Viterbo University
Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment
Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wisconsin, us, 54602
Viterbo University, a Catholic Franciscan university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin seeks a strategic, visionary, and results-oriented higher education leader to serve as Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment. In this newly created position, the Vice President will work to create and sustain an environment of collaboration and excellence, motivating employees and cultivating productive, synergistic relationships across Viterbo's vibrant community.
Interested in this role You can find all the relevant information in the description below.
Reporting to President Rick Trietley, the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment will serve as a member of the President's Cabinet, the university's executive leadership team, and lead a team of approximately 30 professionals within marketing, communications, admission, financial aid, and enrollment operations. The Vice President will guide the division's collaborative efforts to achieve Viterbo's strategic plan: RISE. Through Viterbo's Strategic plan, the Viterbo community, and the division, the new vice president will engage in collective action to strengthen the university's brand recognition and resources base, foster an inclusive campus culture, increase student enrollment and success, and become the regional higher education employer of choice.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The essential duties and responsibilities for the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment are as follows:
University Leadership
Support Viterbo University's strategic goals and provide a clear vision and tactical direction for the division of Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment.
Create a collegial, team-oriented work environment; motivate and inspire a professional staff by demonstrating a strong work ethic and a commitment to professional development; facilitate an office culture that is inclusive and committed to Viterbo's values; and knit together the divisions teams in their shared work through effective communication.
Establish and enhance partnerships with Academic Affairs, Advancement, Student Life, Athletics, Finance and others to align recruitment, marketing and communication strategies with programmatic needs, market demand, and institutional enrollment, retention and revenue goals.
Possess a commitment to building an inclusive and equitable living, learning, and working environment; oversee initiatives to enhance diversity and a sense of belonging among the staff and student body.
Educate the campus community on changing demographics, the highly competitive landscape, and the evolving needs and perceptions of students and families; lead the campus community in understanding challenges and guide the campus community and community partners in building effective activities in response.
Serve as an advocate for retention and persistence efforts; support the work of other campus partners in the retention of students, collection of data, sharing of information, and development of programs and enhancement of the student experience and outcomes.
Ensure the fiscally sound operation of the Division of Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment; identify and track key performance indicators ensuring effective use of resources, including division's budget and personnel.
Marketing and Communications
Serve as the chief marketing and communications strategist for the university, responsible for overall internal and external communications, research-based messaging, and marketing and branding activity.
Lead and assess brand cohesion and effectiveness to strengthen Viterbo's national reputation and attract the best students, staff, faculty, and donors; serve as the university's brand manager, with the responsibility of telling the Viterbo story in the market, determining target audiences and maintaining the desired reputation.
Lead collaboration with key leaders to support a cohesive brand identity and research-based strategies that define market position, target audiences and key messages to enhance the university's enrollment, market strength, national reputation, and distinctiveness.
Lead the reorganization and evolution of the marketing and communications teams in the development and realization of a forward thinking, innovative, and highly responsive university marketing and communications functions.
Develop a cohesive, professional and collaborative marketing and communications team with the ability to be intentional, collaborative, nimble, and responsive to the needs of students, colleagues and stakeholders; develop market awareness and skills to best meet the evolving needs of students, families, faculty, and community members.
Provide leadership and vision for all facets of the university's integrated marketing and communications functions; foster creative and innovation initiatives and tactics in reaching new and existing audiences; demonstrate results of the university's integrated marketing, strategic communications, public relations, and special events activities.
Lead the marketing and communications staff in the development and execution of comprehensive strategies which reach, influence, and compel prospective students and their families to consider a Viterbo education; develop proactive communication, marketing and branding strategies consistent with the goals, plans, and aspirations of the university.
Employ a research-based approach to identify key messages and audiences, consistently articulate the university's stories by establishing a unified message in support of the Viterbo University brand.
Collaborate with staff and faculty to develop and execute the university's strategic communications program in support of the institution's mission, vision, values, and goals.
Guide the production of content tailored to key audiences capitalizing on various media platforms and positioning Viterbo as a university of choice for innovative approaches to tackling complex challenges.
