Position Summary The Head, Branding and Communication will be responsible for designing and implementing the university's branding and communication strategy to enhance its visibility and reputation nationally and globally.

Key responsibilities include developing and managing strategic communications, creating and distributing press releases, leading internal and corporate communication efforts, and ensuring consistency across all branding and messaging. Collaboration with various departments to achieve organizational goals will also be an essential aspect of this role.

Key Responsibilities

1. Brand Strategy & Positioning

- Design and implement the university's overall branding strategy to enhance its visibility and reputation, nationally and globally.
- Define and safeguard brand identity, tone of voice, and visual guidelines, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints and departments.
- Shape the university's positioning relative to leading national and global higher education institutions, tracking the competitive landscape.
- Lead brand architecture decisions across schools, research centers, and university-wide institutional initiatives.

1. Strategic & Corporate Communications

- Develop and manage strategic communications for the university, including institutional messaging, leadership communications, and key announcements.
- Create and distribute press releases and manage relationships with media outlets, journalists, and industry publications.
- Draft speeches, talking points, and communication material for senior leadership, including the Vice-Chancellor's office, as required.

1. Marketing, Campaigns & Digital Presence

- Lead comprehensive branding and marketing strategies and campaigns to support student recruitment, rankings, and reputation-building goals.
- Own the university's digital presence, including website content strategy, social media, and digital advertising, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines.
- Leverage AI-enabled tools and emerging technology trends in branding and communication to strengthen reach, personalization, and campaign effectiveness.
- Track marketing and communication performance through data and analytics, using insights to optimize campaigns.

1.



Internal Communications & Culture

- Lead internal and corporate communication efforts to keep faculty, staff, and students informed of and engaged with institutional priorities.
- Support employer branding initiatives that strengthen the university's positioning as an employer of choice for faculty and staff.
- Partner with HR and academic leadership to communicate institutional milestones, achievements, and culture-building initiatives.

1. Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Collaborate across academics, admissions, alumni relations, student affairs, and administration to ensure consistent messaging aligned with organizational goals.
- Work closely with the Vice-Chancellor's office and senior leadership to align branding and communication priorities with institutional strategy.
- Engage with global academic communities, partner institutions, and international stakeholders to support the university's global positioning.
- Manage external agencies, vendors, and consultants (creative, PR, digital, media buying) to ensure quality, consistency, and cost-effective delivery.

1. Events, Content & Thought Leadership

- Oversee branding and communication support for flagship institutional events, convocations, conferences, and other high-visibility occasions.
- Enhance the visibility of faculty and researchers by creating platforms that showcase their expertise, research, and contributions to national and global academic discourse.
- Drive content strategy across print, digital, and video formats to tell compelling stories about the university's people, research, and impact.

1. Team Leadership & Budget Management

- Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing branding and communications team.
- Own the branding and communication budget, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and demonstrating cost efficiency.

Qualifications and Experience




- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or a related field.
- 1520 years of experience in branding, marketing, or communications, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience leading comprehensive branding and marketing strategies and campaigns, preferably in a senior communication or branding role.
- Prior experience in higher education, research, or a large, complex institutional setting is preferred.
- Experience working with global academic communities and international stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications
- Experience across multiple sectors, in addition to higher education.
- Global exposure or international work experience.
- Demonstrated track record of achieving cost efficiency in branding and marketing operations.
- Robust understanding of the competitive landscape of higher education, nationally and globally.

Skills & Competencies

Core Skills

- Expertise in Strategic Communications and Corporate Communications.
- Solid understanding of emerging trends in AI and technology use in branding and communication.
- Ability to lead comprehensive branding and marketing strategies and campaigns end-to-end.
- Strong understanding of higher education sector trends, rankings, and public relations.
- Proficiency in digital marketing, social media strategy, and content/campaign analytics.
- Budget planning, vendor negotiation, and agency management skills.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication, including speechwriting and executive-level messaging.
- Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to work with global academic communities and cross-cultural audiences.

Behavioral Attributes
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into hands-on execution.
- High ownership, creativity, and attention to detail in building and safeguarding the institution's brand.
- Collaborative mindset and interpersonal skills, should be comfortable working across academic, administrative, and external stakeholder groups.

Compensation and Benefits Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

📌 Head - Branding and Communication (Greater Noida)
🏢 Shiv Nadar University
📍 Greater Noida