Vice President for Marketing and Communications

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Work type: Administrative & Professional
Senior management: Senior Vice Pres Advancement
Department: Marketing and Communications
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Categories: Advancement, Communications / Public Relations / Marketing

Job Description

The vice president for marketing and communications is a strategic leadership role responsible for developing and executing comprehensive marketing and communication strategies to strengthen and enhance the university’s brand, drive growth and institutional visibility, and support the university’s top priorities as well as those of Advancement and other college and unit partners.

Reporting directly to the president of the university, with a dotted-line relationship to the senior vice president for advancement, the vice president is a member of the President’s leadership cabinet who collaborates closely with Advancement’s leadership team and provides front line support and contact for university and advancement leaders.

The vice president for marketing and communications serves as a strategic advisor to the president and university leadership, represent the university in public and in the media as university spokesperson, leads crisis communications planning and response, oversees institutional brand and reputation management, and is responsible for the development of comprehensive marketing and communications planning initiatives that leverage data-driven insights and innovative approaches to maximize institutional positioning, brand promotion, and the strategic elevation of the university’s reputation.

This position partners closely with the president, the senior vice president for advancement, and others to foster relationships and provide oversight for our work with the University’s Board of Visitors. As a senior leader on campus, the vice president is expected to be visible and involved in various campus events and activities, and advance a spirit of transparency and visibility internally and externally.

The vice president for marketing and communications directly oversees a central team of marketing, creative and communications professionals dedicated to supporting a number of university-level functions, including:

  • Paid and owned platform direct marketing
  • Earned media engagement and promotion
  • Owned digital platforms for internal- and external-facing news and communications
  • Direct email platforms targeting faculty and staff, students, and external subscriber audiences
  • Primary and secondary university web platforms
  • Social and other new media strategy and institutional channel oversight
  • Design, visual, writing and web development creative teams
  • Brand development, training and application
  • Commercial and promotional licensing of branded merchandise
  • Marketing automation tools and strategy
  • Publication of the recently redesigned Virginia Tech Magazine along with the development of a new interactive digital magazine platform
  • Internal communications coordination and support
  • Crisis communications and strategic messaging
  • Advancement communications, including those targeting major gift prospects, corporations, foundations, and principal gift prospects
  • Oversight of NPR member public radio station WVTF and Radio IQ, with signals that cover all of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Through formal and informal partnerships, the vice president also provides overall direction and leadership to a broad team of marketing and communication professionals including college- and unit-based communications and marketing leaders.

Required Qualifications

• 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 strategy, social media, content strategy, artificial intelligence applications, and emerging marketing and 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.

• Experience advising leadership and managing communications in moments of crisis.

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

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

Preferred Qualifications

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

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

• Experience promoting and supporting research excellence

• Understanding of government relations and the need to work with local, state and national officials and agencies

• 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.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$350,000 - $375,000

Hours per week

40

Review Date

Open until filled

Additional Information

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. 

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

About Virginia Tech

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.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Advancement Human Resources at advhr@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

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