Plan and oversee the design and production of all marketing, public relations and advertising products.
Develop, execute, and oversee programs necessary to communicate the university's mission and value to the public.
Communicate the university's position and policies on a variety of issues to specific media and to various university constituencies which includes serving as the university spokesperson with the media as appropriate.
Possess a strong foundation in crisis communications management as well as social media communications management; during times of emergency or crisis, serve as or delegate the role of University spokesperson and advise the president and senior leadership team on appropriate communications actions and responses.
Ensure continuity and consistency within the units of marketing and communications by developing media relations policies, writing stories and scripts, initiating special publications, writing articles for publications, and performing other related hands-on functions.
Facilitate a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
Strategic Enrollment Management
Serve as the chief enrollment officer overseeing recruitment and enrollment across all student populations, directing the institutional enrollment strategy, and managing all recruitment and enrollment activities and the strategic allocation of financial aid and scholarship resources.
Develop and implement a comprehensive vision and strategic enrollment plan to support undergraduate and graduate enrollment growth across traditional, domestic, international, transfer, online and Veterans populations; demonstrate creativity in the development of innovative tactics and plans to build enrollments and enhance market visibility and institutional reputation.
Partner with Academic Affairs to identify market demand for new program development and program feasibility; lead the division in successfully targeting and fostering new markets; develop and support enrollment and marketing plans to successfully launch new programs which align with the university's mission.
Lead pricing, discounting, and awarding strategies in a manner that supports overall revenue, net tuition and enrollment goals.
Deploy merit and need-based funding to attract an academically talented and diverse student body that includes undergraduate, graduate, transfer, international, and adult students.
Lead the financial aid office in developing and executing merit and need-based aid leveraging strategies which reflect institutional enrollment goals, decrease discount rates, and increase revenue.
Effectively utilize donor-supported scholarships and aid to increase stewardship and future fundraising.
As a confident and experienced strategist, serve as educator-in-chief on campus enrollment issues.
Possess the ability to utilize data and research to identify new markets, and employ sophisticated need and merit based leveraging strategies.
Lead the enrollment, marketing, communications, and operations teams in evaluating, implementing, and leveraging technology to innovate, increase operational efficiency, and meet the expectations of students and families.
Foster a culture of excellence in the utilization of data and the transparent sharing of information including best practices in data collection, analysis, and reporting; provide expert knowledge in the use and analysis of marketing and enrollment data.
Qualifications, Skills, and Characteristics
The successful candidate must have a bachelor's degree (an advanced degree is strongly preferred), a minimum of eight years of progressive experience in higher education and direct experience in the strategic leadership of institutional marketing, communications and enrollment management. In addition, the Vice President should demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, and abilities:
Notable track record of success in recruitment and enrollment growth among undergraduate, graduate, and adult enrollments, including expanding geographic reach, launching new programs, and building student interest in programs with capacity.
Experience with brand development, focus groups and quantitative research.
Skilled in the development, communication, and execution of effective enrollment and marketing plans.
Successful change leader with the ability to build credibility, success, and a positive environment through transparency, collaboration, and servant leadership.
Experienced enrollment management and marketing professional with an understanding of the US domestic and international markets, evolving trends, and the needs and perceptions of students and families.
Knowledgeable about relevant prospecting, admission, and yield strategies for a variety of diverging markets and populations.
A history of success in developing effective pricing, merit, and financial aid models.
Skilled in the research and identification of new markets, programs, partnerships, and opportunities to support enrollment growth.
A commitment to working with multicultural populations, an awareness of issues affecting diverse populations and the ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
Excellent interpersonal, relational, and organizational skills, including the ability to be an empathetic listener and persuasive communicator.
Engaging storyteller with the ability to articulate the value proposition, vision, mission, brand, and goals of Viterbo across various media platforms.
Strong organizational, planning and execution skills.
Possession of executive presence as well as active visibility within national or regional enrollment marketing and/or communications organizations.
Experienced in the development of marketing initiatives reflecting the needs, interest, and behaviors of individual populations.
An understanding of institutional challenges, opportunities and resources, evidence of creative and collaborative problem solving skills, and a history of successfully managing complex budgets.
