Senior Director, Data Strategy

Senior Director, Data Strategy Kent Campus - Kent, OH Salary: $86,439 - $107,778 Basic Function:
Leads the Engagement and Optimization Team by facilitating cross-platform data integration, audience analytics and strategic performance reporting. Through a blend of technical expertise with strategic storytelling, the position collaborates with college partners and division leads to inform and improve audience engagement, campaign planning and content delivery. Coordinates with cross-university experts and users to guide institutional data strategy for audience engagement and performance measurement and to ensure alignment across the university.

Reports to Senior Associate Vice President, University Communications and Marketing (UCM) and Vice President, UCM. Additional Basic Function – if applicable:
As Kent State advances its digital transformation vision, the Engagement & Optimization Team (EOT) will play a foundational role in operationalizing a university-wide audience engagement data strategy. This team supports strategic, data-informed communications and marketing through unified content strategy, optimization, and measurable, personalized engagement across all platforms. These efforts span across all university communication channels and engagement systems with the goal of elevating the university's total audience engagement strategy across all user touchpoints.

The Senior Director of Data Strategy leads the Engagement & Optimization Team and directly supervises the Content Optimization Specialist and the UX and CRM Manager. This position facilitates cross-platform data integration, audience analytics, and strategic performance reporting. The Senior Director blends technical expertise with the ability to utilize data for storytelling and collaborates with University Communications and Marketing (UCM), college partners and division leads to inform and improve audience engagement, campaign planning and content delivery.

The Senior Director of Data Strategy will coordinate with a standing group of cross-university experts and users to guide institutional data strategy for audience engagement and performance measurement and to ensure alignment across the university. This position reports to the Senior Associate Vice President of University Communications and Marketing and the Vice President of University Communications and Marketing. Examples of Duties:
Duties/essential functions may include, but not be limited to, the following:
· Collaborate with IT and other university partners to unify and optimize audience data and reporting systems.
· Identify and deploy AI tools for analytics, audience engagement, user journeys and personalization.
· Define KPIs and develop actionable insights to guide content strategy and multichannel engagement.
· Build and maintain dashboards and performance reports using data from owned channels, paid campaigns, earned media, university CRM systems and other audience engagement efforts.
· Coordinate with cross-university experts and users to guide institutional data strategy for audience engagement and performance measurement and to ensure alignment across the university.
· Identify data-informed opportunities for improving engagement for all audiences.
· Collaborate with content creators and leadership to ensure data informs planning, testing, and optimization.
· Provide direct supervision to unclassified staff.
· Perform related duties as assigned. Additional Examples of Duties – if applicable:
Not applicable.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in data analytics, marketing analytics, computer science, information systems, statistics, digital marketing, or a related field. Six years of relevant experience in data strategy, marketing/performance analytics, or digital strategy roles. License/Certification:
None. Knowledge Of:
· Content optimization trends and tools
· Data governance and compliance standards (FERPA, GDPR, etc.) Skill In:
· Communications, including the ability to convey complex data information to users that are varied in skill and understanding of data and tools
· Strong collaboration and communication skills to work with stakeholders…