faculty to devise, develop and implement a range of plans and activities to support strategic objectives and encourage excellent team engagement To act as the senior provider for expertise and guidance in marketing, communications and student recruitment to academic and professional services colleagues across the Faculty enabling collaboration and positive working relationships To be the key senior professional services contact for the Faculty working with Central Teams including Advancement, Central Marketing, Communications, the International Office, UK Student Recruitment and Admissions to ensure strategies and plans are closely aligned and activity is integrated To lead the development and implementation of evidence-based student recruitment and marketing strategies, plans and events for the Faculty working with Central and other Faculty teams to meet student recruitment targets To lead the delivery of internal communications to inform and encourage stakeholder buy-in across the Faculty, doing so in conjunction with the Central and other Faculty teams where necessary Promote the Faculty’s research innovation through appropriate marketing and communications channels both internally and externally working closely with Central and other Faculty teams where required To oversee the development of integrated content and collateral relating to the Faculty’s portfolio spanning education, research and innovation liaising with Central and other Faculty colleagues to ensure extensive reach and engagement Oversee the Faculty’s annual programme of outreach activities and student recruitment events working in partnership with Central and other Faculty Teams to ensure alignment with the requirements of the Office for Students and the University’s Access and Participation Plan Work with Faculty Insights and Education colleagues to ensure strategic decision-making for portfolio development and student recruitment initiatives are evidence-based Contribute as a member of the Faculty’s Leadership Team and represent the Faculty on committees and working groups across the University To manage the Faculty marketing, communications and student recruitment budget, monitoring and evaluating all activity to ensure maximum value and return on investment Responsible for reporting to senior Faculty and University staff relating to strategic objectives, plans and KPIs Maintain a high level of knowledge and expertise in areas directly related to marketing, communications and student recruitment, including admissions, widening participation, funding/scholarships, consumer rights and data protection, alongside a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities affecting UK and international student recruitment Represent the Faculty and University in the UK and overseas, as required Undertake any other relevant duties within the Faculty as commensurate with the post

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Substantial experience working across marketing and communications with the ability to oversee a multichannel approach Significant experience of home and international student recruitment and marketing through progressive roles in Higher Education Extensive knowledge of developing, implementing and evaluating evidence-based marketing, communications and student recruitment strategies for a wide range of audiences Excellent experience of leading, motivating and managing a high performing team Outstanding communication and engagement skills, with the ability to persuade and influence stakeholders at all levels Exceptional attention to detail and a proven ability to perform under pressure Excellent analytical and numerical skills with the ability to review accurate data to inform the strategic direction A high level of organisational skills to manage multiple projects at pace and to tight deadlines Experience of event planning and management Experience of budget management and ensuring value for money Understanding of the Higher Education sector and the external context which impacts marketing, communications and student recruitment activities

Attributes and Behaviour

Highly motivated self-starter, with a track record of proactively identifying new opportunities and developing innovative, creative solutions to problems Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to develop strong professional relationships with internal and external colleagues of all levels, with a focus on excellent customer service A track record of working effectively across a complex organisation Willingness to undertake UK and international travel and to work occasional unsociable hours as required

Qualifications

(Essential)

Qualified to Degree level or equivalent

(Desirable)

Professional marketing qualification (Desirable)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 29035