Job description
The Senior Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (SVP & CCMO) will spearhead the development and implementation of strategic, innovative, creative, and measurable communications and data-driven marketing programs that are aligned with the strategic priorities established by the University of Arizona’s senior leadership team. Additionally, they will serve as a trusted advisor to President Robbins and a communications and marketing subject-matter expert to other senior university leaders. Reporting to President Robbins and serving as a member of the President’s executive team, this individual will work in partnership with internal constituents such as deans and vice presidents, shared governance groups, and faculty and staff leaders, in addition to other senior administrators across the University of Arizona to develop strategies and practices that elevate public understanding and support for the university’s teaching and research mission; cultivate awareness of the university’s commitments to diversity and inclusion; and strengthen communities through improved outreach and engagement.
The SVP & CCMO will act as a key partner in successfully interpreting and promoting the mission of the university to both internal and external constituencies to create a climate of public and private support. This dynamic leader will address challenges with poise and amplify the university’s consistent message on a local, national, and global scale.
Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; state and optional retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!
The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs.- Lead the development of a strategic, overarching, integrated communications plan that effectively engages all internal and external stakeholders while broadly increasing the visibility of the University of Arizona’s mission, reputation, and impact. Serve as the strategic leader of the Communications and Marketing functions.
- Serve as the President’s chief advisor for communications, marketing, and emergent issues, including crisis communications, and serve alongside members of the President’s staff on the President’s core communications team that is responsible for engagement planning and the preparation of presidential speeches, reports, talking points, white papers, and other documents and presentations.
- Collaborate with and serve as a partner for senior university leaders on specific communications-related strategies and initiatives.
- Oversee proactive and reactive reputation and brand management functions at the university, including anticipating and preparing for issues and events with the potential for reputational impact. Devise anticipatory communication plans as well as swift responses to unexpected events and issues and serve as a valued contributor to any crisis management effort.
- Provide strategic vision and institutional thought leadership for university communications and marketing, including cultivating a digital strategy utilizing social media and emerging trends, and ensure alignment with the university’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
- Promote and reinforce the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, in addition to creativity, innovation, authenticity, and transparency across internal and external communications.
- Lead internal communication efforts with the objective of informing and engaging key stakeholders (e.g., faculty, students, staff, and administrators) and enabling knowledge sharing across the University of Arizona. Develop communications and marketing benchmarks and use data analytics to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communications and marketing strategies.
- Develop appropriate outreach plans for hearing and engaging key stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, alumni, and regional and national business leaders, for sharing the University of Arizona’s accomplishments and strategies, and for thinking about how to communicate and elevate the university’s impact.
- Work consistently to tell university stories, weaving them together to create a consistent, unified message in support of the University of Arizona brand.
- Ensure that the University of Arizona’s culture, values, and beliefs are integrated into its communications efforts and are consistent across the numerous colleges, divisions, schools, departments, centers, and programs.
- Partner with college and division communications professionals to ensure that media inquiries and outreach opportunities are appropriately coordinated and message-aligned at all levels of the university and that they effectively represent institutional interests.
- Actively engage with key media outlets, both proactively and reactively. Provide media training to university administrators, shared governance leaders, and faculty and staff, as required.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure effective communications and messaging throughout the entire institution. Create means for two-way communications, including feedback mechanisms and sharing of ideas and best practices.
- Lead a dynamic team of communications and marketing professionals with a variety of responsibilities that promote and protect the University of Arizona’s brand, seizing opportunities for productivity and efficiency gains within the division and advancing a culture based on collaboration, strategy, efficiency, and compassion for each other.
- Work with the University of Arizona’s senior leadership team to ensure future-oriented marketing strategies are in place and executed efficiently and aligned with communications strategy to generate regional and national attention to the university’s achievements and future goals. Galvanize the efforts of the marketing team to promote effective and consistent branding of the university.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity as a leader and manager.
- An enthusiastic and natural collaborator with the ability to work with diverse teams to develop plans and drive results.
- Proven ability to develop and execute strategically sound, results-oriented, internal and external communication activities that drive the university’s goals and objectives.
- A skillful advocate and practitioner, as well as an exceptional leader and manager of people, with a proven ability to develop and nurture talent.
- Extensive knowledge of industry best practices and a deep understanding of all aspects of communications, messaging, marketing, branding, and positioning. The ability to develop communications strategies across a wide range of platforms and audiences and evaluate their effectiveness.
- An excellent communicator, problem-solver, and relationship builder. A trusted advisor.
- A bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of leadership experience with a record of directly applicable success and evidence of scholarly, professional, or creative achievement are required.
- Track record of hiring, managing, motivating, retaining, and providing vision for high-performing and diverse teams, fostering an environment of inclusion, belonging, teamwork, and collaboration to drive the development of creative marketing and communications programs.
- Experience in expertly managing sensitive situations, crisis communications, and issues impacting reputation.
- Experience working with the media, including serving as an organizational lead contact/liaison and successfully positioning subject matter with the media to achieve high impact.
- Advanced degree highly preferred.
Senior Associate
klevin@heymanassociates.com
(415) 818-8037
Kira Levin
Senior Associate
klevin@heymanassociates.com
(415) 818-8037
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