Vice President for External Relations

Iowa State University•Ames, IA

13h•Onsite

About The Position

Iowa State University, one of the nation’s leading land grant institutions, invites applicants to apply for the position of Vice President for External Relations. This newly created role reporting directly to the President serves as a key member of the university's senior leadership team and is responsible for advancing the institution's reputation, influence, and strategic interests through comprehensive external engagement. The Vice President provides vision, leadership, and direction for government relations, strategic communications, marketing, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, with a focus on advancing a “one university” approach that aligns messaging, strengthens institutional identity, and helps tell Iowa State’s story to internal and external audiences. This role serves as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership while representing the university with the Board of Regents, policymakers, industry leaders, community stakeholders, media organizations, and other external audiences. The successful candidate will: Demonstrate Interpersonal Savvy – Builds and sustains positive, productive relationships with constituencies and effectively engages stakeholders at all levels, including elected officials, Board of Regents members and staff, community leaders, industry partners, and university leadership. Build Networks – Establishes and leverages broad internal and external networks to align and advance institutional priorities, cultivate partnerships, and enhance the university's visibility and impact. Balance Stakeholders – Skillfully navigates competing priorities and perspectives while fostering alignment among university, governmental, community, and industry partners. Instill Trust – Demonstrates integrity, credibility, and transparency, earning the confidence of the President, senior leaders, governing bodies, and external stakeholders. Communicate Effectively – Crafts and delivers clear, compelling, and audience-centered communications that influence, inform, and inspire action across a variety of constituencies. Demonstrate Political Savvy – Understands and effectively navigates complex political, governmental, institutional, and community environments while advancing the university's strategic objectives.

Requirements

Master's degree and 10 years of related experience.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated success developing, sustaining, and leveraging executive-level relationships with government officials, governing boards, industry leaders, community stakeholders, peer institutions, and external partners, resulting in partnerships, policy outcomes, funding opportunities, or enhanced institutional visibility.
Experience advising presidents, executives, or senior leaders on public policy, government relations, communications, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management, including examples of recommendations that informed decisions, reduced risk, or advanced strategic priorities.
Demonstrated success developing and executing advocacy strategies aligned with institutional priorities, including influencing outcomes in complex or politically sensitive environments through policy engagement, issue resolution, coalition-building, relationship management, and advancement of measurable policy, funding, partnership, or strategic outcomes.
Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-management skills, demonstrated by successfully engaging with a variety of internal and external constituencies, resolving competing stakeholder needs, and building sustained trust across multiple audiences.
Experience leading teams or cross-functional initiatives that achieved defined goals, improved processes, strengthened collaboration, or delivered measurable outcomes across organizational boundaries.
Proven success developing and implementing integrated branding, marketing, public relations, communications, and visibility strategies that strengthen organizational reputation and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

Provides vision, leadership, and direction for government relations, strategic communications, marketing, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.
Advances the institution's reputation, influence, and strategic interests through comprehensive external engagement.
Serves as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership.
Represents the university with the Board of Regents, policymakers, industry leaders, community stakeholders, media organizations, and other external audiences.
Builds and sustains positive, productive relationships with constituencies and effectively engages stakeholders at all levels.
Establishes and leverages broad internal and external networks to align and advance institutional priorities, cultivate partnerships, and enhance the university's visibility and impact.
Navigates competing priorities and perspectives while fostering alignment among university, governmental, community, and industry partners.
Demonstrates integrity, credibility, and transparency, earning the confidence of the President, senior leaders, governing bodies, and external stakeholders.
Crafts and delivers clear, compelling, and audience-centered communications that influence, inform, and inspire action across a variety of constituencies.
Understands and effectively navigates complex political, governmental, institutional, and community environments while advancing the university's strategic objectives.