Ability to use data in conjunction with intuition to be a calculated risk-taker.
Commitment to institutional strategy, enthusiasm for a positive future, and an energy to embrace a changing environment.
A sincere commitment to customer service with the ability to address individual and institutional barriers to enrollment and build collegial and transparent relationships across the community.
Experienced in the cultivation and management of media contacts and the ability to negotiate media inquiries and support an appropriate institutional response.
Creative, innovative, and collaborative campus and community partner with a relationship rich demeanor, and the ability to engage and educate stakeholders on best practices and evolving trends within enrollment management, marketing and communications, and higher education.
Ability to recruit, hire, and retain talented staff, equipping them as a team, and empowering them to work together toward the accomplishment of strategic and practical goals of the university.
To Apply:
NES, a higher education search firm specializing in enrollment management searches, is assisting Viterbo in identifying the university's next Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment. For more information, or to nominate someone for this position, contact Laura Robinson (laura.robinson@nessearches.com), Catherine Capolupo (catherine.capolupo@nessearches.com)
or Mary Napier (mary.napier@nessearches.com). All conversations will remain confidential unless otherwise stated and agreed. Interested candidates should submit a résumé and a letter of interest describing their unique qualifications for the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment position at Viterbo University. Candidates should also provide the names and contact information of at least five professional references. For confidentiality, references will not be contacted without permission. For best consideration, all application materials should be submitted electronically to viterbo@nessearches.com by August 30, 2024. The position is campus-based and the preferred start date is the late fall of 2024.
About the University:
Viterbo University is a Catholic, Franciscan, liberal arts institution with an enrollment of nearly 3000 students. Viterbo is located in scenic La Crosse, Wisconsin, which has been rated as one of the top places to live in the US. The region features an attractive cost of living, beautiful bluffs and coulees, three major rivers including the Mississippi River, world-class health care and education systems, and easy access to major cities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement:
At Viterbo University, we value our inclusive climate and understand that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. We translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, constituencies, and those who will help us advance our diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at creating a university that values student, staff, and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.
Viterbo University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, encourages nominations and candidacy of historically underrepresented groups, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Viterbo University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages nominations and candidacy of historically underrepresented groups.
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Interested in this role You can find all the relevant information in the description below.
Reporting to President Rick Trietley, the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment will serve as a member of the President's Cabinet, the university's executive leadership team, and lead a team of approximately 30 professionals within marketing, communications, admission, financial aid, and enrollment operations. The Vice President will guide the division's collaborative efforts to achieve Viterbo's strategic plan: RISE. Through Viterbo's Strategic plan, the Viterbo community, and the division, the new vice president will engage in collective action to strengthen the university's brand recognition and resources base, foster an inclusive campus culture, increase student enrollment and success, and become the regional higher education employer of choice.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The essential duties and responsibilities for the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment are as follows:
University Leadership
Support Viterbo University's strategic goals and provide a clear vision and tactical direction for the division of Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment.
Create a collegial, team-oriented work environment; motivate and inspire a professional staff by demonstrating a strong work ethic and a commitment to professional development; facilitate an office culture that is inclusive and committed to Viterbo's values; and knit together the divisions teams in their shared work through effective communication.
Establish and enhance partnerships with Academic Affairs, Advancement, Student Life, Athletics, Finance and others to align recruitment, marketing and communication strategies with programmatic needs, market demand, and institutional enrollment, retention and revenue goals.
Possess a commitment to building an inclusive and equitable living, learning, and working environment; oversee initiatives to enhance diversity and a sense of belonging among the staff and student body.
Educate the campus community on changing demographics, the highly competitive landscape, and the evolving needs and perceptions of students and families; lead the campus community in understanding challenges and guide the campus community and community partners in building effective activities in response.
Serve as an advocate for retention and persistence efforts; support the work of other campus partners in the retention of students, collection of data, sharing of information, and development of programs and enhancement of the student experience and outcomes.
Ensure the fiscally sound operation of the Division of Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment; identify and track key performance indicators ensuring effective use of resources, including division's budget and personnel.
