Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Vice President for Marketing and Communications

The Pennsylvania State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Vice President for Marketing and Communications.  The Vice President will be the University’s chief marketing and communications officer and will develop the University’s brand vision, strategy and campaigns to attract the best students, motivate its alumni and donors, and recruit world-class faculty and staff.  Penn State is the Commonwealth’s sole land-grant institution and comprises the University Park campus, which is also the largest campus and administrative hub for the University, and 23 other campuses throughout Pennsylvania.  With nearly 100,000 students, more than 40,000 full- and part-time employees, and more than 500,000 alumni, Penn State’s reach is nationally and globally extensive.  

This senior leadership position, which reports to the President of the University, will be  responsible for all marketing and communications to include:  brand research and strategy; print, broadcast and digital outreach; content and creative services; executive communications; internal communications; strategic media relations; issues and crisis management; digital and social media; leadership and collaborations with college and campus marketing professionals; training and development across the University; measurement and performance management to ensure accountability and continuous improvement; and innovation initiatives to capture new or emerging opportunities.  In addition to leading the University’s substantial central team of marketing and communications professionals, this position will provide strategic direction, ideas, and support to academic and administrative units.    

This professional will support the overall mission of Penn State and will possess the following experiences and qualities:  understanding of a complex, dynamic environment; ability to translate research insights and intelligence into actionable strategy; proven experience in collaboratively working with multiple and diverse constituent groups; ability to rethink processes; record of establishing effective measurement systems; a strong, proven commitment to diversity; extraordinary interpersonal and communication skills; and change management ability.  The successful candidate will possess 15 or more years of successful senior leadership experience in brand building, marketing and communications.  A baccalaureate degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.  

Heyman Associates has been retained to manage the search process.  Applications and nominations, including a resume and cover letter, should be emailed to T.R. Straub at trstraub@heymanassociates.com [4].

Final candidate(s) for the position will be required to complete a full background check process including criminal, child abuse, credit, education, employment, and motor vehicle verifications, as appropriate.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.



jeid-099f2bb292a42385fd56c52479c813d2