What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing position at State University of New York, Cortland?
The Associate Vice President (AVP) for Communications and Marketing provides strategic leadership for the institution’s integrated communications and marketing efforts and serves as the senior communications strategist. The AVP for Communications and Marketing develops and implements comprehensive strategies to enhance the university’s brand, reputation, and visibility while supporting enrollment, fundraising, recruitment and institutional priorities. The position serves as the Public Information Officer during crisis management situations.
Watch to learn about careers at SUNY Cortland: https://vimeo.com/1038936490
Watch to learn about careers at SUNY Cortland: https://vimeo.com/1038936490
What makes SUNY Cortland a great place to work?
- Our positions provide predictable salary progressions, and many offer permanency
- Generous benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, various retirement program options, paid family leave and/or parental leaves, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, long term disability and tuition reimbursement
- SUNY Cortland prioritizes work-life balance and well-being in all forms. The university’s state-of-the-art Student Life Center is free for employees to use, with membership options for families. SUNY Cortland’s Child Care Center welcomes the children of employees and community members, as space allows. Alternate work schedules are available with a supervisor’s approval
- Professional development opportunities exist through training, continuing education programs, tuition reimbursement and conference travel, based on funding
- Cortland County and surrounding areas offer easy access to arts, entertainment, outdoor recreation and much more. Experience Cortland dives deep into the region’s offerings
Major Responsibilities
Public Relations
- Serve as the primary media contact for the University and maintain a liaison role with news media, radio, and television to give the campus proper and fair external coverage
- Share college, faculty, and student achievements with local, regional, and national media outlets, tailoring each announcement to its specific audience
- Ensure thorough evaluation of how the University’s initiatives and programs impact surrounding communities and the broader region
- Create media relations guidelines, compose news stories and scripts, launch specialized publications, write articles, and handle urgent communications needs
- Represent the university at various community events including meetings, town halls, celebrations, and formal dinners
Comprehensive Content Creation
- Responsible for the Universities photography, video, social/digital media, website design, and content
- Oversee university-wide publications, including alumni magazine Columns, monthly internal and external newsletters, web content for Cortland.edu, presidential annual reports
- Responsible for shaping and implementing University marketing and advertising decisions across campus and including enrollment management, faculty/staff recruitment, campus event management
- Lead market research efforts that guide strategic decisions
- Responsible for the design and production of visual communications across numerous platforms including print, digital, multimedia and other mediums
- Responsible for budget oversight of communications, marketing, and sports information as well as the campus brand development operations
Crisis Management
- Lead crisis communications planning and response in collaboration with university leadership; communicating information and updates as needed to internal and external audiences
- Collaborate with University leaders to devise swift responses to unexpected events and issues
- Serve on the university’s Incident Management Team (IMT)
Brand Management
- Ensure consistency of institutional brand identity across all platforms and materials
- Responsible for enforcing college policies regarding brand and style guidelines
- Lead innovative marketing campaigns that differentiate the institution in a competitive landscape
- Manage and enforce all Cortland related trademarks
Campus Leadership
- Provide public relations counsel and recommendations to executive leadership
- Collaborate with and serve as a resource for senior University leaders with specific communications-related strategies and initiatives
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the senior leadership team on marketing, branding and communications matters and is a member of the President’s Advisory Committee
- Foster positive collaborative relationships with campus and community constituents
University Relations
- Responsible for coordinating and developing campus and community messaging
- Serve as a liaison with government representatives and represent SUNY Cortland during meetings with SUNY’s government relations team
Personnel Management
- Manage a team of marketing and communications professionals
- Direct the development of compelling content that effectively communicates the institution’s value proposition
- Monitor workloads throughout the division and prioritize staffing needs accordingly
- Complete annual performance evaluations and performance plans for each direct report and provide guidance and direction for their personal and professional development
- Facilitate regular staff meetings, including communications and marketing personnel outside of Institutional Advancement
Functional and Supervisory Relationships
- Reports to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement
- Supervises staff in marketing, communications and sports information
- Works closely with the Chief of Staff and Presidents Office, Admissions, Development, Alumni
Required Qualifications
- A master’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations or a related field
- Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in communications and marketing
- Minimum of 3 years in a leadership role with direct supervision of staff
- Experience with crisis communications and reputation management
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in higher education communications or marketing
- Significant experience and success in working with the media
About the University
A top public university of approximately 6,600 students located in the geographic center of New York State, SUNY Cortland provides accessible, affordable education to students from across the U.S. body. One of 13 comprehensive universities in the State University of New York system, SUNY Cortland prides itself on its rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, sciences, education, and professional studies. For more than 150 years, SUNY Cortland has provided unmistakable value for students seeking a well-rounded academic, athletic, and social experience. The University ranks among the top campuses in the nation on Money magazine’s “Best Colleges for Your Money List,” fields a powerhouse Division III athletics program and boasts an impressive network of alumni making a difference in education, business, government, fitness, medicine and many other fields.
EEO Statement
The State University of New York at Cortland is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity/Americans with Disabilities Act (AA/EEO/ADA) employer. The university actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the university.
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