Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications

University of Tennessee•Martin, TN

1d•$150,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) is seeking a Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications. This role serves as the chief marketing and communications officer and a strategic advisor to the Chancellor and senior leadership. The Vice Chancellor will be responsible for the university's reputation, positioning, communications, and public engagement. This position offers an opportunity to shape the marketing and communications strategy for a university with strong enrollment, significant capital investment, and a clear strategic plan. The Vice Chancellor will report directly to the Chancellor and serve as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet, providing strategic leadership for all institutional marketing, branding, communications, media relations, digital communications, and crisis communications efforts. The role involves developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to enhance the university's reputation, support enrollment growth, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and advance the mission and strategic priorities of UT Martin. Key responsibilities include university-wide brand management, recruitment marketing, social media, websites, publications, mass media relations, and serving as the lead crisis communications officer.

Requirements

Master’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, business, or a related field.
Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, broadcast media, print journalism, public relations, media relations, or brand management, including significant leadership responsibility.
Understanding of, appreciation for, and commitment to the Be One UT values.
Uncompromised integrity and ethics.
Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail with the proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
Exceptional judgment and discretion in the management of confidential, protected, and sensitive information.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use data to improve communications and marketing effectiveness.
Demonstrated success leading comprehensive, integrated marketing and communications strategies.
Experience supervising professional staff and managing budgets.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with exceptional knowledge of Associated Press Style.
Experience with crisis communications and issues management.

Nice To Haves

Doctorate degree in a related field.
Experience in higher education marketing and communications.
Knowledge of enrollment marketing, digital strategy, and brand management.
Experience working with executive leadership, governing boards, and external stakeholders.
Knowledge of event planning and of fundraising communications support.
Knowledge of Tennessee public records laws and related university guidelines.
Experience providing communications leadership during live critical incidents, and completion of FEMA/NIMS public information training or willingness to complete such training shortly after appointment.
Knowledge of Division I NCAA intercollegiate athletics.
Ability to think and plan strategically and to align marketing and communications activity with institutional goals and priorities.
Ability to lead, supervise, and develop a communications team possessing diverse skills and talents while managing multiple projects at once.
Ability to work across university divisions, departments, and offices and with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and opinion leaders.
Written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
Skill in brand management, including the ability to maintain a consistent visual identity, message, and brand standard across the institution.
Skill in crisis communication and issues management, including the ability to communicate accurately and decisively under pressure.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with local, regional, statewide, and national media.
Knowledge of digital marketing, including social media, website content strategy, digital advertising, email marketing, and analytics.
Knowledge of prevailing media and social media trends.
Knowledge of higher education at the local, state, and national levels.
Personnel and budget management skills.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and make timely decisions on matters with far-reaching institutional implications.

Responsibilities

Leads the development and execution of an integrated university-wide marketing and communications strategy.
Protects and strengthens the UT Martin brand across all platforms and audiences.
Ensures consistent visual identity, messaging, and brand standards throughout the institution.
Partners closely with the Chancellor, Enrollment Management, Advancement, Athletics, and academic leadership to develop integrated strategies that strengthen student recruitment, enrollment, retention, alumni engagement, fundraising, and institutional reputation.
Monitors market trends, higher education communications practices, and competitive positioning.
Serves as the university's chief spokesperson or designates appropriate spokespersons.
Oversees media relations, press releases, news coverage, and public information activities.
Develops proactive communications strategies that enhance the university's visibility and reputation.
Manages relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets.
Provides communications counsel to the Chancellor, Cabinet, and other university leaders.
Oversees media relations, press releases, news coverage, and public information activities, along with the university’s primary communication channels and publications, including the news website, faculty and staff newsletter, and alumni magazine.
Coordinates statewide and national publications and media relations in cooperation with the University of Tennessee System.
Coordinates communications supporting legislative relations and government affairs in partnership with the Chancellor and the UT System.
Ensures institutional messaging is honest, consistent, and legally appropriate, including compliance with Tennessee public records laws and related university guidelines.
Coordinates communications and media relations supporting Division I intercollegiate athletics in partnership with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Provides shared oversight with the Information Technology Division for the university's website strategy, governance, and content standards.
Leads institutional social media strategy and engagement.
Oversees digital advertising, search marketing, email marketing, and other digital communication channels.
Ensures digital communications support recruitment, retention, and institutional advancement goals.
Directs recruitment marketing campaigns in partnership with Enrollment Management.
Oversees the development of university publications, magazines, brochures, viewbooks, annual reports, and other institutional materials.
Ensures communications effectively reach prospective students, parents, alumni, donors, legislators, and community partners.
Provides marketing and communications support for development and advancement campaigns, including donor and campaign messaging.
Oversees university photography, videography, and the management of institutional visual assets supporting print and online publications.
Advises the Chancellor and senior leaders on communications strategies, stakeholder engagement, emerging issues, and reputational risk.
Monitors emerging issues and leads proactive issues management to protect and strengthen the university's reputation.
Leads university crisis communications planning and response.
Develops and maintains crisis communications protocols and messaging strategies.
Coordinates communications during emergencies, critical incidents, and other high-profile events.
Serves on university emergency management and crisis response teams.
Provides timely, accurate, and strategic communications to internal and external audiences during crises.
Serves as designated personnel for emergencies, reporting to the assigned work location to ensure continuity of essential communications functions during an emergency or when the university has suspended or delayed operations.
Serves as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet and participates in institutional strategic planning and decision-making.
Provides supervision, leadership, and professional development for marketing and communications staff.
Exercises full budgetary oversight for the division, establishing the budget and holding full authority to implement budget initiatives, commit funds, and allocate resources and operational priorities.
Fosters collaboration across academic and administrative units.
Provides communications leadership and planning support for university special events, ceremonies, and signature institutional events.
Establishes metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing and communications initiatives.