Responsibilities

• The Director of Marketing and Communications leads the development, execution, and evaluation of a comprehensive marketing and communications program for the Pamplin College of Business, aligned with university-wide marketing, communications, and branding priorities.
• The program reflects and advances the college’s mission, values, and distinctive strengths while supporting the broader understanding of Virginia Tech.
• The Director works closely with the Dean and senior leadership; the Pamplin College of Business advancement team, including marketing and communications, alumni engagement, and development; and faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external partners.
• The role also collaborates with marketing and communications directors across campus and colleagues in the Advancement and Marketing and Communications divisions.
• Additional coordination with department heads, program leaders, volunteers, and advisory boards ensures alignment with college/unit and university priorities.
• The position reports jointly to the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for Colleges in Advancement and to the Chief Advancement Officer of the Pamplin College of Business.
• The Director supervises a team of four marketing and communications professionals — including two assistant directors, a web specialist, and a photographer/videographer — and provides direction, performance planning, evaluation, and professional development.
• The role also partners with communicators supporting affiliated programs, centers, departments, and initiatives.
• The Director oversees strategies that support the academic, research, and advancement enterprises of the Pamplin College of Business and manages projects such as marketing and communications plans, messages, news and feature stories, speeches, campaigns, media relations, publications, photography and videography, advertising, social media, websites, newsletters, and other materials.
• The role ensures consistent application of the university brand, editorial, graphic design, accessibility, and messaging standards across all platforms.
• The Director uses metrics and analytics to assess effectiveness, identify target audiences, and inform strategies that achieve measurable impact.
• In partnership with the university’s media relations team, the Director implements media strategies for regional, trade, and national outlets to elevate the Pamplin College of Business and its leaders.
• This position is designated emergency personnel and supports initiatives across Blacksburg, Roanoke, and the greater Washington, D.C. metro area.
• It is based at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia.
• The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Requirements

• Master's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or related field; or Bachelor's degree with experience equating to an advanced degree.
• Demonstrated experience supervising communications professionals.
• Demonstrated familiarity with a range of communications principles, including coaching leaders, messaging, writing, editing, visual communications, branding, marketing, advertising, electronic communications, media relations and social media.
• Demonstrated professional experience working in a complex matrix management environment.
• Demonstrated professional experience representing and incorporating diverse constituencies and perspectives in communications.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in communications, marketing, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to define goals and objectives, identify target audiences, and measure progress toward communications and marketing goals.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive communications and marketing program for a complex organization.

Preferred

• Experience communicating technical content to a general audience.
• Experience in communications and marketing for a research-based organization.
• Experience in executing marketing initiatives and the analysis and application of market research.
• Experience working with business/industry, alumni engagement, or development initiatives.
• Demonstrated budgetary supervision experience.
• Experience in higher education, scientific organization, or nonprofit environment.
• Familiarity with content management systems and email platforms; social media competencies.
• Significant experience writing and producing publications and developing and placing stories with external media.
• Experience working in higher education, especially business education is desirable.
• Familiarity or experience managing volunteers and/or advisory boards.