Vice President, Government and Community Affairs

Employer: Georgia State University
Location: Atlanta, GA

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Employment Type: Full Time
Institution Type: Four-Year Institution

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Description

Vice President for Government and Community Affairs

Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

The Opportunity

Georgia State University (GSU) seeks a dynamic, politically sophisticated, and highly strategic leader to serve as Vice President for Government and Community Affairs. This is a rare opportunity to shape the policy, funding, and civic engagement agenda of one of the nation’s most innovative public research universities, nationally recognized for pioneering student success, advancing social mobility, and driving research and community impact.

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, just blocks from the Georgia State Capitol, GSU occupies a uniquely influential position at the intersection of higher education, government, and economic development. The university’s proximity to the center of state government, combined with its deep integration into the fabric of Atlanta’s business and civic ecosystem, enables it to play an outsized role in shaping policy and advancing initiatives that impact the state of Georgia and beyond.

The university’s downtown campus, five Perimeter College campuses, and Buckhead Executive Education Center enable a broad regional impact and strong connections to the state’s civic and policy landscape.

Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President will serve as the university’s chief strategist and advocate for all government relations and community engagement efforts. This leader will help amplify GSU’s voice, strengthen its influence, and advance its mission as a leading research university committed to opportunity, innovation, and impact. This role will work collaboratively with our Vice President for Research and Economic Development, as well as all cabinet members and college deans, to support the work of economic development in state government and local municipalities.

About Georgia State University

Georgia State University is a nationally recognized leader in transforming higher education through innovation. With one of the most diverse student bodies in the country and a proven model for improving graduation rates and closing achievement gaps, GSU has become a national model for promoting student success at scale.

With our new strategic plan, Blueprint to 2033, we have a renewed focus on identity and placemaking, student success, research and creative excellence, and preparing students for meaningful careers and civic leadership.

As a public research university located in the heart of downtown, GSU plays a central role in Atlanta’s continued growth as a global city. Its students, faculty, and research enterprise contribute directly to workforce development, economic mobility, and solutions to complex city challenges—from public health to education access to economic development.

Georgia State plays a significant role in populating the workforce in our region, with nearly 80% of our graduates remaining in our state to work. Finally, our momentum is propelled by extraordinary community support, including an unprecedented transformational $80M gift from the Woodruff Family Foundation and a historic $600M capital campaign with most of the dollars already committed.

The Role

The Vice President for Government and Community Affairs will lead a comprehensive, high-impact strategy that integrates government relations, community engagement, and external advocacy in support of the university’s strategic priorities. The role requires a sophisticated understanding of the policy landscape, strong political acumen, and the ability to operate effectively at the intersection of higher education, state government, and municipal leadership.

This executive will serve as the principal liaison to the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor’s Office, the state’s congressional delegation, and key federal agencies, while also cultivating deep relationships across Atlanta’s civic and business communities.

The Vice President works closely with University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents to advance shared advocacy efforts, including operating and capital funding priorities, and ensure consistent, unified representation of system priorities before state and federal policymakers.

The Vice President will also serve as the university’s senior leader for community engagement, cultivating strategic partnerships with civic organizations, neighborhood leaders, nonprofit institutions, economic development entities, and corporate partners. This leader will strengthen Georgia State’s role as an anchor institution and trusted partner in addressing regional challenges and advancing opportunities for economic mobility and community impact.

The Vice President will coordinate and advance federal advocacy efforts through strategic engagement with Georgia’s congressional delegation, federal agencies, national higher education associations, and the university’s federal lobbyist partners in Washington, D.C.

Equally important, the Vice President will serve as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership, providing strategic insight on legislative and regulatory developments, shaping institutional priorities, and ensuring that GSU is well-positioned to achieve its short- and long-term goals.

Key Priorities and Impact Areas

Elevate GSU’s Policy Influence

Advance a proactive, coordinated advocacy strategy that strengthens GSU’s position with state and federal policymakers

Secure and sustain public investment aligned with GSU’s priorities in student success, research, and infrastructure

Shape policy conversations related to higher education, workforce development, and city innovation

Leverage Location and Relationships

Maximize GSU’s unique positioning to deepen engagement with state leaders and policymakers

Expand and strengthen relationships with influential stakeholders across government, business, and the nonprofit sector

Serve as a visible and respected voice representing GSU’s interests and contributions

Advance the Mission

Position GSU as a central partner in addressing Atlanta’s and Georgia’s most pressing challenges, including economic mobility, educational access, and workforce readiness

Build partnerships that connect university expertise with community needs and public priorities

