Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Job Title: Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Location: Clayton State University

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Job ID: 293290

About Us

Located in Morrow, Georgia, Clayton State University is roughly 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. The university offers employees an adaptable, collaborative environment that fosters professional and personal development.

The university is committed to having a positive impact on the State of Georgia and beyond by serving students and the community through broadening access to high-quality education and advancing workforce development. Clayton State offers multiple certificates, Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's Degree programs, which currently enroll over 5,500 students in challenging campus and online courses.

Clayton State's main campus is situated on 214 beautiful acres in a lakeside setting just minutes from downtown Atlanta, making access to the vibrant metropolitan area swift. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has named the university a Top Workplace in Atlanta for six consecutive years. The Chronicle of Higher Education also named Clayton State one of 79 higher education institutions across the nation in its list of 2017 Great Colleges to Work For.

Job Summary

Clayton State University is seeking an experienced, multi-talented professional to join our team as an intellectually curious, strategic thinker who understands the complexity of higher education and its evolving landscape. The successful candidate will have a broad range of experience in Marketing and Communications and will need to demonstrate a deep understanding of enrollment marketing in a Higher Education setting. The ideal candidate will have a positive attitude and an active, forward-thinking perspective, characterized by ethical practices, a commitment to flexibility, intrinsic motivation, and collaboration. This position will report to the Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing & Student Success (VPEM&SS) and have a dotted line relationship with the President's office.

The AVP will serve as the university's lead marketing and communications officer, providing strategic oversight of several aspects of brand management, institutional positioning, market visibility, and Strategic Plan efforts. As the lead marketer, I develop and implement integrated strategies for brand identity, advertising, enrollment marketing, and visual and digital communications to strengthen the university's brand and reputation. In addition, the AVP will be responsible for internal and external communications, media and public relations, crisis communication, and digital content strategy. The AVP ensures that the university's messaging is consistent and aligned with institutional priorities across key audiences and platforms.

This position is a member of the President's Extended Cabinet and collaborates closely with Enrollment and Cabinet-level leadership, faculty, and staff to advance the institution's mission and vision, strategic goals, and strategic enrollment plans.

Responsibilities

The AVP will inspire a culture of collegiality, professionalism, and collaboration within the departments under their supervision and across campus.
Plan, develop, and execute a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that supports the overall mission and objectives of Clayton State University. This will include oversight of visual strategy, multimedia relations (including videography and photography), website, graphic design, social media platforms, digital content, media relations, and internal communication (i.e., LochNet, etc.)
Serves as the University's primary media contact and chief spokesperson, when appropriate.
Assist with Strategic initiatives and projects inside or alongside the Presidential Office.
Envisions, develops, and implements a successful university-wide marketing and communications strategy aligned with CSU's strategic plan and strategic enrollment goals.
Assesses, manages, and leads a high-performing team of professionals in marketing, communication, design, media relations, crisis, and digital communications strategy deployment.
Integrates University Marketing and Communications into the University ecosystem, encompassing decentralized marketing and communication professionals, to support and achieve University goals and priorities.
Guides communication planning with campus partners, including but not limited to enrollment management and student success, provost's office, athletics, research and innovation, student affairs, university advancement, and business and finance.
Builds and maintains solid working relationships with faculty and staff to promote their work and its impact on building a transformative educational experience for students.
Champion efforts to articulate the identity and branding clearly and concisely for the University for both internal and external audiences.
Provide ongoing thought leadership to identify specific opportunities to advance the reputation of Clayton State University and utilize a creative communication approach to maximize those opportunities.
Provide leadership and active management of the marketing and communications team, including publications, the website, media, and public relations.
Collaborate with key stakeholders to produce compelling cases for support, campaign and recruitment materials, impact reports, and targeted communications. Central to this responsibility is directing storytelling efforts that highlight student success, faculty achievement, research impact, and donor generosity.
Serve on the University Commencement Committee and assist with the coordination of speakers, speeches, media, and other pertinent procedures.
Develop a robust digital marketing strategy that increases the University's engagement with key audiences.
Develop a proactive media relations strategy and program designed to enhance the image and reputation of the University in the media, among the public, and with other constituencies. In addition to media relations, this strategy will also include a comprehensive crisis communications plan. Serve as an active member of the University's Crisis Management Team.
Develop a set of metrics to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of all University marketing communications programs.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism, business, or related field.
At least 5 -7 years' experience in higher education marketing and communications or related field.
At least 4 years of supervisory experience of professional staff.
Significant experience in communications and marketing, preferably in a higher education environment or enrollment marketing experience, with a proven track record for developing and implementing strategic marketing plans.
Experience with digital marketing analytics and CRM tools (e.g., Element451, Hootsuite, Google Analytics, etc.).
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
Must be proficient in Banner, Microsoft Office suite, and data analysis.
Experience with marketing and communication strategies within the field of enrollment (including CRM campaign strategies) and retention.
Strong written and oral communication skills and editing skills.
Excellent critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
The ability to work independently and with minimal supervision, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree preferred.
Ideal candidates will have experience in higher education, marketing, communications, public relations, or business.
Demonstrated knowledge with 7+ years' experience in higher education marketing and communications.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Demonstrated ability to implement successful change initiatives in a dynamic environment.
Exceptional skills in managing, motivating, and supporting creative people with proven results in building a high-performing and cohesive marketing and communications team.
Demonstrated ability to lead and manage change.
Strong interpersonal skills with proven experience in building connections and relationships with people throughout the campus and community.
Demonstrated knowledge and a high degree of competence in the detailed understanding of public media.
An excellent team player who enjoys and thrives in a collaborative and dynamic environment.
A leader who is results-oriented and possesses high energy and a positive attitude.
Ability to make sound data-informed decisions.
Creates a culture of exemplary customer service.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Institutional Values

Clayton State University will have a positive impact on the State of Georgia and beyond by serving students and the community through broadening access to high-quality education and advancing workforce development. Our statement of core values is adaptability, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and people-centered. Each Clayton State University community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on Clayton State's Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct can be found online at https://www.clayton.edu/strategic-plan/mission-vision-values and https://www.clayton.edu/human-resources/current-employees/resources-policies

Conditions of Employment

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation, including a criminal background check demonstrating eligibility for employment with Clayton State University, as determined by Clayton State University in its sole discretion, confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in application materials and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. Applicants may be subject to a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening. Candidate must disclose potential, actual, or apparent conflicts of interest in compliance.

Offers are made expressly subject to the applicable federal and state laws, statutes, rules, and regulations of this institution and the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia (USG), which are available for your inspection upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Clayton State University is an equal employment, equal access, and equal educational opportunity and affirmative action institution. It is the policy of the University to recruit, hire, train, promote, and educate persons without regard to race, color, national or ethnical origin, age, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status as required by applicable state and federal laws (including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Sections 503, and 504, AREA, ADA, E.O. 11246, and Rev. Proc. 75-50). Clayton State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution. For questions or more detailed information regarding this policy, please contact the Clayton State University Office of Human Resources at (678) 466-4230. For individuals requiring disability-related accommodations for participation in any event or to obtain print materials in an alternative format, please contact the Disability Resource Center at (678) 466-5445.

Clery Disclosure

This position may be considered a Campus Security Authority, CSA. A Campus Security Authority is a Clery-specific term that encompasses certain departments, groups, and individual employees who have a duty to report crimes they become aware of, as defined by the Clery Act.