Edtech.com's Summary

Virginia Tech is hiring a Vice President for Marketing and Communications. The role leads the university’s marketing, creative, and communications teams, setting strategy to strengthen the Virginia Tech brand and institutional visibility while serving as a strategic advisor and university spokesperson. The vice president reports directly to the university president as a member of the President’s leadership cabinet, with a dotted-line relationship to the senior vice president for advancement.

Highlights

Develop and execute comprehensive marketing and communications strategies that strengthen the university’s brand, drive growth and visibility, and support university and Advancement priorities.
Advise the president and university leadership, serve as university spokesperson with the media, and lead crisis communications planning and response, and partner on work with the University’s Board of Visitors.
Oversee a central team covering paid and owned marketing, earned media, web platforms, email, social media, design and web development, and marketing automation.
Direct Virginia Tech Magazine, including its new interactive digital platform, along with Advancement communications aimed at major gift prospects, corporations, and foundations.
Oversee NPR member public radio station WVTF and Radio IQ, and provide direction to college- and unit-based communications and marketing leaders across campus.
Master’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism, business administration, or a related field, or a bachelor’s degree with significant professional experience equating to advanced education.
Extensive, progressively responsible leadership experience in marketing, communications, public affairs, or brand strategy, including managing significant budgets and leading high-performing teams.
Expertise in digital communications, social media, content strategy, AI applications, and data and analytics for audience segmentation and measuring effectiveness.
Preferred experience in higher education or complex mission-driven organizations, fundraising and alumni engagement, government relations, and partnering with public broadcasting or media organizations.
Salary of $350,000 to $375,000, exempt from overtime, 40 hours per week.

Vice President for Marketing and Communications Full Description

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.

Salary Information

$350,000 - $375,000

Additional Information

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime. Appointment type: Regular. Hours per week: 40. Review date: Open until filled.

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected] during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

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Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Edtech.com's Summary

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