Chief Marketing Officer

As the first University College in Wales, Aberystwyth has a long and distinguished tradition of teaching excellence and world-leading research, and our establishment in the 19th century is one of the great stories of pioneering achievement in modern Welsh history. Now a university with a strong community of over 6,000 students and 2,000 staff, and named as the top university in England and Wales for student experience in the Times and Sunday Times’ Good University Guide 2025, Aberystwyth is consistently ranked amongst the best universities in the UK for teaching quality and student satisfaction. 

There is nowhere quite like Aberystwyth: no other University offers the unique combination of long academic tradition, a stunning location with spectacular views over the historic market town of Aberystwyth and the Cardigan Bay coastline, and a campus that brings together state-of-the-art facilities with access to one of the six copyright libraries in Britain. As an anchor institution we are a source of inspiration to our communities and stakeholders and are proud of our civic commitment and significant contribution to our region and Wales.  

With a new strategic plan and focus, a reinvigorated senior leadership team and new academic structure, this is an exciting time to be joining us and our vibrant community. Reporting direct to the Vice Chancellor and a member of the University’s executive board, this is a new role, and you will have strategic responsibility for a broad range of mission-critical services that includes marketing, student recruitment, admissions & conversion, global engagement and events. Already ranked as Wales’s top university for student experience and with student numbers growing domestically and internationally your task will be to build from this position of strength in a challenging and highly competitive global market for higher education. 

To apply you will have substantial leadership experience gained in higher education and significant experience of developing data-led strategies across marketing, recruitment & admissions and an impressive track-record of managing multi-functional marketing departments utilising data insights to deliver student recruitment growth. You must be able to strike an effective balance between big-picture thinking and operational imperatives gained at a senior leadership level and have a deep appreciation of the current challenges faced by the university sector. A technical expert with either a relevant degree of professional qualification, you will also possess excellent leadership qualities and the ability to be a collegiate influencer at a strategic level. Importantly, you will demonstrate commitment to the University’s mission, vision and values and to ensuring an inclusive workplace and student experience. You will have an appreciation for the Welsh language, working in a bilingual working environment. 

For further information about this exceptional opportunity please visit https://www.dixonwalter.co.uk/opportunities/aber-chief-marketing-officer/ or contact Alan Walter at Dixon Walter at alan@dixonwalter.co.uk or on 07876 766972

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 1^st June 2025

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