Associate Vice President Brand Strategy and Communications

Virginia Tech seeks a bold, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as its next Senior Associate Vice President for Brand Strategy and Communications (SAVP). This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished marketing and communications executive to shape the voice, reputation, and brand of one of the nation's leading land grant public research universities while aligning a broad and complex communications ecosystem in support of institutional priorities.

Virginia Tech's main campus in Blacksburg – consistently ranked among the country's best places to live – is complemented by a significant and rapidly growing presence in Roanoke and the greater Washington, D.C. metro area. As the Commonwealth of Virginia's most comprehensive university and a leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers about 110 undergraduate majors and more than 120 master's and doctoral degree programs to more than 38,000 students and manages a research portfolio of close to $600 million.

The University fulfills its role as a land grant institution by fostering a collaborative environment that integrates technology into all disciplines so the Virginia Tech community can serve as a force for positive change around the Commonwealth, the country, and the world. Through experiential learning, future-focused research, and an inclusive, spirited culture, Virginia Tech strives to accomplish the charge of its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, the SAVP enjoys direct and unfettered access to university leadership. This individual will lead the development and execution of an integrated marketing and communications strategy that advances institutional priorities, strengthens stakeholder engagement, supports fundraising objectives, and elevates Virginia Tech's visibility and influence among key audiences. Central to this work is the ability to position and promote Virginia Tech as a destination of choice for exceptional faculty, staff, and students, leveraging strategic communications and brand stewardship to strengthen recruitment and enrollment outcomes.

The successful candidate will bring a strong marketing orientation, ensuring the University not only communicates effectively but also differentiates itself in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape through intentional brand stewardship, audience engagement, and reputation management.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the voice, brand, and reputation of a globally recognized public research university at a pivotal moment in its history. Virginia Tech's next SAVP will lead a talented and evolving organization through a period of institutional transformation, presidential transition, and growing national visibility. This leader will be a brand visionary who embraces innovation and is prepared to explore how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence can strengthen storytelling.

Working closely with university leadership and partners across the institution, the SAVP will define a bold strategic vision for marketing and communications, coordinate a complex and distributed communications ecosystem, and develop innovative approaches that strengthen audience engagement, institutional reputation, and measurable results. The successful candidate will serve as a key strategic advisor, helping to position Virginia Tech locally, nationally, and globally, for continued growth, distinction, and impact while building a high-performing, collaborative culture that advances the University's most important priorities.

To succeed, the next SAVP must possess the professional acumen, leadership experience, and instincts necessary to operate in a large, complex, and highly visible organization. This individual will be an accomplished marketing and communications executive with experience leading enterprise-wide initiatives, advising senior leaders through challenging and high-profile situations, and driving meaningful organizational change. They will bring a demonstrated ability to foster coordination across diverse stakeholders, establish accountability in distributed environments, and leverage…