Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, the SAVP enjoys direct and unfettered access to university leadership. This individual will lead the development and execution of an integrated marketing and communications strategy that advances institutional priorities, strengthens stakeholder engagement, supports fundraising objectives, and elevates Virginia Tech's visibility and influence among key audiences. Central to this work is the ability to position and promote Virginia Tech as a destination of choice for exceptional faculty, staff, and students, leveraging strategic communications and brand stewardship to strengthen recruitment and enrollment outcomes. The successful candidate will bring a strong marketing orientation, ensuring the University not only communicates effectively but also differentiates itself in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape through intentional brand stewardship, audience engagement, and reputation management.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the voice, brand, and reputation of a globally recognized public research university at a pivotal moment in its history. Virginia Tech's next SAVP will lead a talented and evolving organization through a period of institutional transformation, presidential transition, and growing national visibility. This leader will be a brand visionary who embraces innovation and is prepared to explore how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence can strengthen storytelling. Working closely with university leadership and partners across the institution, the SAVP will define a bold strategic vision for marketing and communications, coordinate a complex and distributed communications ecosystem, and develop innovative approaches that strengthen audience engagement, institutional reputation, and measurable results. The successful candidate will serve as a key strategic advisor, helping to position Virginia Tech locally, nationally, and globally, for continued growth, distinction, and impact while building a high-performing, collaborative culture that advances the University's most important priorities.

To succeed, the next SAVP must possess the professional acumen, leadership experience, and instincts necessary to operate in a large, complex, and highly visible organization. This individual will be an accomplished marketing and communications executive with experience leading enterprise-wide initiatives, advising senior leaders through challenging and high-profile situations, and driving meaningful organizational change. They will bring a demonstrated ability to foster coordination across diverse stakeholders, establish accountability in distributed environments, and leverage data, analytics, and emerging technologies to inform strategy and measure impact. The next SAVP should bring an entrepreneurial orientation – someone who can spot opportunities, build new approaches, and move quickly in a competitive environment.

A detailed leadership profile can be found here. 

• A master's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, business administration, higher education, public administration, or a related field; or a bachelor's degree combined with significant professional experience that equates to advanced education.

• Extensive and progressively responsible leadership experience in marketing, communications, public affairs, brand strategy, or related disciplines.

• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing integrated marketing and communications strategies that advance institutional priorities and measurable outcomes.

• Significant experience in brand development, audience engagement, reputation management, and strategic storytelling.

• Expertise in digital communications, social media, content strategy, artificial intelligence applications, and emerging communications technologies.

• Demonstrated understanding of global marketing and communications trends, issues, and strategies within complex organizations operating across diverse audiences and markets.

• Proven ability to utilize data, research, analytics, audience segmentation strategies, and marketing technologies to inform decision-making, personalize engagement, and evaluate effectiveness.

• Demonstrated success leading, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.

• Experience advising senior executives, elevating leader visibility and thought leadership, and navigating complex, high-profile communications challenges.

• Strong understanding of media relations, journalism standards, and the contemporary communications environment.

• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Experience managing significant budgets, resources, and organizational priorities.

• Understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing major public research universities.

• Experience supporting fundraising, advancement, alumni engagement, or constituent relations initiatives.

• Experience within higher education or other complex mission-driven organizations.

• Experience overseeing or partnering with media organizations, public broadcasting, journalism, or related enterprises.

• Demonstrated success leading large-scale reputation, branding, or institutional visibility initiatives, ideally with a global reach.

• Experience leveraging marketing technologies, CRM platforms, and advanced analytics capabilities.

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Regular

40

October 19, 2026

WittKieffer is assisting Virginia Tech in this search. All applications, nominations, and inquiries can be submitted through the WittKieffer Candidate Portal. Applicants should submit, as two separate documents, a CV or résumé and a letter of interest that addresses the themes outlined in the leadership profile. For full consideration, candidate materials should be received by October 19th, 2026.

Nominations and inquiries can also be directed to Suzanne Teer, Ashlee Musser, and Jenna Brumleve at VirginiaTechSAVP@wittkieffer.com.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.