Executive Director, Content and Digital Strategy

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Communications Officer, the Executive Director, Content and Digital Strategy is a key leader within Columbia Business School’s Marketing and Communications team, overseeing a vision for the School's strategy  and operational direction for the thought leadership content ecosystem and its digital and marketing platforms. With a relentless focus on what’s new and next, this position oversees the core engines of the Marketing and Communications function, content development and digital strategy, aligning them as a unified function that advances the School’s strategic priorities, deepens brand presence, and increases impact across global audiences and channels.

The Executive Director lives at the intersection of editorial excellence and content strategy, translating vision into action by guiding editorial and platform innovation to elevate CBS’ position as a premier source of business insights. The ED offers high-level editorial direction, guiding digital implementation and product development.  The role oversees both the content/ editorial team and the digital marketing and technology team, ensuring that strategies, workflows, and creative outputs are aligned, data driven, and executed with excellence while leading the School’s evolution toward an agile, audience-centered communications model with cohesive, measurable, and forward-looking content and digital strategies at the core.

The incumbent manages complex stakeholder relationships and partners closely with senior leadership, faculty, research centers, and communications professionals across CBS to translate institutional priorities into compelling storytelling and best-in-class digital experiences. The position manages departmental resources and oversees staffing and team development.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers, and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools which advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs.

Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world. Our ever-evolving curriculum - featuring pioneering AI courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning -prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and innovation, twenty-first century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS’ educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

Digital Strategy and Leadership

• Develops and implements a comprehensive digital strategy that amplifies CBS thought leadership across  platforms and channels.
• Guides the continuous evolution of CBS’s content ecosystem, identifying opportunities to enhance user experience, expand reach, and modernize tools and infrastructure.
• Ensures seamless integration of content strategy and digital execution so that messaging, storytelling, and platform experiences reinforce one another.
• Identifies and builds  distribution opportunities in the evolving media landscape, including emerging channels and potential partnerships.
• Directs the Senior Director of Digital Marketing and Technology and the broader Digital Marketing and Technology team in advancing KPIs, analytics frameworks, dashboards, and performance reporting that inform strategic decision making.
• Sets site strategy for the flagship website and oversees execution of site updates and redesigns as needed.
• Leads digital product development, platform modernization, and innovative technology adoption, including site redesigns, new feature rollouts, and cross platform enhancements.
• Champions audience centered digital transformation across the School, ensuring stakeholders are supported through change and aligned to the broader strategic vision.
• Defines and evolves data-driven insights based on School goals.

Editorial Strategy and Thought Leadership

• Sets the editorial vision and standards that shape how CBS presents its ideas, research, and expertise to external and internal audiences across channels and media types.
• Directs the Senior Director of Content and Editorial and the broader Content and Editorial team in leading best in class content planning, editorial development, and multi channel editorial execution that reflects School priorities and strengthens CBS’s thought-leadership voice.
• Establishes and safeguards a consistent, compelling, and accessible editorial voice that reinforces CBS’s position at the center of business.
• Guides the development of editorial frameworks, narrative themes, and content priorities that elevate faculty research, School initiatives, and emerging areas of expertise.
• Conceives and oversees the creation of high impact editorial products that deepen engagement with key topics and strengthen CBS’s reputation in the business and academic communities.
• Collaborates with faculty and senior leadership to translate complex concepts into clear and influential storytelling across channels.

Strategic Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Serves as a senior advisor to faculty, research centers, and administrative leaders in shaping how ideas and initiatives are translated into compelling editorial and digital experiences.
• Collaborates with Communications, Marketing, IT, Advancement, and external partners to ensure brand cohesion and integrated planning.
• Supports the Chief Communications Officer in aligning cross functional communications, content strategy, and digital strategy across the institution.
• Represents CBS in University wide initiatives related to content strategy, digital modernization, and platform development.

Team and Resource Management

• Leads, mentors, and develops high performing teams across content, editorial, digital marketing, and technology, ensuring clarity of roles, priorities, and accountability for results.
• Strengthens cross team coordination and workflow integration to improve efficiency and elevate creative and technical output.
• Oversees budgeting, resource allocation, vendor management , and long term operational planning to ensure effective use of departmental resources.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in content strategy, editorial execution, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success in both strategic planning and hands-on content development across multiple formats.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing multichannel content strategies and thought leadership platforms at scale.
• Track record identifying, championing and onboarding new distribution channels, content types or editorial approaches
• Significant experience leading digital transformation initiatives, including platform redesigns or digital product launches.
• Exceptional editorial judgment with experience overseeing high volume, high stakes content development.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment.
• Proven ability to lead cross functional teams and influence senior stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in higher education, mission driven organizations, or similarly complex institutions.
• Experience in business and or/financial content
• Familiarity with digital analytics tools, CMS platforms, SEO strategies, and audience growth methodologies.
• Experience launching or managing editorial products such as newsletters, podcasts, video series, or research platforms.
• Understanding of user experience design, accessibility standards, and digital design principles.
• Experience guiding teams through organizational change and digital evolution.