The role
We are seeking two Assistant Director positions in Communications and Marketing across our Faculties.
These newly created roles offer an exciting opportunity to shape and lead strategic communications and marketing across faculties and schools. The Assistant Director, Communications and Marketing will serve as a trusted advisor and collaborative partner, developing a deep understanding of faculty and school priorities to design impactful strategies aligned with both university-wide ambitions and individual faculty goals.
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Assistant Director will lead the commissioning of work from the Strategic Communications and Marketing (SCM) teams in addition to the delivery of local communications. They will champion audience-led, digital-first creative solutions that enhance the university’s brand reputation and drive student recruitment and engagement.
What will you be doing?
In this role, you will:
- Serve as a strategic advisor and senior liaison to faculty and school leadership, aligning communications and marketing efforts with research, reputation, and recruitment priorities.
- Develop and lead annual planning to align faculty and school goals with university-wide marketing strategies, coordinating with shared services for audience-focused delivery.
- Collaborate across SCM teams and other Assistant Directors to shape integrated communications plans, support staff engagement, and drive a user-focused centre of excellence.
- Oversee the identification and development of impactful content that supports strategic reputation and recruitment goals, managing content planning with shared service teams.
- Provide expert insight into content and campaign strategies, ensuring effective targeting, timing, and alignment with media and institutional priorities.
- Lead governance and budget oversight for faculty marketing and communications activity, ensuring compliance (e.g., CMA, GDPR), quality assurance, and alignment with institutional priorities.
You should apply if
What you'll bring to the role:
- Extensive experience in strategic communications, marketing, and staff engagement, with a strong track record of developing and delivering integrated plans that support business, recruitment, and reputation goals.
- Proven ability to advise, influence, and collaborate with senior stakeholders in a complex, matrixed environment, applying sound judgment to navigate competing priorities.
- Demonstrated expertise in audience-led content strategy, digital communications, and engagement across multiple channels, with a strong understanding of social, web, and content trends.
- Strong leadership experience, including managing both direct and devolved teams, and implementing effective processes to balance stakeholder needs with organisational policies and priorities.
- A results-driven, resilient mindset with excellent time management skills and the ability to thrive under pressure while delivering high-quality, impactful work.
- Strong analytical and evaluation skills, with experience using research and data to inform strategy and measure effectiveness. A relevant degree or equivalent professional experience is essential.
- Experience of change management or transformation.
For a full view of the requirements and responsibilities, please refer to the attached job description.
Any informal enquiries, please contact Annabel Chalker, Executive Director of Marketing- Annabel.chalker@bristol.ac.uk.
Work pattern: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week
Our strategy and mission
We recently launched our strategy to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.
The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people - because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.
£59,139 to £66,537 per annum, Grade: L
