LIM College – Where Business Meets Fashion is currently seeking candidates for the position of Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

Founded in 1939, LIM College educates students for success in the global business of fashion and its many related industries. As a pioneer in experiential education, LIM fosters a unique connection between real-world experience and academic study in business principles, offering master's, bachelor's and associate degree programs in a variety of fashion-focused majors. Located in the heart of New York City — the nation's fashion and business capital — LIM provides students with innumerable opportunities for firsthand experience and professional development. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Working closely with senior leadership at the College, the Vice President of Marketing and Communications develops and leads implementation of institution-wide marketing and communications efforts. This vice president creates a multi-year integrated marketing and communications plan for the College, shaping and managing activities that support enrollment and raise the College's visibility and brand reputation with prospective students, parents, alumni, industry and other relevant constituents. The Vice President of Marketing and Communications ensures the quality of the College's varied and integrated marketing and communications, including: branding; social media; print publications; web; and other digital communications; media and public relations. S/he will lead, mentor and develop a team of five marketing and communications professionals, knitting ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND BASIC DUTIES STRATEGY, VISION AND LEADERSHIP

• Oversee the development of the College's brand identity and messaging. Create an effective partnership network across all departments of the College, including faculty, to advance brand building goals.
• Ensure that goals, objectives, and strategies closely integrate digital and social media with traditional editorial and media relations. Deploy an integrated strategy across marketing/communications disciplines (i.e., media relations, employee communications, branding and identity, financial communications, marketing communications, industry relations).
• Lead marketing and communications initiatives that are aligned and in support of the College's mission, vision, and institutional goals as informed by the Strategic Plan. Analyzes and interprets information, conditions, stakeholder positions, and other variables in order to develop a marketing and communications strategy in response to or in anticipation of changing conditions. Coordinate, as appropriate, with outside agency partners, ensuring collaboration and consistency.
• Develop and implement the College's integrated marketing plan to strengthen the College's brand identity; broaden awareness of its programs and priorities; and increase the visibility of its programs (UG, grad, transfer, international, online) across key stakeholder audiences. Plan includes: quantitative and qualitative goals and objectives; strategies to measure progress against those goals; timelines, budgets, and responsibilities defined.
• Work closely with the Vice President of Enrollment Services to continually improve and strengthen the College's marketing and communications to the prospective student audience. Constructs integrated communications flows for all target audiences and ensures the successful execution of these communications. In an environment of increasing competition across higher education, remains current on the College's position vis-à-vis its competitors and creates strategies to gain and sustain advantage in the market.
• Serve as marketing/communications liaison to the College's senior leadership. Advise on media perceptions, public relations issues, marketing strategies, and effective messaging to advance the reputation of the College and to minimize risk.
• Work with leadership team and staff to recognize internal and external communications opportunities and solutions and define and execute appropriate strategies to support them. Inspires creative thinking and fosters problem solving.
• Work closely with the Career and Internship Services team to synergize strategies related to advancing and growing the College's reputation and network within the fashion industry.
• Lead crisis communications, working with departmental team to develop key messages, themes, and talking points for leadership.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OPERATIONS

• Oversee creation and deployment of all College communications and marketing activity.
• Ensure development of high-quality products and channels that effectively deliver the desired message within budget and time constraints.
• Serve as a spokesperson and lead point person on media interactions that promote and/or impact the organization.
• Work collaboratively with the marketing team and subject matter experts across the College to create frameworks and strategies for shared responsibility for content development.
• Work with internal academic and administrative leaders to identify and achieve messaging goals.
• Develop and implements systems to measure the effectiveness of all strategic communications and marketing activities.
• Sustain comprehensive knowledge of the campus, its achievements, mission, vision, goals, policies, practices and infrastructure, and a strong knowledge of current affairs, issues in higher education, and/or specialized subject matter.

TEAM DEVELOPMENT/MANAGEMENT

• Lead, mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach on a consistent basis.
• Recruit and manage marketing and communications team as well as faculty, Board, alumni, student and staff partners to support the development and execution of strategy in a fast-paced environment.
• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
• Establish and monitor staff performance and development goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, and conduct annual performance appraisals.

REQUIREMENTS: The person selected will have the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, public relations, business or a related field; an advanced degree is preferred
• Strong working knowledge of the latest digital and print developments and trends, publications, e-communications, social media, content marketing, SEO, SEM, branding and market research techniques and practices.
• At least seven years of experience, with a record of demonstrated success and progressively responsible roles in marketing and/or communications, preferably in the higher education sector.
• Significant experience in management and supervision, able to build teams, encourage and support team members, and bring out the best in each professional.
• Experience coordinating efforts with a variety of external partners on creative processes and projects, while personally contributing to the success of projects.
• Exposure to online education and awareness of best practices associated with SEO and other marketing trends.
• Familiarity and experience working with the New York City media market is desired.

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