Director, Chancellor Communications and Programs

Vanderbilt University•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Director, Chancellor Communications and Programs serves as a senior strategic communications partner to the Chancellor and a key member of Vanderbilt University’s Communications and Marketing division. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role functions as the strategic and operational integrator of the Chancellor’s communications portfolio—ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, leadership strategy, and Vanderbilt’s brand standards. This position provides structure, visibility, and continuity across a complex and high-volume executive communications environment. The Director works at the intersection of strategy, execution, and advisory support—translating the Chancellor’s vision and institutional goals into clear, compelling, and high-impact communications. The role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, agility, and the ability to operate confidently in a high-stakes, fast-moving environment, as well as exceptional organizational discipline and advanced project management capability to coordinate complex, high-visibility initiatives involving senior leadership, compressed timelines, and evolving priorities. The Director also demonstrates a proactive orientation toward continuous improvement, leveraging technology, data, and workflow optimization to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of executive communications. The Communications and Marketing team at Vanderbilt University is a dynamic and deeply collaborative group. The division, with all of its departments and sub-teams, serves as the institution-wide center of excellence for communications and marketing, developing and executing strategies that inform, engage and inspire others to participate in Vanderbilt University’s global academic and research mission. The division is a key strategic adviser and partner for other divisions in the university, providing comprehensive plans and thoughtful analysis on messaging opportunities and constraints. The Communications and Marketing team continuously seeks innovative solutions to new and emerging challenges in order to deliver results at scale to advance the larger mission, values and priorities of the university.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience is required.
Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in executive communications, higher education administration, strategy, or related fields.
Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders in high-visibility, complex organizational environments.
Exceptional writing, synthesis, analytical, and strategic thinking skills.
Proven ability to operate with discretion, sound judgment, and independence in high-stakes settings.
Demonstrated experience developing integrated communications strategies and managing cross-functional initiatives.
Demonstrated experience influencing and coordinating work across complex, integrated teams, including both direct and indirect collaboration models.
Demonstrated ability to lead in fast-paced, complex, and at times ambiguous environments while maintaining quality, composure, and team cohesion.
Demonstrated ability to provide thoughtful counsel on messaging strategy, timing, audience impact, and reputational considerations.
Strong facilitation and partnership skills, with experience participating in cross-unit forums or working groups.
Ability to sound judgment and systems thinking to manage competing priorities and translate complex information into clear, actionable messaging.
Demonstrated discretion and professionalism in managing confidential or sensitive information.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with competing priorities and compressed timelines, including strong project management capabilities to coordinate cross-functional contributors, track dependencies, and drive high-quality execution.
Proven ability to connect strategic objectives to operational delivery.
Demonstrated proficiency in leveraging project management platforms, collaboration tools, and emerging technologies—paired with a strong curiosity and adaptability toward new approaches—to enhance executive communications strategy, effectiveness, and operational efficiency.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA) or commensurate experience is preferred.
Experience working within or alongside senior leadership offices strongly preferred.
Prior experience at Vanderbilt University or another private institution of higher education preferred.

Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership and Advisory Serve as a trusted strategic communications partner to the Chancellor.
Advise on messaging strategy, positioning, sequencing, and audience engagement across executive communications.
Provide thoughtful analysis and recommendations to support decision-making and leadership visibility.
Anticipate communications risks and opportunities in a dynamic higher education environment.
Executive Communications Portfolio Leadership Lead and coordinate the Chancellor’s communications portfolio, integrating strategy, planning, writing, review, and execution.
Translate institutional strategy and leadership priorities into actionable communications plans and deliverables.
Manage a portfolio of high-visibility executive communications initiatives, ensuring alignment with brand, quality, and strategic intent.
Balance rapid-response demands with long-range planning and execution.
Operational Integration and Quality Oversight Provide structure and visibility across the Chancellor’s communications workload, tracking priorities, dependencies, and timelines.
Drive sequencing, prioritization, and execution across concurrent executive communications initiatives, ensuring clarity of ownership and accountability.
Clarify and shape requests from executive stakeholders, identifying objectives, audiences, risks, and strategic considerations.
Connect cross-functional inputs and dependencies across cabinet offices, Communications and Marketing, and external partners.
Identify gaps, risks, and bottlenecks early and proactively implement solutions to maintain momentum and quality.
Ensure executive communications efforts are appropriately resourced and coordinated to meet institutional priorities.
Ensure all executive communications reflect Vanderbilt’s mission, values, and institutional positioning.
Establish and uphold the highest standards of quality, consistency, and brand integrity across all Chancellor communications.
Leverage technology platforms and emerging tools to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and improve visibility across executive communications initiatives.
Continuously assess and refine executive communications processes, introducing improvements that increase clarity, efficiency, responsiveness, and impact.
Content Development and Executive Support Oversee and contribute to the development of executive communications materials—including talking points, background briefs, strategic memos, proposals, and written correspondence—ensuring alignment, clarity, and quality across all outputs.
Synthesize complex information into clear, compelling, executive-level messaging.
Maintain exceptional organization, attention to detail, and follow-through across concurrent initiatives.
Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
Work outside regular business hours as necessary to meet executive-level responsibilities and deadlines.