Vice President for

Marketing & Communications Category:

Staff and Administrators Subscribe:

New Job Alerts RSS Job Feed Department:

PRES-President's Office 1100

Locations:

Worcester, MA Posted:

Sep 3, 2026

Closes:

Open Until Filled Type:

Full-time -

Exempt Salary Type:

Annually Salary Range:

$264,800.00 - $314,000.00

Position ID:

204427

Share About Clark University:

As a small, private teaching and research university, Clark is committed to scholarship and inquiry that addresses social and human imperatives on a global basis. The University's mission is to educate undergraduate and graduate students to become imaginative and contributing citizens of the world and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort. Clark's urban location, combined with its tradition of community partnerships, place faculty and students in an ideal position to live the University's motto, "Challenge Convention. Change Our World." Clark's academic enterprise is evolving in ways that build on its historic strengths while creating structures better aligned with the future. The University has established the School of Climate, Environment, and Society, a signature expression of Clark's long-standing leadership in geography, environmental research, sustainability, economics, justice, and human-centered approaches to climate and ecological change. Clark is also home to the Becker School of Design and Technology, which continues the legacy of Becker College's distinctive programs in design, interactive media, and game-design fields, and which may soon become part of a broader School of Media, Arts, Computing, and Design. In addition, Clark is developing new schools in Science, Health, and Human Development and in Civic and Global Engagement, further organizing the University around areas of academic strength, student demand, societal need, and institutional purpose. Increasingly, Clark is organizing its teaching, research, and public engagement around the most urgent challenges and opportunities of our time. Across areas such as climate and sustainability, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, public health, civic participation, community wellbeing, global development, and social justice, Clark seeks to prepare graduates not simply to enter the world as it exists, but to help shape the world as it should be. The University's distinctive combination of a research-intensive culture, a strong liberal arts foundation, and an institutional scale that encourages collaboration enables students and faculty to work across disciplines and translate knowledge into meaningful action. At the undergraduate level, Clark provides a challenging liberal arts curriculum with many of the benefits associated with an excellent liberal arts college, including small classes, a strong sense of community, extensive co-curricular opportunities and faculty who are passionate about teaching and mentoring students. Clark's Liberal Education and Effective Practice model of undergraduate education aligns all aspects of the undergraduate experience to educate graduates known both for their academic accomplishments and for key capacities of "effective practice," capacities needed to translate ideas and values into action. This curricular model connects classroom learning across approximately 50 majors, minors and concentrations with world and workplace experiences. Today, 100 percent of Clark undergraduates complete at least one experiential learning opportunity. At the graduate level, Clark offers nine doctoral and 30 master's degree programs. Graduate programs include degrees offered through Clark's AACSB-accredited School of Business. Clark has received national attention for its accelerated degree programs (about 20 in number) that allow students to complete both a BA degree and a master's degree in five years. The fifth year of several of these programs is tuition-free for eligible students. As a research university, Clark offers students the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge scholarship and creative work, working side by side with graduate students and faculty members, many of whom are international leaders in their fields. The University is particularly distinguished by research and teaching that connect people, communities, and the planet, bringing together expertise across the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, business, and the arts to address complex global challenges. Researchers who have held Clark appointments include A.A. Michelson, the first U.S. Nobel Prize winner in the sciences, and Robert Goddard, the father of the space age and inventor of modern rocket technology. With a growing national profile, Clark is building on its historic strengths while positioning itself as a university uniquely equipped to address the intertwined challenges of people, planet, and technology. Its aspiration is not simply to adapt to the future of higher education, but to help define it. The Vice President for Marketing and Communications will be an essential strategic partner to President David Fithian and the senior leadership team at a time when Clark's needs around strategic communication, institutional positioning, enrollment, advancement, reputation, and internal alignment are more important than ever. Higher education is navigating profound demographic, financial, technological, and cultural change. Clark's ability to thrive will depend not only on the quality of its academic programs and student experience, but also on its capacity to explain who it is, why it matters, and where it is going with greater force, consistency, and imagination. This leader will help Clark tell a more compelling and integrated story about its distinctiveness: a small research university with a strong liberal arts core, deep roots in Worcester, a tradition of challenging convention, and growing strength in areas of urgent relevance, including climate and society, design and technology, health and human development, civic and global engagement, management, the sciences, the arts, and the humanities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide vision, leadership and direction for marketing and communications strategies and programs that align with and advance the University's transformational strategic plan. Serve as the President's senior-most executive for marketing and communications, with responsibility for oversight and direction of those functions and staff. Lead a University-wide effort to sharpen, integrate, and consistently express Clark's strategy and institutional narrative across audiences, including prospective students and families, current students, faculty and staff, alumni, donors, trustees, partners, media, and the broader public. Partner closely with leadership in enrollment, advancement, and community affairs to develop innovative and effective strategies for recruitment, engagement and fundraising-related communications. Partner closely with leadership in academic affairs, human resources, and student affairs to develop thoughtful and impactful strategies for internal communications, retention and community. Convene leaders, partners, and stakeholders across the University around shared priorities, building the relationships, alignment, and collaboration needed to advance the University's mission and strategic goals. Collaborate closely with the President, senior leadership, deans, faculty, staff, students, trustees, and external partners to sharpen and strengthen Clark's institutional story, elevate its brand, and ensure that communications across the University are strategic, coherent, authentic, and audience-aware. Anticipate, mitigate and manage the types of complex, challenging, sensitive and potentially negative situations and issues that can rapidly arise on any campus and risk the University's reputation or the confidence of the campus community. Set the tone and lead the marketing and communications team in expanding and strengthening strong, productive collaborations with faculty, students and staff colleagues across the University. Provide leadership, expertise and guidance to direct and continue building the skills and impact of a growing marketing and communications team and their potential to shape the standing and engagement goals of the University. This includes setting clear benchmarks for high performance, leading by example, having insight into best-in-practice work across the full set of media tools used today and charting a path to comprehensive and potent digital outreach. Serve as University spokesperson with skill and assurance as needed in any type of situation. Build rapport and trust with a campus-wide network of administrative and academic colleagues to inform, shape and guide fidelity of messaging and high-quality public outreach that benefit the University's reputation and strategic goals.

