Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Regis College•Weston, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Regis College seeks an experienced, creative, and highly collaborative leader to serve as its next Vice President for Marketing and Communications (VPMC). The VPMC serves as the university’s chief marketing and communications officer and is a key member of the President’s Cabinet. Reporting directly to the newly appointed and dynamic President, the VPMC provides strategic direction for the institution's brand, reputation, and engagement efforts, ensuring that all communications and marketing initiatives advance the university’s mission, strategic priorities, enrollment objectives, and advancement goals. The Vice President for Marketing and Communications provides leadership for the university’s integrated marketing and communications enterprise, encompassing institutional marketing, brand strategy, website content, public relations, crisis communications, internal communications, presidential communications, and external relations. In collaboration with Academic, Enrollment, and Advancement leadership, the VPMC develops and executes strategies that strengthen recruitment efforts, enhance philanthropic engagement, and elevate the university’s visibility and reputation. Regis College was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston nearly a century ago and since then has evolved into a leading, private, coeducational university in Massachusetts and the nation. Regis College challenges, inspires, and supports students who are driven by passion, purpose, and a pursuit to positively impact the world within a learning community that embraces inclusivity and innovation and builds strong character, confidence, and careers. The university sits on a beautiful 132-acre campus just 12 miles from Boston. The university enrolls 2,800 students, offering distinctive career-oriented programs grounded in the liberal arts tradition for undergraduate, graduate, and adult students in residential, hybrid, and online modalities. Known for its close-knit, supportive community, Regis is ranked among the top regional universities in the North by U.S. News and World Report, with additional distinction for social mobility and value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Experience leading integrated marketing, communications, public relations, brand management, and market analysis initiatives in higher education or related environment and field.
Demonstrated success in higher education or an equivalent setting with significant and progressive responsibility, increasing breadth of leadership, and deep management experience.
Deep and nuanced understanding of today's competitive higher education environment.
Exceptional leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build, inspire, and manage high-performing, cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
Proven ability to create a collegial and team-oriented work environment for a diverse team of colleagues.
Demonstrated big-picture understanding of how marketing, public relations, and partnerships align with and advance overall institutional strategic objectives.
Ability to lead strategically while also contributing directly to execution in a resource-conscious environment.
A skilled communicator and storyteller with experience crafting compelling messaging across diverse platforms (print, digital, social), including high-level executive and presidential communications.
Able to engage internal and external stakeholders in the development of creative, compelling, and visionary communications and marketing plans reaching a broad range of audiences.
Broad and comprehensive knowledge of communications platforms, theories, concepts, practices, and policies with the ability to execute them.
Demonstrated understanding of best practices in digital communications and social media.
Understanding of multiple audiences including graduate students, adult learners, and undergraduates.
Ability to provide reliable, trusted, and balanced judgment and advice while being diplomatic and direct.
Competence in communicating complex concepts and addressing sensitive situations, resolving conflicts, as well as motivating and persuading others.
Ability to negotiate appropriate communications across diverse, multi-generational audiences, effectively communicating the university’s mission and values.
A thoughtful and comprehensive approach to understanding the impact of communications on all constituencies of the university on matters of race, gender, sexuality, and other identities and lived experiences.
Willingness to uphold the university's commitment to inclusive excellence in a diverse educational community.
Data-informed decision maker, adept at data analysis, interpretation, and action; experienced in creating and managing key performance indicators to evaluate effectiveness and return on investment.
Skilled budget manager who can allocate and manage resources effectively to achieve the greatest result possible.
Deeply experienced in the management, evaluation, and oversight of vendor partners with the ability to maximize impact and invest judiciously.
Ability to address problems that are broad, complex, and abstract requiring significant creativity, resourcefulness, staff engagement, negotiation, and diplomacy.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree from a regionally accredited institution is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the university’s integrated marketing and communications function offering support for the university’s efforts to communicate Regis’ unique mission and characteristics in a compelling manner; enhancing and promoting the university's reputation to prospective students, parents, alumni, donors, the community, and audiences around the globe.
