Assistant Vice President, Strategic Communications

About the role

Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications, the University’s central public relations and marketing division, is seeking an experienced, proactive, and innovative leader to serve as its Assistant Vice President, Strategic Communications (AVP).

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise change communications and stakeholder engagement; serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders to anticipate, evaluate, and clearly communicate the impacts of organizational, operational, financial, and strategic decisions.
• Strengthen institutional capacity for change management by developing frameworks, processes, and communication strategies that enable leaders to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and competing stakeholder expectations with clarity, consistency, and confidence.
• Lead stakeholder analysis and engagement planning to shape communications around constituent needs and perspectives. Help leaders frame complex decisions, so they promote clarity, alignment, and constructive engagement among university and external audiences.
• Advance proactive change communications. Equip leaders across the University to lead during this time of ambiguity and increased expectations.
• Ensure that communications surrounding major initiatives are thoughtful, coordinated, and strategically aligned, positioning University leadership as informed, decisive, and prepared in the face of continual change.
• Collaborate with leadership in the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses to provide strategic communication counsel and support that advances Penn State's Commonwealth campuses.
• Continue to build and implement a clear, unified vision for strategic communication aimed at strengthening the University's culture, supporting its employees, protecting its reputation, and managing institutional change.
• Oversee the team responsible for the creation and oversight of university-wide employee communications strategies, programs, and messaging regarding key University initiatives.
• Develop creative strategies that foster internal brand relevance and cultivate a distinctive employee value proposition, ultimately driving employee satisfaction and engagement across the University.
• Conduct thorough data analysis, leveraging insights from employee feedback to craft targeted engagement initiatives that promote belonging, employee satisfaction, and well-being across the University.
• Partner closely with the VP of Human Resources and their team for implementation and measurement.
• Crisis and Issues Management: Coordinate closely with the director of Penn State's issues management team on key priorities to develop and support the execution of comprehensive, proactive, and reactive communication strategies that address crises and emerging issues that may adversely impact the University's reputation or operations.
• Provide thought leadership and strengthen the University's internal expertise and capabilities in outreach and engagement by leveraging emerging technologies and platforms, including AI.
• Provide leadership support of robust and timely content aimed at informing internal and external stakeholders about news, events, and initiatives across Penn State.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public relations, marketing, communications, advertising, journalism, business administration, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of relevant communications experience (or an equivalent combination of education and experience), including leading communications related to significant organizational change; the demonstrated ability to extrapolate and be valuable to supporting areas such as structural realignment, budget and resource planning, operational transformation, and student success initiatives.
• At least eight years of experience in a supervisory or senior management role.