Marketing and Communications
Serve as the chief marketing and communications strategist for the university, responsible for overall internal and external communications, research-based messaging, and marketing and branding activity.
Lead and assess brand cohesion and effectiveness to strengthen Viterbo's national reputation and attract the best students, staff, faculty, and donors; serve as the university's brand manager, with the responsibility of telling the Viterbo story in the market, determining target audiences and maintaining the desired reputation.
Lead collaboration with key leaders to support a cohesive brand identity and research-based strategies that define market position, target audiences and key messages to enhance the university's enrollment, market strength, national reputation, and distinctiveness.
Lead the reorganization and evolution of the marketing and communications teams in the development and realization of a forward thinking, innovative, and highly responsive university marketing and communications functions.
Develop a cohesive, professional and collaborative marketing and communications team with the ability to be intentional, collaborative, nimble, and responsive to the needs of students, colleagues and stakeholders; develop market awareness and skills to best meet the evolving needs of students, families, faculty, and community members.
Provide leadership and vision for all facets of the university's integrated marketing and communications functions; foster creative and innovation initiatives and tactics in reaching new and existing audiences; demonstrate results of the university's integrated marketing, strategic communications, public relations, and special events activities.
Lead the marketing and communications staff in the development and execution of comprehensive strategies which reach, influence, and compel prospective students and their families to consider a Viterbo education; develop proactive communication, marketing and branding strategies consistent with the goals, plans, and aspirations of the university.
Employ a research-based approach to identify key messages and audiences, consistently articulate the university's stories by establishing a unified message in support of the Viterbo University brand.
Collaborate with staff and faculty to develop and execute the university's strategic communications program in support of the institution's mission, vision, values, and goals.
Guide the production of content tailored to key audiences capitalizing on various media platforms and positioning Viterbo as a university of choice for innovative approaches to tackling complex challenges.
Plan and oversee the design and production of all marketing, public relations and advertising products.
Develop, execute, and oversee programs necessary to communicate the university's mission and value to the public.
Communicate the university's position and policies on a variety of issues to specific media and to various university constituencies which includes serving as the university spokesperson with the media as appropriate.
Possess a strong foundation in crisis communications management as well as social media communications management; during times of emergency or crisis, serve as or delegate the role of University spokesperson and advise the president and senior leadership team on appropriate communications actions and responses.
Ensure continuity and consistency within the units of marketing and communications by developing media relations policies, writing stories and scripts, initiating special publications, writing articles for publications, and performing other related hands-on functions.
Facilitate a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
Strategic Enrollment Management
Serve as the chief enrollment officer overseeing recruitment and enrollment across all student populations, directing the institutional enrollment strategy, and managing all recruitment and enrollment activities and the strategic allocation of financial aid and scholarship resources.
Develop and implement a comprehensive vision and strategic enrollment plan to support undergraduate and graduate enrollment growth across traditional, domestic, international, transfer, online and Veterans populations; demonstrate creativity in the development of innovative tactics and plans to build enrollments and enhance market visibility and institutional reputation.
Partner with Academic Affairs to identify market demand for new program development and program feasibility; lead the division in successfully targeting and fostering new markets; develop and support enrollment and marketing plans to successfully launch new programs which align with the university's mission.
Lead pricing, discounting, and awarding strategies in a manner that supports overall revenue, net tuition and enrollment goals.
Deploy merit and need-based funding to attract an academically talented and diverse student body that includes undergraduate, graduate, transfer, international, and adult students.
Lead the financial aid office in developing and executing merit and need-based aid leveraging strategies which reflect institutional enrollment goals, decrease discount rates, and increase revenue.
Effectively utilize donor-supported scholarships and aid to increase stewardship and future fundraising.
As a confident and experienced strategist, serve as educator-in-chief on campus enrollment issues.
Possess the ability to utilize data and research to identify new markets, and employ sophisticated need and merit based leveraging strategies.
Lead the enrollment, marketing, communications, and operations teams in evaluating, implementing, and leveraging technology to innovate, increase operational efficiency, and meet the expectations of students and families.
