Lawrence University, a nationally ranked private liberal arts university and Conservatory of Music, seeks an accomplished and strategic leader for the position of Associate Vice President (AVP) of Communications & Marketing to help continue its momentum and realize its future goals. This highly visible leadership position will provide strategic oversight of the university’s integrated marketing, communications, media, and public relations efforts and will be charged with elevating the institution’s brand and aligning communication/marketing strategies with the university’s mission and strategic goals.
Lawrence is operating with a sense of urgency as we position ourselves to thrive into the future. With this sense of urgency, the Associate Vice President of Communications & Marketing is responsible for leading the development and execution of comprehensive marketing plans aimed at strengthening the University’s brand, reputation, and market presence. The AVP provides oversight for all Lawrence’s communications and publications including messaging and design, copywriting, media relations, and website content. Additionally, the AVP leads initiatives related to public relations, enrollment marketing, advancement engagement, and multichannel communications, driving both internal and external engagement efforts.
The AVP will be a communications and marketing expert who will bring a facilitative leadership style that motivates and empowers staff, encourages open communication and collaboration throughout the University, and fosters innovation by amplifying content and consumption preferences in the age of social media and multifaceted digital platforms-with distinctive relevance to higher education. The AVP leads the Office of Communications & Marketing, serves on the president’s cabinet as a key strategic partner, and reports to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Communications & Marketing.
This is an opportunity for a proven leader to build upon positive change and make a lasting impact for Wisconsin’s leading liberal arts institution.
Primary Objectives:
- Develop and implement a long-range strategic communications and messaging platform that focuses on bolstering the profile and reach of Lawrence with key stakeholders and recommended audiences.
- Develop and execute an annual tactical strategic plan for communications and marketing.
- Collaborate with university leadership to identify appropriate strategies for communicating with various audiences.
- Implement brand messaging that is consistent with the mission of Lawrence University and refined to align with audience needs.
- Implement brand messaging and graphic identity of Lawrence University that are consistent in all university publications, the web site, other digital and social media, and all other settings.
- Establish close working relationships across campus with faculty, administrators, students, and other staff that contribute to building a more comprehensive internal and external communications and marketing strategy that is authentic to and effective for Lawrence University.
- Collaborate with enrollment management for communications and marketing strategies for prospective students and families that are consistent with the integrated brand strategy.
- Collaborate with university advancement for communications and marketing strategies for alumni, parents, and friends that are consistent with the integrated brand strategy.
- Create a clear set of metrics and analytics to evaluate the efficacy/ROI of all communications and marketing efforts that align with the institutional KPIs.
- Create proactive communications and marketing efforts that tell stories aligned to the University narrative across earned, owned, and shared media platforms.
- Develop and implement a presidential and senior leadership communications plan that uses the proxy voice of university leaders to raise Lawrence’s profile in higher education liberal arts and conservatory of music publications and general media.
- Oversee the management of the communications & marketing office budget, including staffing decisions and engagement of support services.
- Develop an effective crisis communications plan in collaboration with the crisis management team.
- Other duties as assigned.
Education and Work Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree strongly preferred.
- Broad knowledge of all facets of higher education marketing and communications strongly preferred.
- Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in marketing and communications; minimum of 5 years’ experience in higher education preferred.
- Strong working knowledge of the latest digital practices, web development, publications, media relations, crisis communications, e-communications, branding, and market research techniques and practices.
- Proven experience leading teams — developing, evaluating, directing, and motivating staff.
- Familiarity and comfort working in a highly collaborative environment.
- Demonstrated experience in managing and implementing comprehensive marketing and communications strategies as well as developing short and long-term strategic planning — translating broad goals into achievable steps.
- Experience advising senior management on complex communications issues. Strong understanding of reputational risk and issues management.
- Depth of experience, sound judgement, and confidence befitting a senior strategic leadership position.
- Must possess outstanding oral and written communications skills.
- Deep knowledge of cross-channel marketing, advertising, programmatic and digital advertising, social media, media publishing, media relations, and crisis communication.
- Extensive experience working with all forms of communications tools – traditional, social, and digital. This includes print; broadcast; online, new, and mainstream media.
