Director of Marketing & Communications

VPI•Appleton, WI

About The Position

The Director of Marketing & Communications will develop, implement, and maintain marketing and communications strategies that support VARC’s organizational goals, strategic priorities, program visibility, enterprise awareness, workforce needs, advocacy priorities, philanthropy efforts, and community presence. This role involves maintaining and strengthening VARC’s brand identity, tone, messaging standards, and visual consistency across all platforms. The Director will partner with the Vice President of Strategy and senior leaders to align marketing priorities with organizational direction and emerging opportunities, ensuring all efforts reflect VARC’s mission, values, and community role. Responsibilities include leading internal and external communication strategy, overseeing digital platforms, and guiding marketing for campaigns, events, and public visibility. The role also involves leading the marketing team, fostering a collaborative culture, and contributing marketing perspectives to the Senior Leadership Team.

Requirements

Develop, implement, and maintain marketing and communications strategy
Maintain and strengthen VARC’s brand identity, tone, messaging standards, and visual consistency
Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and senior leaders to align marketing priorities
Ensure marketing and communication efforts reflect VARC’s mission, values, services, and role
Establish and manage standards, approval processes, and prioritization practices for marketing requests
Lead internal and external communication strategy
Develop and maintain core messaging for VARC’s services, programs, enterprises, advocacy priorities, workforce needs, philanthropy efforts, contribution opportunities, and community initiatives
Support departments with communication planning, templates, talking points, and tools
Ensure communications are accessible, inclusive, timely, accurate, and appropriate for intended audiences
Oversee digital communication channels, including the VARC website, social media platforms, email campaigns, digital newsletters, and other content platforms
Lead social media and content strategy
Ensure digital content remains accurate, accessible, inclusive, current, and reflective of VARC’s full scope of services, enterprises, and community impact
Use analytics and communication data to evaluate effectiveness, improve engagement, and guide future marketing decisions
Lead marketing and communication strategy for organizational campaigns, program visibility, enterprise promotions, recruitment-related marketing, advocacy communication, philanthropy visibility, and major events
Collaborate with Development and Stewardship to ensure aligned messaging and visibility for contribution opportunities, donor communications, stewardship materials, and development-related events
Provide strategic oversight for marketing materials, signage, media placements, branded assets, talking points, and communication plans
Help plan, recommend, prioritize, and monitor marketing-related spending and vendor relationships
Identify and support opportunities that strengthen VARC’s public visibility, media presence, community awareness, and stakeholder confidence
Develop and oversee internal communication strategies and tools
Partner with the Vice President of Strategy, senior leaders, and department leaders to coordinate important internal messages and organizational updates
Support supervisor and department communication needs with templates, talking points, communication plans, and messaging guidance
Promote staff awareness, alignment, and connection to VARC’s mission, services, priorities, and organizational initiatives
Coordinate with internal teams to identify opportunities that enhance VARC’s visibility through events, campaigns, regional initiatives, partnerships, and public-facing communication
Strengthen external awareness of VARC by supporting consistent representation and messaging with partner organizations, media contacts, community leaders, and local stakeholders
Work closely with the Vice President of Strategy to identify and prioritize emerging opportunities for community visibility, advocacy communication, and external alignment
Supervise and provide day-to-day leadership for the Marketing Coordinator and Creative Specialist
Set clear expectations, priorities, timelines, workflows, and accountability standards for marketing team members
Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, bringing marketing and communication perspective to organization-wide planning, priorities, and initiatives
Establish and maintain standard operating procedures for marketing requests, project timelines, content calendars, asset management, approvals, and brand standards
Foster a team culture rooted in creativity, collaboration, responsiveness, accuracy, accountability, and shared storytelling

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and maintain marketing and communications strategy that supports VARC’s organizational goals, strategic priorities, program visibility, enterprise awareness, workforce needs, advocacy priorities, philanthropy efforts, and community presence.
Maintain and strengthen VARC’s brand identity, tone, messaging standards, and visual consistency across all locations, service areas, enterprises, and communication channels.
Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and senior leaders to align marketing priorities with organizational direction, leadership needs, and emerging opportunities.
Ensure marketing and communication efforts reflect VARC’s mission, values, services, and role within the communities it serves.
Establish and manage standards, approval processes, and prioritization practices for marketing requests, campaigns, materials, vendor-supported projects, and communication needs.
Lead internal and external communication strategy, including organizational announcements, leadership communications, staff-facing campaigns, public messaging, stakeholder updates, and cross-department communication support.
Develop and maintain core messaging for VARC’s services, programs, enterprises, advocacy priorities, workforce needs, philanthropy efforts, contribution opportunities, and community initiatives.
Support departments with communication planning, templates, talking points, and tools that promote clarity, consistency, and alignment.
Ensure communications are accessible, inclusive, timely, accurate, and appropriate for intended audiences.
Oversee digital communication channels, including the VARC website, social media platforms, email campaigns, digital newsletters, and other content platforms.
Lead social media and content strategy, including content planning, audience engagement, platform direction, and performance review.
Ensure digital content remains accurate, accessible, inclusive, current, and reflective of VARC’s full scope of services, enterprises, and community impact.
Use analytics and communication data to evaluate effectiveness, improve engagement, and guide future marketing decisions.
Lead marketing and communication strategy for organizational campaigns, program visibility, enterprise promotions, recruitment-related marketing, advocacy communication, philanthropy visibility, and major events.
Collaborate with Development and Stewardship to ensure contribution opportunities, donor communications, stewardship materials, and development-related events have aligned messaging and appropriate visibility.
Provide strategic oversight for marketing materials, signage, media placements, branded assets, talking points, and communication plans.
Help plan, recommend, prioritize, and monitor marketing-related spending and vendor relationships within approved organizational parameters.
Identify and support opportunities that strengthen VARC’s public visibility, media presence, community awareness, and stakeholder confidence.
Develop and oversee internal communication strategies and tools, including staff newsletters, signage, intranet resources, leadership messages, and staff-facing campaigns.
Partner with the Vice President of Strategy, senior leaders, and department leaders to coordinate important internal messages and organizational updates.
Support supervisor and department communication needs with templates, talking points, communication plans, and messaging guidance.
Promote staff awareness, alignment, and connection to VARC’s mission, services, priorities, and organizational initiatives.
Coordinate with internal teams to identify opportunities that enhance VARC’s visibility through events, campaigns, regional initiatives, partnerships, and public-facing communication.
Strengthen external awareness of VARC by supporting consistent representation and messaging with partner organizations, media contacts, community leaders, and local stakeholders.
Work closely with the Vice President of Strategy to identify and prioritize emerging opportunities for community visibility, advocacy communication, and external alignment.
Supervise and provide day-to-day leadership for the Marketing Coordinator and Creative Specialist, including work assignment, coaching, feedback, performance support, and professional development.
Set clear expectations, priorities, timelines, workflows, and accountability standards for marketing team members.
Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, bringing marketing and communication perspective to organization-wide planning, priorities, and initiatives.
Establish and maintain standard operating procedures for marketing requests, project timelines, content calendars, asset management, approvals, and brand standards.
Foster a team culture rooted in creativity, collaboration, responsiveness, accuracy, accountability, and shared storytelling.