Foster a culture of excellence in the utilization of data and the transparent sharing of information including best practices in data collection, analysis, and reporting; provide expert knowledge in the use and analysis of marketing and enrollment data.
Qualifications, Skills, and Characteristics
The successful candidate must have a bachelor's degree (an advanced degree is strongly preferred), a minimum of eight years of progressive experience in higher education and direct experience in the strategic leadership of institutional marketing, communications and enrollment management. In addition, the Vice President should demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, and abilities:
Notable track record of success in recruitment and enrollment growth among undergraduate, graduate, and adult enrollments, including expanding geographic reach, launching new programs, and building student interest in programs with capacity.
Experience with brand development, focus groups and quantitative research.
Skilled in the development, communication, and execution of effective enrollment and marketing plans.
Successful change leader with the ability to build credibility, success, and a positive environment through transparency, collaboration, and servant leadership.
Experienced enrollment management and marketing professional with an understanding of the US domestic and international markets, evolving trends, and the needs and perceptions of students and families.
Knowledgeable about relevant prospecting, admission, and yield strategies for a variety of diverging markets and populations.
A history of success in developing effective pricing, merit, and financial aid models.
Skilled in the research and identification of new markets, programs, partnerships, and opportunities to support enrollment growth.
A commitment to working with multicultural populations, an awareness of issues affecting diverse populations and the ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
Excellent interpersonal, relational, and organizational skills, including the ability to be an empathetic listener and persuasive communicator.
Engaging storyteller with the ability to articulate the value proposition, vision, mission, brand, and goals of Viterbo across various media platforms.
Strong organizational, planning and execution skills.
Possession of executive presence as well as active visibility within national or regional enrollment marketing and/or communications organizations.
Experienced in the development of marketing initiatives reflecting the needs, interest, and behaviors of individual populations.
An understanding of institutional challenges, opportunities and resources, evidence of creative and collaborative problem solving skills, and a history of successfully managing complex budgets.
Ability to use data in conjunction with intuition to be a calculated risk-taker.
Commitment to institutional strategy, enthusiasm for a positive future, and an energy to embrace a changing environment.
A sincere commitment to customer service with the ability to address individual and institutional barriers to enrollment and build collegial and transparent relationships across the community.
Experienced in the cultivation and management of media contacts and the ability to negotiate media inquiries and support an appropriate institutional response.
Creative, innovative, and collaborative campus and community partner with a relationship rich demeanor, and the ability to engage and educate stakeholders on best practices and evolving trends within enrollment management, marketing and communications, and higher education.
Ability to recruit, hire, and retain talented staff, equipping them as a team, and empowering them to work together toward the accomplishment of strategic and practical goals of the university.
To Apply:
NES, a higher education search firm specializing in enrollment management searches, is assisting Viterbo in identifying the university's next Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment. For more information, or to nominate someone for this position, contact Laura Robinson (laura.robinson@nessearches.com), Catherine Capolupo (catherine.capolupo@nessearches.com)
or Mary Napier (mary.napier@nessearches.com). All conversations will remain confidential unless otherwise stated and agreed. Interested candidates should submit a résumé and a letter of interest describing their unique qualifications for the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Enrollment position at Viterbo University. Candidates should also provide the names and contact information of at least five professional references. For confidentiality, references will not be contacted without permission. For best consideration, all application materials should be submitted electronically to viterbo@nessearches.com by August 30, 2024. The position is campus-based and the preferred start date is the late fall of 2024.
About the University:
Viterbo University is a Catholic, Franciscan, liberal arts institution with an enrollment of nearly 3000 students. Viterbo is located in scenic La Crosse, Wisconsin, which has been rated as one of the top places to live in the US. The region features an attractive cost of living, beautiful bluffs and coulees, three major rivers including the Mississippi River, world-class health care and education systems, and easy access to major cities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement:
At Viterbo University, we value our inclusive climate and understand that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. We translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, constituencies, and those who will help us advance our diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at creating a university that values student, staff, and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.
Viterbo University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, encourages nominations and candidacy of historically underrepresented groups, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Viterbo University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages nominations and candidacy of historically underrepresented groups.
#J-18808-Ljbffr