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree. Advanced degree preferred. 10+ years of progressively responsible marketing and communications leadership experience. Demonstrated ability to work as a genuinely collaborative institutional leader, not only as a functional expert, with the credibility, humility, curiosity, and judgment to partner effectively with faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, donors, enrollment leaders, advancement colleagues, academic deans, and senior administrators. Sophisticated understanding of the challenges facing higher education, including demographic change, public skepticism, affordability concerns, changing student expectations, reputational risk, enrollment competition, and the need for universities to communicate their value with greater clarity and credibility. Proven performance reflecting the highest standards of ethics, trustworthiness, judgment under pressure, creative problem-solving and skill and care with communications of every kind. Demonstrated senior leadership experience designing and executing creative, impactful strategic communications plans and marketing efforts in an organization with varied priorities and a wide range of stakeholders. Proven experience earning the trust and confidence of a diverse set of professional peers and leaders. Demonstrated performance as a highly driven learner curious for new knowledge and skills promising to benefit professional impact and leadership contributions. Demonstrated skill managing, motivating and supporting staff of varied levels and talents and leading them toward increasingly stronger performance. Proven ability to forge effective relationships, exert influence with tact and good judgment and collaborate internally and externally with diverse colleagues at all levels. Deep understanding of digital communications and marketing strategies and new media and extensive experience applying or leading their application successfully. Outstanding management and planning skills, including the ability to simultaneously handle the pressures of crises and the regular demands of many intersecting projects with poise and good humor. Proven stellar and nuanced interpersonal and professional communications skills, including in writing and public speaking. Exceptional capacity to bring people together around a shared story while respecting the complexity, individuality, and intellectual independence of an academic community.

Additional Information:

Expected Hiring Range:

$264,800 to $314,000

Pay Transparency Disclosure:

The compensation for this position will be determined based on factors that include available budget, internal equity, and the selected candidate's qualifications, experience, education, and other job-related credentials. This range represents Clark University's good-faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting consistent with Clark's compensation philosophy and internal alignment. At Clark University we believe that diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to a more innovative and productive work environment. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to join our team and contribute their unique ideas to help us achieve our goals. Clark University offers a generous benefit package for full and, if applicable, part-time employees that include; paid time off, generous retirement plan, group health and dental insurance, life insurance, and tuition, along with use of many campus amenities. For a complete list of benefits for eligible employees visit here . To review the Clark University Police Department Annual Security and Fire Safety Report visit here .

Application Instructions:

Clark University has exclusively retained Heyman Associates for this search. Application materials should be submitted directly to ClarkUniversity@heymanassociates.com. For additional information, please contact: Stephanie Elmessaoudi Client Partner (212) 784-2706 Alexandra Dodge Associate (212) 784-2702 Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. Clark University participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility in the United States. A successful background check is required upon acceptance.

URL:

ClarkUniversity@heymanassociates.com