Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Vice President of Marketing & Communications Executive Leadership Full-Time, On-Site Buena Vista, Virginia Salary Range:

$125,000-$155,000, commensurate with experience

ABOUT SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

Southern Virginia University is a small, faith-centered liberal arts institution nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where the Blue Ridge Mountains frame a campus built for something bigger than itself. Our mission is singular and uncompromising: we exist to teach students to discern truth and choose Christ, that they may be prepared in all things. Everything we do flows from that North Star — and it takes three forms. We gather students who are seeking a community of faith and purpose. We lift them through a rigorous, values-centered education. And we launch them into lives of meaning, contribution, and eternal consequence. We are in a season of deliberate, ambitious growth — targeting an additional 800 students in the coming year and tripling our total enrollment over the next three to five years. We are not looking for someone to manage a steady state. We are looking for a builder — someone who wants to plant a flag, grow something meaningful, and leave a legacy. SVU operates in alignment with the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our faith is not a backdrop — it is our culture, our community, and our competitive advantage.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Vice President of Marketing & Communications is a newly scoped, executive-level role that sits on the President's Council and reports directly to the President. This is a rare opportunity to define, build, and lead the marketing function of a university at a pivotal moment in its history. You will be responsible for positioning SVU as the preferred university choice for Latter-day Saint students east of the Rocky Mountains — ensuring that by the end of your first year, every eligible LDS student in that geography knows who we are, what we stand for, and why we are one of their top choices. You will craft the story, build the strategy, develop the team, and measure the results. This is not a support role. This is a seat at the leadership table.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Brand Strategy & Storytelling Develop and steward a compelling, cohesive brand identity for SVU that authentically communicates our faith mission, our academic rigor, and our community. Define and articulate SVU's value proposition to prospective students and their families — answering clearly and memorably why they should choose SVU over every other option. Lead the creation of content, campaigns, and narratives across all channels that bring the Gather. Lift. Launch. story to life. Enrollment Marketing & Funnel Development Build and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy that fills the admissions funnel with high-quality, mission-aligned prospective students. Partner closely with the Director of Admissions to ensure seamless handoff from marketing interest to enrollment conversion. Develop detailed personas of SVU's target student and parent audiences, and engineer messaging and channel strategy to reach them effectively. Leverage digital marketing tools — including paid social, SEO/SEM, email, and emerging platforms — to target specific demographics with precision and efficiency. Communications & Internal Alignment Lead external communications including public relations, media, and community engagement. Drive internal brand alignment so that every SVU employee can articulate our mission and North Star with clarity and conviction — the goal is an institution where faculty, staff, and administrators instinctively ask, "Does this help students discern truth and choose Christ?" Oversee institutional communications including the President's public voice, key announcements, and crisis communications when needed. Team Leadership & Development Directly manage a team of four (4) direct and 16 indirect marketing and communications professionals, with the authority and budget to hire additional talent as the department scales to meet growth goals. For the right candidate with admissions and enrollment management experience, there is genuine appetite to consolidate the Admissions team under this role to create a unified enrollment marketing and conversion operation.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YEAR ONE A

comprehensive, data-informed marketing strategy is in place and executing across all major channels. SVU has meaningful brand recognition among LDS students east of the Rockies — we are on their list. Every SVU employee can articulate our North Star mission without prompting, and the words Gather. Lift. Launch. carry real meaning inside and outside the institution. The admissions funnel is measurably fuller, with higher-quality leads converting at improved rates. A scalable marketing team is built, energized, and clear on priorities.

WHO YOU ARE

Experienced:

You bring multiple years of marketing leadership, ideally in higher education or in marketing to comparable demographics (faith communities, young adults, families in decision-making modes). Experience in enrollment marketing is a strong plus.

Strategic:

You think in systems. You can look at a university, identify its highest-leverage opportunities, and build a plan to capture them.

A storyteller:

You know that data gets attention, but story changes hearts. You can do both.

Digitally fluent:

You are comfortable with the full modern marketing stack — paid digital, CRM, analytics, automation, social, and whatever comes next.

A builder:

You thrive in dynamic, fast-moving environments. You are energized by growth challenges, not exhausted by them.

Mission-aligned:

Preferred candidates will share faith alignment with the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will be genuinely enthusiastic about marketing those values — not as a job requirement, but as a personal conviction.

A leader:

You develop people, build culture, and hold a team accountable with both grace and results-orientation.

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

Salary Range:

$125,000-$155,000 , commensurate with experience, with flexibility for candidates who bring exceptional enrollment management credentials. This is a full-time, on-site executive role based in Buena Vista, Virginia — a community where housing costs are roughly 25% below the national average, the pace of life is intentional, and the mountains are outside your window. SVU offers a uniquely meaningful environment where professional ambition and personal faith can grow together. Southern Virginia University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or familial status. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who are aligned with our mission. To apply or make inquiries, contact: HR@svu.

edu https:

//www.svu.edu/about/careers/

Pay:

$125,000.00 - $155,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Health insurance Paid time off Parental leave Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person