Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Job Details

Regis College Campus – Weston, MA 02493
Position Type: Full Time

Position Overview

Regis College seeks an experienced, creative, and highly collaborative leader to serve as its next Vice President for Marketing and Communications (VPMC). The VPMC is the university’s chief marketing and communications officer and a key member of the President’s Cabinet, reporting directly to the President. The role 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.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Institutional Positioning

• Lead the university’s integrated marketing and communications function, supporting the university’s efforts to communicate Regis’ unique mission and characteristics in a compelling manner and enhancing and promoting the university's reputation to prospective students, parents, alumni, donors, the community, and global audiences.
• Partner with the President and senior staff to envision, champion, and implement 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 to develop 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 feasibility; lead the division in successfully targeting and fostering new markets; develop and support enrollment and marketing plans to launch new programs which align with the university's mission.

Brand Development

• Oversee the consistency of image, tone, and content of all Regis College communications, publications, social media, and electronic messages.
• Enhance name recognition, reputation, and branding of the university by evaluating and acting on opportunities to develop, deepen, and affirm core messages.
• Utilize market research, audience insights, and performance analytics to inform decision-making and evaluate effectiveness.

Public Relations and Communications

• Serve as primary contact with external agencies, research companies, and partners in marketing and branding initiatives, and act as the first point of contact for news outlets and constituents.
• Serve as official spokesperson for Regis College, leading media relations, public relations, and crisis communications.
• Manage all institutional public relations initiatives, including cultivating 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.

Enrollment Marketing

• Work with university leaders in the positioning of new academic programs and repositioning of existing programs 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.

Advancement, Alumni, and Trustee Engagement

• Offer leadership and partnership in cultivating 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.

External, Government, and Community Relations

• Serve as an ambassador of the Regis community, fostering goodwill and enhancing the university’s brand and reputation through stakeholder engagement.
• Collaborate with academic, enrollment, and advancement leaders to develop, support, and strengthen partnerships that support enrollment, workforce development, and community impact.
• Maintain relationships with state and federally elected officials, legislative staff, and higher education advocacy organizations through regular communication and engagement, including 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.

Departmental Leadership and Operations

• 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 team.
• Provide oversight of annual operating budgets across marketing, communications, public relations, and strategic partnerships.
• Initiate, oversee, and evaluate vendor partnerships; assure institutional structure to maximize benefits and monitor vendor accountability.
• Coordinate and direct market research activities to assess needs, perceptions, and satisfaction of 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.

Qualifications

• Experience leading integrated marketing, communications, public relations, brand management, and market analysis initiatives in higher education or a related environment with significant and progressive responsibility.
• Demonstrated success in higher education or equivalent setting with deep management experience.
• Deep and nuanced understanding of today's competitive higher education environment.
• Exceptional leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills, capable of building, inspiring, and managing high-performing, cross‑functional teams.
• Proven ability to create a collegial and team-oriented work environment for a diverse team.
• Big-picture understanding of how marketing, public relations, and partnerships align with and advance institutional strategic objectives.
• Ability to lead strategically while also contributing directly to execution in a resource-conscious environment.
• Skilled communicator and storyteller with experience crafting compelling messaging across diverse platforms (print, digital, social).
• Broad 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.
• Competence in communicating complex concepts and addressing sensitive situations, resolving conflicts, and motivating and persuading others.
• Data-informed decision maker, adept at data analysis, interpretation, and action; experienced in creating and managing key performance indicators.
• Skilled budget manager who can allocate and manage resources effectively to achieve the greatest result possible.
• Deep experience in managing, evaluating, and overseeing vendor partners with the ability to maximize impact and invest judiciously.
• Willingness to uphold the university's commitment to inclusive excellence in a diverse educational community.
• Ability to address problems that are broad, complex, and abstract requiring significant creativity, resourcefulness, staff engagement, negotiation, and diplomacy.
• Understanding of multiple audiences including graduate students, adult learners, and undergraduates.
• 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.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree from a regionally accredited institution preferred.

Compensation

Competitive compensation package, including relocation assistance, and a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Salary range identified for this role is $170,000–$210,000. Final determination of actual pay will be based on experience and qualifications. Offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory background check results.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Regis College is committed to equal opportunity. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran’s status, membership in uniformed services or any other protected status. External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the essential job functions either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case-by-case basis.