Partner with the President and senior staff on envisioning, championing, and implementing inspirational, distinctive, and bold communications, marketing, public relations, external and government relations strategies for the university.
Provide thought leadership and guidance in developing and amplifying the Regis brand and reputation, strengthening the university’s ability to reach its goals.
Serve as the President's lead public relations advisor, working collaboratively to develop and implement a thought leadership platform, and in the development of speeches, op-eds and other forms of significant communication.
Act as a thought partner with fellow Cabinet members, including the vice presidents for enrollment and advancement, in the development of annual goals and strategies.
In partnership with senior staff, support the initiation, oversight, and evaluation of institutional relationships; assure the development of institutional structures within marketing communications to support and maximize partnership agreements.
Provide strategic counsel to the President and Cabinet on institutional reputation, issues management, crisis communications, and constituent engagement.
Partner with Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management to identify market demand for existing programs and new program development and program feasibility; lead the division in successfully targeting and fostering new markets; develop and support enrollment and marketing plans to successfully launch new programs which align with the university's mission.
Oversee the consistency of image, tone, and content of all Regis College communications, publications, social media, and electronic messages to effectively reach individual audiences, expand and elevate perception of a Regis education, and advance organization priorities.
Enhance name recognition, reputation, and branding of the university by evaluating and acting on opportunities to develop, deepen, and affirm the core messages of the university’s reputation.
Utilize market research, audience insights, and performance analytics to inform decision-making and evaluate effectiveness.
Serve as primary contact with external agencies, research companies, and external partners in marketing and branding initiatives, and act as the first point of contact for news outlets and constituents.
Serve as the official spokesperson for Regis College, leading media relations, public relations, and crisis communications to safeguard the institution’s reputation and minimize negative impact.
Manage all institutional public relations initiatives, including the cultivation of relationships to increase earned media.
Write and distribute press releases, media kits, speeches, newsletters, and engaging social media.
Provide strategic planning and implementation oversight of all public relations initiatives, including strategy for increasing the university's digital footprint with media outreach to enhance traditional communications channels.
Work with university leaders in the successful positioning of new academic programs and the repositioning of existing academic programs in the university’s recruitment markets to maximize enrollments.
Develop comprehensive marketing messages that reach, influence, and compel prospective students and their families to select a Regis education for all graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs.
Partner closely with Enrollment Management leadership to align marketing strategies with recruitment, retention, and enrollment goals.
Offer leadership and partnership in the cultivation and support of key institutional relationships including those with the board of trustees, advisory boards, and alumni network.
Partner closely with advancement leadership to support fundraising initiatives, campaign communications, donor engagement, and alumni relations.
Serve as an ambassador of the Regis community offering a visible and engaged community presence, fostering goodwill, and enhancing the university’s brand and reputation through active stakeholder engagement.
Collaborate with academic, enrollment, and advancement leaders to develop, support, and strengthen partnerships that support enrollment, workforce development, and community impact.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with state and federally elected officials, legislative staff, and higher education advocacy organizations through regular communication and engagement, and annual visits to the Massachusetts State House and Capitol Hill.
Monitor and analyze state and federal legislation, regulations, and public policy developments that may impact higher education, Regis College, and its students, faculty and staff.
Review the organizational structure and function of communications, marketing, and partnership efforts across the university.
Supervise, develop, and leverage the department’s talents and resources, managing, and mentoring a high-performing, talented team.
Foster a departmental and institutional culture of collaboration, creativity, accountability, and service.
Provide oversight of annual operating budgets across marketing, communications, public relations, and strategic partnerships, ensuring the thoughtful and effective use of institutional resources.
Initiate, oversee, and evaluate vendor partnerships; assure the development of institutional structures to maximize benefits and monitor vendor accountability.
Coordinate and direct market research activities to assess the needs, perceptions, expectations and satisfaction of students, employees, employers, and other stakeholders of the university.
Act as a player-coach in a lean environment, directly contributing to writing, editing, media outreach, content development and special projects as needed.