Assistant Vice Chancellor, Advancement Marketing & Communications

University of Denver•Denver, CO

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Advancement Marketing and Communications is the senior leader responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive, integrated marketing and communications strategy to advance fundraising and alumni engagement goals. Reporting to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement, the AVC serves as the chief marketing and communications strategist for Advancement and is a member of the senior leadership team. This role oversees proposal writing, development materials, messaging, branding, storytelling, and campaign communications across all advancement initiatives, ensuring alignment with university-wide standards in partnership with University Relations and other communications professionals at DU. The AVC leads a high-performing team responsible for delivering strategic, impactful, and timely communications, while fostering collaboration across Advancement and with campus partners. The AVC manages staffing, workflow, performance, and team development.

Requirements

Bachelors degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience
10 years of leadership experience in marketing or communications
5 years of experience managing personnel
Demonstrated success developing and executing strategic communications plans
Experience leading marketing or communications teams, preferably in advancement, fundraising, or a complex organizational setting
Experience working with senior and executive leadership to advance strategic priorities
Expertise in core marketing principles, strategies, and best practices, as well as marketing and communications mediums and technology
Proven track record managing personnel, programs, and budgets, with the ability to inspire and influence across a complex organization
Previous oversight of marketing automation platform strategy and usage in a complex organization, ideally in the higher education industry
Excellent organizational, planning, and project management capabilities
Strong ability to develop and optimize marketing and communications processes, lead change management initiatives, and drive adoption of new workflows, systems, and best practices across teams
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills with attention to brand consistency
Experience using data and analytics to inform strategy and decision-making
Ability to give guidance, share and receive constructive feedback, and integrate varying points of view
Ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams and stakeholders
Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information
High level of professionalism, integrity, and discretion

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in communications-intensive discipline
Experience in higher education advancement or nonprofit fundraising

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive advancement marketing and communications strategy aligned with development and alumni engagement goals
Partner with Advancement leadership to support strategic priorities, including campaign initiatives and executive communications (Chancellor, Provost, and SVC for Advancement)
Ensure alignment with University Relations on brand standards, messaging, and overall communications strategy
Oversee creation of annual work plans, priorities, and budget for advancement communications
Provide university-level leadership, counsel, and coordination for advancement marketing and communications strategy, and lead the team responsible for high-impact, multi-channel deliverables that support fundraising and engagement goals.
Apply data-driven practices—including audience segmentation, analytics, market research, and continuous feedback loops—to inform strategy, optimize performance, and drive measurable results.
Oversee marketing automation platform strategy and usage, including audience segmentation, journey building, campaign automation, performance tracking, data integrity, and coordination of necessary integrations with CRM, web, email, analytics, and other marketing systems.
Oversee creation of key advancement marketing and communications efforts, including: Case statements, proposals, and principal gift materials; Stewardship and donor relations communications; Alumni engagement and annual giving campaigns; Event-related communications; Digital content, newsletters, and web-based materials; Multi-channel digital campaigns including email marketing, paid media, social media, etc.
Provide leadership for gift announcements and fundraising-related storytelling in partnership with University Relations
Lead development of strategic, audience-centered content aligned with campaign goals, ensuring messaging, storytelling, and channel execution drive measurable engagement
Use data and analytics to optimize marketing and communications performance and improve engagement outcomes
Lead crisis and issues communications for Advancement audiences in partnership with University Relations: provide counsel to leadership and protect donor, alumni, and stakeholder relationships through accurate, timely, and unified messaging
Lead, manage, and develop a team of marketing, writing, and creative professionals
Establish performance expectations, goals, and metrics for team members
Oversee workflow, project management, and quality assurance across all deliverables
Oversee staffing, team development, and operational processes
Evaluate and implement tools and technologies to enhance communications effectiveness
Serve as a strategic partner to Advancement units, academic leadership, and campus stakeholders
Collaborate across central and unit-based advancement teams to support fundraising and engagement goals
Provide strategic guidance and coordination for marketing and communications initiatives across the university
Monitor and apply industry trends and best practices from peer and aspirational institutions
Develop feedback loops and performance metrics to evaluate effectiveness
Balance long-term planning with agility in responding to emerging priorities