Vice President for Marketing & Communications

Position Summary:

Reporting directly to the President as a strategic advisor, the Vice President for Marketing and Communications is the chief marketing and communications officer who serves on the University’s executive leadership team (President’s Cabinet) and manages a broad team of marketing and communication professionals. The team overseen by this vice president has two of the following primary responsibilities:

(1) strengthening the TLU brand and (2) enhancing the institution’s visibility. This position partners closely with the President and also serves as a liaison with the University’s Board of Regents to ensure a strategy to meet internal and external marketing needs. This position requires marketing leadership for our main campus, as well as two smaller Nursing sites. It involves work in a primarily undergraduate student environment, but with growing graduate programs. As a senior leader on campus, this vice president is expected to be visible and involved in a variety of campus events and activities and to advance a spirit of transparency and visibility internally and externally.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The primary duties and responsibilities of the Vice President for Marketing and Communications are as follows:

• Lead the staff and direct the marketing and communications planning and strategy for integrated work in media relations, social media marketing, publications, graphic design, digital communications, including TLU’s website, and all other internal and external communications channels.
• Serve as the developer, ambassador, and advocate of university-wide brand strategy. Lead brand refresh as appropriate.
• Oversee the progression of the university’s brand identity and messaging strategy, establishing a well-defined and articulated framework that aligns with TLU’s strategic vision
• Steward the TLU brand to a place of clarity and prominence by utilizing data to inform the development of strategic communications and marketing plans that achieve awareness, affinity, engagement, preference, and conversion.

• Lead the integration of communication strategies across campus, working with faculty, staff and student organizations.
• Oversee University Relations and Church Relations strategies and activities.
• Ensure and oversee the quality of all efforts from the Office of Marketing and Communications, including graphic standards and other policy guides.

• Coordinate media relations and public outreach and the university’s unique relationship to the community and the region.
• Provide supervision and professional development for staff in this area.
• Oversee budget development and management for the area.
• Meet regularly and collaborate closely with TLU’s President and advise President on strategic messaging.
• Serve on the President’s Cabinet and provide regular guidance, updates, and communication to this senior leadership team.
• Serve as the institution’s marketing/communications strategic leader and advisor.
• Advise on media relations, public relations issues, significant internal change management, and effective messaging to advance the reputation of the university.
• Serve as the university’s spokesperson and director of crisis communications.
• Utilize research, market analysis, and market insights to uncover TLU’s marketing opportunities.
• In partnership with Admissions, develop and deliver marketing programs that drive interest, inquiries, visits, and applications.
• In partnership with Development and Alumni Relations, develop and deliver communications programs that drive participation, volunteerism, and philanthropy. Promote and leverage signature alumni engagement and development activities that deliver philanthropic support and grow the pipeline.
• Advance digital capabilities by developing a customer-centric digital and social platform in which students, prospective students, faculty, alumni, and other stakeholders can experience all that TLU has to offer.
• Coordinate special projects as assigned.
• Maintain a professional image.
• Bring an institutional perspective as a member of the senior leadership team for the university.
• Approach work in a collaborative way, with demonstrated leadership abilities.
• Identify and participate in resolution of departmental/institutional problems with continuous quality improvement as a goal.
• Direct and develop a high-performing team, with attention to professionalism, accountability and a service-orientation.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, or related field is required; master’s degree in communications, marketing, or related field preferred. Appropriate experience in higher education preferred.
• At least fifteen years of increasingly responsible experience in marketing and/or communications.
• Demonstrated self-motivation, creativity, and initiative.
• Excellent communication skills, poise, diplomacy, honesty, integrity, enthusiasm, and perspective.
• Understand and support the mission and strategic plan of Texas Lutheran University.

Preferred Qualifications Include, but not limited to:

• Strength in all communications skills
• Outstanding writing, strong oral presentation, listening, and interpretive skills
• Ability to relate to culturally diverse campus community
• Ability to work independently, demonstrate good judgement, and make decisions based on precedent and university policy
• Confidential and discrete
• Experience using social networking and news media as key marketing tools
• Effective supervisory, personnel management, budgeting, and time management
• Collaborator with extraordinary people and relationship-building skills
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and adaptable

• Record of success in developing effective communications strategies for a variety of audiences

• Proven leadership experience and the ability to inspire trust and instill confidence in an institution

• Energetic presence and willingness to be actively engaged in a community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni

Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position is filled, though the preferred deadline for applications is December 20, 2024. Inquiries, nominations, and applications may be directed in confidence to the Vice President for Marketing Search Committee at humanresources@tlu.edu.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted until later in the search process. Diverse and traditionally underrepresented candidates are encouraged to apply.