Director, Communications and Programs
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Hybrid
Location: Nashville • Tennessee • United States
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Job Level
About the role
- Serve as a trusted strategic communications partner to the Chancellor.
- Advise on messaging strategy, positioning, sequencing, and audience engagement across executive communications.
- Provide thoughtful analysis and recommendations to support decision-making and leadership visibility.
- Anticipate communications risks and opportunities in a dynamic higher education environment.
- Lead and coordinate the Chancellor’s communications portfolio, integrating strategy, planning, writing, review, and execution.
- Translate institutional strategy and leadership priorities into actionable communications plans and deliverables.
- Manage a portfolio of high-visibility executive communications initiatives, ensuring alignment with brand, quality, and strategic intent.
- Balance rapid-response demands with long-range planning and execution.
- Provide structure and visibility across the Chancellor’s communications workload, tracking priorities, dependencies, and timelines.
- Drive sequencing, prioritization, and execution across concurrent executive communications initiatives, ensuring clarity of ownership and accountability.
- Clarify and shape requests from executive stakeholders, identifying objectives, audiences, risks, and strategic considerations.
- Connect cross-functional inputs and dependencies across cabinet offices, Communications and Marketing, and external partners.
- Identify gaps, risks, and bottlenecks early and proactively implement solutions to maintain momentum and quality.
- Ensure executive communications efforts are appropriately resourced and coordinated to meet institutional priorities.
- Ensure all executive communications reflect Vanderbilt’s mission, values, and institutional positioning.
- Establish and uphold the highest standards of quality, consistency, and brand integrity across all Chancellor communications.
- Leverage technology platforms and emerging tools to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and improve visibility across executive communications initiatives.
- Continuously assess and refine executive communications processes, introducing improvements that increase clarity, efficiency, responsiveness, and impact.
- Oversee and contribute to the development of executive communications materials—including talking points, background briefs, strategic memos, proposals, and written correspondence—ensuring alignment, clarity, and quality across all outputs.
- Synthesize complex information into clear, compelling, executive-level messaging.
- Maintain exceptional organization, attention to detail, and follow-through across concurrent initiatives.
- Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
- Work outside regular business hours as necessary to meet executive-level responsibilities and deadlines.
Requirements
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in executive communications, higher education administration, strategy, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders in high-visibility, complex organizational environments.
- Exceptional writing, synthesis, analytical, and strategic thinking skills.
- Proven ability to operate with discretion, sound judgment, and independence in high-stakes settings.
- Experience working within or alongside senior leadership offices strongly preferred.
- Prior experience at Vanderbilt University or another private institution of higher education preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing integrated communications strategies and managing cross-functional initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience influencing and coordinating work across complex, integrated teams, including both direct and indirect collaboration models.
- Demonstrated ability to lead in fast-paced, complex, and at times ambiguous environments while maintaining quality, composure, and team cohesion.
- Demonstrated ability to provide thoughtful counsel on messaging strategy, timing, audience impact, and reputational considerations.
- Strong facilitation and partnership skills, with experience participating in cross-unit forums or working groups.
- Ability to apply sound judgment and systems thinking to manage competing priorities and translate complex information into clear, actionable messaging.
- Demonstrated discretion and professionalism in managing confidential or sensitive information.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with competing priorities and compressed timelines, including strong project management capabilities to coordinate cross-functional contributors, track dependencies, and drive high-quality execution.
Benefits
- Health insurance
- 401(k) matching
- Paid time off
- Professional development opportunities
- Flexible work hours
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard Skills & Tools
executive communicationscommunications strategywritingsynthesisanalytical skillsstrategic thinkingproject managementcross-functional initiativesmessaging strategyaudience engagement
Soft Skills
discretionsound judgmentindependenceorganizationattention to detailfacilitationpartnership skillsteam cohesionclarityresponsiveness