The Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications (AVP) is responsible for the successful development and implementation of the College’s branding strategy, communications, media relations, marketing, and public relations campaigns. Reports to the Vice President of Public and Governmental Affairs, the AVP is a key member of the College’s Cabinet who leads a team of marketing and communications professional staff in developing marketing plans and messaging that tells the College’s story, internally and externally, while promoting the institution’s mission, vision and goals. The AVP leads these efforts with a proactive and collaborative approach to supporting both strategic organizational and targeted departmental initiatives through a comprehensive and innovative program. 

Responsibilities and Duties

• Leads, develops, and executes comprehensive and proactive college-wide communications and marketing plans to promote the College’s mission, strategic goals, and aspirations. 
• Establishes department plans, goals, and objectives, effectively allocates fiscal and human resources, engages contractual partners, implements systems of effective controls to achieve expected outcomes and evaluates progress to ensure effective and efficient operation. 
• Oversees the design and production of all marketing, communications and advertising products that promote the College’s mission and image, using market research to determine the most effective techniques for reaching target audiences while maintaining brand integrity.
• Responsible for the College’s brand management and ensuring continuity of its use throughout the College by developing and implementing related standards, policies, and procedures.
• In collaboration with the Assistant to the President, communicates the College’s position and policies on a variety of issues and represents the College to specific media and to various constituencies and serves as the media liaison and College spokesperson in the absence of the Assistant to the President.
• Develops and executes campaigns for advertising, promotions, and public relations, including coverage of College events, that communicate the value and accomplishments of the College to maximize positive exposure in local, national, and global markets and fosters a network of professional relationships, media contacts and community resources from which to draw on.
• Serves as an advisor to the executive leadership team providing strategic direction and counsel regarding public relations and communications and proactively engages within the College identifying opportunities to capitalize on telling the College’s story and strategizing with departments to assist in goal attainment.
• Oversees the design, development and ongoing maintenance of the College’s web resources to achieve a fully integrated web presence, entrenched with the College brand and focused on the end user to maximize experiences for students and the public.
• Responsible for the College’s social media presence including the maintenance of accounts, development of campaigns, and the promotion of this medium at the departmental level.
• Directs internal and external communication strategies to create consistent on-brand messaging and serves as a member of the College’s Emergency Management Team, assisting the Assistant to the President as needed with crisis and emergency communications and media inquiries. 
• Creates a collegial, service oriented and team focused environment, where staff are motivated and encouraged to work collaboratively and build relationships with other College partners and participate in professional development that maintains competency and currency within their field of expertise.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Reports to: Vice President, Public and Governmental Affairs

Qualifications

Required:   A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or related field with at least (6) years of relevant work experience that include project management and supervision at the senior level or an equivalent combination of education and experience equal to ten (10) years is required. 
Additional Requirements:  

• Strong experience with Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite or the equivalent.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to convene others around ideas and plans.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with a wide range of communications and marketing strategies and tactics.
• A criminal background check will be conducted.

Preferred Requirements:   

• Master’s degree and/or professional certification in marketing or public relations.
• Experience in higher education.