Vice President for Communications amp Public Affairs

Profile

Located in Pennsylvania's beautiful Lehigh Valley – conveniently between New York City and Philadelphia – **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.
is one of the nation's most distinguished private research universities and seeks its next Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs.
Reporting to President Joseph Helble – while serving on and working in close collaboration with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s senior leadership team
– the Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs will serve as one of the University’s senior-most leaders, with direct responsibility for overseeing all aspects of enhancing, promoting, and protecting Lehigh’s reputation, public profile, and brand. This includes managing strategy, positioning, messaging, media, and external stakeholder relations, doing so at the University-wide level, while supporting and ensuring consistency among the various departments and divisions across the institution.
This person will oversee a talented team of approximately 30, including professionals overseeing institutional communications, media relations, crisis communications, brand and digital marketing, editorial services, creative, web and digital, community relations, and government relations. The Vice President will lead the ongoing development of the team, providing guidance, support and resources, and ensuring that structure and expertise are aligned with strategy. They will support team building and diversity (across a range of dimensions), through an empowering, inclusive, collaborative approach.
First and foremost, this must be an individual with a deep belief in **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s mission, along with an abiding commitment to operating according to the institution’s vision and values. While preferred, this person does not necessarily need experience in higher education; however, exposure to relevant issues, an understanding of the unique nature of academia, and experience in analogous and similarly-complex institutions will be critical. Experience in a highly visible, regarded, and well-known organization will also be important, ideally those with ambitious goals to raise visibility, awareness, and impact.
To summarize, in terms of the most critical experiences and competencies, **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. seeks:
Strategic leadership:
operating as a strategist and counselor at the senior-most levels of a high-profile, sector-leading institution; providing clarity of vision (aligning institutional and functional priorities), credible advice, and a collaborative, yet decisive approach
Team leadership:
overseeing the efforts of a high-performing, similarly-sized (~30) team, with a track record of tapping into existing strengths while promoting growth and development
Functional expertise:
developing creative, integrated communications/public affairs plans that incorporate institutional/programmatic promotion, issues, and crisis management, and a sophisticated blend of traditional media, digital media and content, and a diverse range of engagement strategies and tools
Relevant institutional & sectoral insights:
management of the above elements in a highly-visible, recognized institution (bringing both the positive assets and associated reputational threats); at least exposure to and appreciation for higher education, if not experience within the sector
To provide recommendations or apply for the role, please submit a CV and statement of interest to ****
**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Lehigh is committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to this mission.
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