Vice President for Marketing and Communications
The Vice President for Marketing and Communications (VPMC) is a cabinet‑level executive whose primary focus is to lead the University’s institutional narrative, positioning, and engagement. The VPMC reports directly to the President and serves as a trusted advisor, helping shape how Florida State University articulates its mission, priorities, and impact to internal and external audiences at local, state, national, and global levels.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and lead a comprehensive, audience‑centric marketing and communications strategy aligned with the University's mission and strategic priorities.
- Lead a proactive reputation management program that strengthens visibility, differentiation, and long‑term brand equity.
- Design and oversee a modern, integrated marketing and communications organization, clarifying roles, decision rights, workflows, and accountability.
- Establish and maintain a cohesive brand platform and university‑wide storytelling framework, ensuring consistent positioning and messaging across all channels.
- Modernize digital, social, and marketing infrastructure, advancing web strategy, analytics, AI-enabled discovery, and targeted lifecycle communications.
- Develop and implement an internal communications strategy that supports transparency, alignment, and engagement among faculty, staff, and students.
- Build trust‑based partnerships with internal and external communicators, agencies, media, and stakeholders.
Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities
The VPMC must combine deep respect for the University's mission with strategic vision, empathetic leadership, and disciplined decision‑making. Candidates should possess sound judgment, credibility, and an ability to earn trust through consistent and transparent action.
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree with a minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, brand management, or a related field; or a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience.
- Demonstrated success leading complex, enterprise‑level marketing and communications initiatives in large, matrixed organizations.
- Proven ability to lead integrated strategies across brand, media relations, executive communications, digital platforms, and analytics.
- Experience providing strategic counsel to senior leadership on institutional narrative, reputation, and communications risk.
- Documented leadership experience in organizational design, team development, performance management, and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Experience managing budgets, stewarding resources, and overseeing relationships with external partners, agencies, and vendors.
- Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex priorities into clear, compelling messaging.
Preferred Qualifications
- Significant experience within higher education, the public sector, or similarly complex, mission‑driven organizations.
- Success leading marketing and communications within decentralized or distributed environments.
- Experience stewarding or evolving an enterprise brand, including positioning, visual identity, messaging frameworks, and storytelling systems.
- Results using data, analytics, and audience research to inform strategy, prioritize initiatives, and measure impact.
- Experience overseeing digital strategy and innovation, including web platforms, social media, multimedia storytelling, and technology‑enabled communications.
Personal Qualities
- Unifying leader who aligns diverse perspectives around shared goals.
- Strategic and forward‑thinking, anticipating challenges and opportunities.
- Credible institutional steward who demonstrates deep respect for the University's mission and culture.
- Confident decision‑maker who communicates rationale transparently and moves the organization forward.
- Resourceful builder, leveraging partnerships, tools, talent, and external expertise.
- Data‐informed leader who sets goals and measures that guide prioritization and improvement.
- Engaged listener who incorporates diverse perspectives into decision‑making.
- Calm, trusted presence that inspires confidence among stakeholders.
Equal Opportunity Statement
FSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Florida's "Sunshine Law" requires that all search committee business be open to public review.
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