Partner closely with University Advancement and institutional leaders to support fundraising priorities, strengthen donor relationships, and identify opportunities for public-private partnerships

Support GSU’s BluePrint to 2033 Strategic Plan

Align advocacy, policy engagement, and external partnerships with the four Presidential Pillars

Secure public investment

Shape statewide priorities

Expand the university’s impact on Georgia’s economy and communities

Strengthen Institutional Alignment

Lead an integrated approach across government relations, communications, and campus leadership to ensure clarity of message and purpose

Provide timely, actionable intelligence on legislative and policy developments

Align advocacy and engagement strategies with institutional priorities and measurable outcomes

Build and Lead a High-Performing Function

Provide strong, effective leadership to the Office of Government and Community Affairs

Develop a cohesive, high-performing team capable of executing a sophisticated, multi-level strategy

Establish clear performance measures and assess the effectiveness of advocacy, engagement, and partnership initiatives through measurable outcomes

The Ideal Candidate

Georgia State seeks a leader who combines political sophistication with a deep appreciation for the transformative power of higher education. The successful candidate will be both a strategist and a relationship builder - someone who understands how to navigate complex governmental environments while advancing an ambitious institutional vision.

Key Attributes

Demonstrated success influencing public policy and securing governmental support at the state and/or federal level

Deep knowledge of Georgia’s political landscape and the legislative process, with established relationships strongly preferred

Strong alignment with Georgia State’s mission as a public research university and its national leadership in student success, social mobility, access, and community impact

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage credibly across diverse constituencies

Executive presence, sound judgment, and the ability to advise senior leaders in a complex, high-profile environment

Experience leading teams and managing sophisticated external affairs operations

This is a compelling opportunity to join a forward-looking institution at a pivotal time—one that is redefining what it means to be a public research university in a large metropolitan city environment. The Vice President for Government and Community Affairs will play a critical role in ensuring that Georgia State University continues to expand its influence, deepen its partnerships, and deliver impact for the state of Georgia and the communities it serves.

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Strategic thinking and systems-level leadership

Exceptional relationship-building and coalition-development skills

Sound political judgment and professional integrity

Strong communication and public-facing leadership abilities

The ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and competing priorities

A collaborative leadership style that fosters trust and alignment across the institution

Qualifications

Minimum Hiring Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and ten years of progressively responsible experience including five years or more of leadership experience; or a combination of education and related experience

Preferred Hiring Requirements:

Recent progressive experience in government relations, public policy, or external affairs

Master’s degree in a related field

Experience in higher education, public systems, or complex organizations

Knowledge of Georgia’s legislative and policy environment

College/Business Unit
Open until filled

Location: Atlanta Campus
Job Posting: 08/03/26, 9:49:24 AM

Founded in 1913 in Atlanta, Georgia State University is the second-largest and one of four research institutions in the University System of Georgia. The University serves one-fourth of the graduate students in the university system; it is within a one-hour commute of more than one-third of the state’s population. Approximately 80 percent of all Georgia State alumni live and work in Georgia.

Georgia State’s main campus is located on 34 acres in downtown Atlanta. University centers in Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead and Henry County offer students convenient suburban locations for graduate courses in business and education.

More than 50,000 students annually attend Georgia State University. While 90 percent of the students are from Georgia, students also come from all 50 states and 160 countries. More than 1,400 international students attend Georgia State and graduate students comprise 31 percent of the student population.

The University offers more than 52 degree programs in more than 250 fields of study – from public policy and African-American studies to biology and health sciences. Degrees are offered at the bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral levels through six units: the College of Arts and Sciences, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Law and Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In addition to the numerous degree programs, Georgia State offers full- and part-time programs and day, evening and weekend classes.

Students have many choices in extracurricular activities including more than 22 fraternities and sororities; and some 250 chartered student groups, including 60 degree-related student groups, seven religious, 24 law-oriented and 22 multicultural/international groups; and 10 honor societies. There is also an active student government association which includes the student senate and the judicial board.

The Georgia State Panthers are members of the Colonial Athletic Association and compete in 16 NCAA Division I intercollegiate men’s and women’s sports, including basketball, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, track and volleyball. The university announced in April 2008 that is will begin Division I-AA football in 2010.

The university’s innovative Touch the Earth program brings outdoor recreation ranging from backpacking, rock climbing, sailing, kayaking, rafting and water-skiing to out-of-state snow-skiing and snorkeling trips. And WRAS, Georgia State’s popular 100,000-watt radio voice, is the most powerful student-run radio station in the United States.