Assistant Vice President of Communications and Marketing - Worcester State University

OFFICIAL TITLE: Assistant Vice President of Communications and Marketing
SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Vice President for Enrollment Management
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Office of Communications, Marketing, Design and Printing

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: The Assistant Vice President of Communications and Marketing (AVP) is a university leader serving as part of the President's Executive Cabinet who champions the university's brand, reputation, and the Worcester State story. Overseeing the Office of Communications, Marketing, Design and Printing, the AVP and leads university strategy for communications, marketing, public relations, media relations, crisis communications, advancement communications, and internal communications. The AVP is responsible for developing and implementing integrated communications and marketing strategy and messaging across the institution that supports the university's strategic priorities and ensures university-wide brand consistency. The AVP must be able to work independently and constructively in an institutional setting that strongly values cross-division collaboration, and do so beyond normal business hours.

The AVP is the university's spokesperson and, as the Public Information Officer, is responsible for responding to media inquiries, conducting media outreach and fostering relationships with news reporters. During emergencies, the AVP is the university's Emergency Management PIO and is responsible for leading all crisis communications. As PIO, the AVP works cross-divisionally to support continual improvements to the university's emergency management plans and preparedness, to include appropriate training for the MARCOM team and key leadership members.

The AVP manages, creates, edits, and ensures timely, accurate, clear, and creative communications that promote positive internal, community, and constituent relations. As the champion of the university's brand, the AVP is a key position involved in promoting campus pride and enhancing Worcester State University's reputation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

(E) = Essential

• (E) Is a direct report to the Vice President for Enrollment Management, and also serves as a member of the President's Leadership Team. As a member of the University Cabinet, makes recommendations to the campus's senior leadership on a wide variety of campus matters and brings the perspective of a communications and marketing expert to the table.
• (E) Develops and implements integrated communication and marketing strategies and messaging to support the strategic goals of the University, works with MARCOM departments to set marketing and communications strategies, and develop and track appropriate communications and marketing metrics to assess effectiveness of institutional and department-level strategies, uses metric to engage in continuous improvement;
• (E) Oversees undergraduate, graduate and university marketing strategies for student enrollment in close collaboration with the Director of Marketing and VP of Enrollment;
• (E) Oversees advancement communications strategy for fundraising and alumni engagement in collaboration with the MARCOM Communications Director and the Director of Advancement Communications in collaboration with the VP of University Advancement
• (E) Serves as university's Emergency Management PIO, completes all training associated with the role, and ensures MARCOM staff is appropriately trained for emergency management duties. Acts as an essential employee during emergency and weather-related events, as the PIO on the Emergency Management team, to assure timely and accurate communication to campus constituencies.
• (E) Oversees and makes continual improvement to university's communications practices, procedures and systems. Ensures that all university communication practitioners are adhering to university editorial standards, and writing and sharing content so that it is widely available for repurposing through various communication and social media vehicles, in an integrated way;
• (E) Works to ensure the most efficient means of coordinating design, editing, photography, and videography functions in a way that best serves marketing and communication priorities;
• (E) Oversees internal communications and collaborates with the Communications Director to develop and maintain effective internal communications practices that meet internal campus communication goals; provides communications leadership in support of diversity and inclusion efforts on campus.
• (E) Works with the President's Office collaboratively and as needed providing communication and public relations support for efforts led by that office. Also provides communications support and advice to other university leaders, including the Vice President for Enrollment Management and the Vice President for Advancement, for key messages to the campus community.
• (E) Works to meet the University's strategic goal of a vibrant campus life and a collaborative work and learning environment in which all members of the WSU community feel welcomed, included, respected, empowered, and valued, including designing and communicating appropriate messages regarding the university's diversity-related efforts and publicly highlighting the diversity of the university to the community at large.
• (E) Raises the visibility and profile of the university by developing a comprehensive media relations strategy that brings positive earned media coverage to the university, to include building relationships with news reporters across media outlets, developing and pitching story ideas that generate positive media coverage, responding to media inquiries, working with faculty and university leaders to respond to media inquiries, developing a faculty expert database available to the media. Organizes and leads media invitations and statements as needed across the university, promotes faculty and staff experts to the media.
• (E) Develops a public relations strategy to foster a positive public image, to include regular communication with area PIOs in higher education and the university's partner organization to seek collaborative opportunities to promote shared work and the state universities
• (E) Works closely with the university's Records Access Officer on public records requests that are generated from media outlets or may attract the attention of the media.
• (E) Oversees the President's social media accounts, coordinating closely with Marketing staff responsible for the University social media accounts. Oversees the University's news site and ensures that resources are available to provide adequate written content, as well as photography and videography. Oversees employee(s), cross-divisional staff, freelancers, and intern(s) to ensure they are providing adequate and appropriate content, and creates content.
• (E) Ensures appropriate monitoring of the University's online reputation and presence in traditional media outlets, and responds as needed.
• (E) Works collaboratively across divisions and between offices to ensure the communications goals of the senior leadership and the University are coordinated.
• (E) Serves as a liaison with other colleges, the Department of Higher Education, the Council of Presidents, and other organizations as necessary and appropriate for University public relations efforts and serves as a member of appropriate campus committees as determined by the VP for Enrollment Management.
• (E) Oversees the fiscal budgets for marketing, public relations, communications, and other supervised areas, as well as personnel, team professional development and workplace practices
• (E) Responsible for contributing to the WSU Strategic Plan.
• (E) Responsible for contributing to the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action objectives.
• (E) Performs similar and related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the U.S. higher education community, its principles, practices and procedures.
• Familiarity with communications, marketing and branding, media relations, and design in a higher education environment.
• A minimum of five (5) years' experience in public relations, marketing, communication, media/news, and/or a related field.
• Impeccable writing and editing skills, and strong effective interpersonal and verbal communication skills working in an environment that is deadline-oriented, with a premium on transparency.
• Experience working within an organization, with professional strengths including self-direction, credibility, project management, flexibility, respect for confidentiality, and affinity for teamwork.
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion as a member of the Executive Cabinet and in applying and interpreting University policies and procedures.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, administrators, and students in an environment with sensitive time constraints and an ability to anticipate and meet deadlines.
• Current experience and ability to work with standard office and online communication tools and is comfortable working with social media.
• Commitment to campus efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or appropriate equivalent professional experience.
• Familiarity with media relations, communications, design, and marketing demands in a public higher education environment.
• Experience with and contacts in public relations, marketing, communication, media/news in Central Massachusetts media outlets preferred.

This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, professional Non-Unit position. The annual salary range for this position is $120,000- $130,000, commensurate with relevant professional experience and education.

Here at Worcester State University, it is strongly recommended that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin employment.

Worcester State University offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• a choice of 8 different pre-taxed, health insurance plan options
• a choice of pension or 401(a), and supplemental plan retirement options
• life insurance up to 8x the annual salary
• long-term disability coverage
• dental insurance
• 20 vacation days accrued per year
• 15 sick days accrued per year
• 5 personal days per year
• paid holidays
• tuition remission for self, spouse, and dependent children
• and more...

We are an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. M/F/D/V. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.