Manager, Marketing (Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic)

Manager, Marketing (Based: Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, or one of UCA's campus communities)

Manager, Marketing

Department: Communications and Marketing Department

Duty Station: Preferred Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, or one of UCA's campus communities

Accountable to: Director, Communications and Marketing

Application Deadline: 17 June 2025

Purpose

Manager, Marketing is a relationship- and results-oriented communicator who promotes the university’s programs by showcasing their practical application and impact and by fostering trust in, and sustained affinity to, the University of Central Asia. The incumbent is an integral part of a bright, collaborative, and curious team who demonstrate best practice in identifying evidence-based, inspiring, and effective solutions to communications challenges. Manager Marketing, working with UCA’s schools and corporate departments to advance university initiatives. The incumbent holds accountability for creating outstanding, high impact, and audience-focused marketing campaigns. As a backbone for all communications and marketing endeavours, the incumbent integrates effective, trustworthy storytelling into all initiatives.

Reporting

Manager Marketing reports to the Director, Communications and Marketing. The incumbent works closely with vendors and suppliers to meet marketing objectives.

Critical Accountabilities and Outcomes

1. Lead marketing initiatives to advance university priorities.

• Create and implement overarching and campaign specific cohesive marketing plans, with clear metrics, for the regions where UCA operates and, where applicable, beyond.
• Manage the office’s marketing budget, ensuring wise use of resources.
• Conduct market research and segmentation to ensure reach to target audiences.
• Implement and/or oversee multi-channel student recruitment initiatives and campaigns.
• Develop audience-centric content and collateral that reflects the university’s strengths, ambition, and impact.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the university to launch new programs.
• Work closely with, and provide mentorship to, colleagues in the university whose roles including marketing components.
• Ensure marketing is intentional, impactful, and a wise use of human and financial resources.
• Establish streamlined marketing processes.
• Continuously evolve marketing, considering external factors.
• Bolster and give staff the tools to promote programs within their circles of influence.

Key Outcomes

• Cohesive, creative, and targeted marketing.
• Sustainable, cost-effective marketing solutions.
• Targeted brand amplification with constituents.
• Evidence-based, best practice marketing.
• Regular assessment of marketing efforts.

2. Practice integrated, impactful storytelling to advance and amplify trust in UCA.

• Generate stories that offer audiences insights into the breadth and depth of UCA’s people, programs, and contributions.
• Showcase the university’s thought leadership and impact.
• Use storytelling principles to respond to challenging issues and crises.
• Continuously evolve storytelling to be relevant and meaningful.

Key Outcomes

• Cohesive, coherent, audience-focused communications and marketing.
• Targeted brand amplification with constituents.
• Well-informed stakeholders with increased affinity to UCA.

3. Practice and cultivate a culture of trust and effective, open communication.

• Build and sustain trusting relationships inside and outside the university.
• Model and promote collaboration.
• Provide guidance, mentorship, and coaching to internal collaborators.
• Work through conflict with courage, effectively addressing interactions that negatively impact a culture of open communication within the team and in the university.
• Encourage and demonstrate the value and impact of diversity of perspective and experience.

Key Outcomes

• Effective, multi-way communication flow within the University.
• Recognition, appreciation, and embracing of communications as a core competency for all staff.
• Effective, timely conflict resolution.

4. Demonstrate curiosity, growth, and collaboration.

• Recognize and celebrate colleagues.
• Identify gaps in own abilities and actively work to strengthen competence.
• Maintain currency of skills and knowledge, continually deepening understanding, honing expertise, and growing as a leader.

Key Outcomes

• Continuous professional and personal growth.
• Evolving understanding and practice of effective communications.
• Respectful, functional team dynamics.

Independent and Collaborative Decision-Making

Manager Marketing, is expected to lead, promote, and model approaches, attitudes, and behaviours that build and sustain trust, demonstrate open and effective communication, practice collaboration and engagement, and grow internal communications capacity.

The position has agency and accountability for making independent decisions to:

• Build, implement, and evaluate marketing plans and campaigns.
• Determine and use effective, audience centred tactics, channels, and platforms.
• Create and/or approve marketing content.
• Provide strategic marketing counsel within the university.
• Prioritize initiatives within scope.

The incumbent will practice collaborative decision-making within the team to:

• Prioritize incoming requests for communications and marketing expertise, support, and counsel.
• Respond to an emerging issue or crisis.
• Navigate high-risk or sensitive communications, including with certain audience segments.
• Lead project teams and/or working groups on specific initiatives.

Qualifications

Education

• Undergraduate degree in marketing, communications, business, or related field.
• Designation, or eligibility for designation, in a recognized professional association, preferred.

Experience and Knowledge

• Minimum of five years of experience in progressively responsible marketing in a complex organization, preferably in a university environment.
• Proven experience with marketing, preferably in the not-for-profit and/or post-secondary sector.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing, implementing, and evaluating cost-effecctive, innovative, measurable, multi-stakeholder, multi-channel marketing plans.
• Demonstrated success in achieving goals and outcomes.
• High proficiency in, and deep understanding of, marketing tools and platforms.
• Proven experience building and maintaining trusting relationships internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated confidence in aligning diverse ideas and experiences to achieve shared goals.

Abilities

• Self-starter; works independently with minimum supervision.
• High level of critical thinking, judgement, and discernment.
• Bright, solutions-oriented; learns quickly.
• Listens carefully; actively pursues a diversity of opinion, perspective, experience, and knowledge.
• Team-oriented; models collaborative approaches and decision-making.
• Maintains calm and responds with integrity in difficult situations.
• Adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced environment.
• Successfully manages multiple projects.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Russian.

Considerations

• This position will require occasional travel to countries where UCA operates.

How to Apply

Ready to join our team? We kindly invite you to submit your application for this position by clicking the Apply button on this page. To facilitate a smooth application process, please create an account on our website. Be assured that the account setup and application steps are straightforward.

Candidates from the founding countries of UCA: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan are encouraged to apply for the position.

Applications will be reviewed when received. Early applications are strongly encouraged. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.