Senior Director of Digital Communications

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Digital Communications serves as a key leader within Vanderbilt University’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), responsible for advancing a unified, strategic, and donor-centered communications approach within the digital space (email, web, social media). This new strategic role partners closely with internal DAR teams and the university’s Division of Communications and Marketing (MarComm) to lead the development and execution of integrated digital marketing campaigns, including DAR’s efforts in the university’s Salesforce Marketing Cloud platform.

This role combines technical expertise with marketing strategy to optimize community engagement, drive philanthropy, and enhance overall marketing effectiveness.

About The Work

Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) secures the philanthropic and volunteer support required to advance Vanderbilt University’s mission. DAR leads the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals and organizations whose goals align with Vanderbilt’s strategic priorities. DAR strengthens lifelong engagement among alumni, families, donors, and partners.

• Lead DAR’s implementation of Marketing Cloud usage, including assessing technology needs, defining policies and building out processes in collaboration with DAR, IT, and MarComm partners to meet department objectives and community engagement goals
• Develop a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for DAR
• Design, implement, and optimize multi-channel marketing campaigns (email, social media, web)
• Create sophisticated marketing automation workflows to build journeys and improve community lifecycle management
• Plan strategic and comprehensive long-term digital marketing initiatives
• In collaboration with DAR’s data team, develop advanced audience segments and targeting strategies based on available data and behavior analysis
• In collaboration with DAR’s creative team, build and maintain the brand for DAR’s digital presence
• Build and maintain a comprehensive calendar of DAR’s digital communications efforts
• Monitor, analyze, and report on campaign performance metrics; provide actionable insights and recommendations
• Ensure maximum utilization of Marketing Cloud features and functionality; identify and implement platform improvements
• Mentor team members and provide guidance on platform best practices
• Manage integrations between Marketing Cloud and the department’s Salesforce CRM in partnership with internal DAR teams
• Ensure all campaigns comply with GDPR, CCPA, CAN-SPAM, and other regulatory requirements
• In partnership with the associate director of digital communications, build and maintain DAR’s web properties
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within DAR, across the broader advancement enterprise, and across the university, including with MarComm partners
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Supervisory Relationships

This position will have supervisory responsibility of two to three positions – associate director positions to manage web properties and social media and one to two Marketing Cloud email designers. This position reports to the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Internal Communications and Services.

Work Environment

This position will be located in the Nashville, TN area. It will be hybrid with an expectation of being in the office about one day per week or more depending on business needs.

Education And Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, is required.

Experience And Skills

• 8 years of relevant experience, or the equivalent, is required
• 5+ years in digital marketing, marketing automation, or MarTech environments
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud (required) including serving as a Marketing Cloud administrator; priority to candidates that have implemented new Marketing Cloud systems, processes, and strategies in a department or organization
• Proficiency with marketing automation platforms, email marketing, and CRM systems
• Experience in branding and brand management to ensure consistency of visual identity and message
• Knowledge of SEO/SEM best practices
• Experience with content management systems (CRM) for website management
• Strong collaboration skills demonstrated across multiple departments/areas of an organization
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and influence partners
• Strong project management skills, including experience developing briefs, managing workflows, and aligning resources to strategic goals
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, build collaborative partnerships, and work effectively across complex organizations
• Strong ability to analyze data, interpret metrics, and generate insights
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Knowledge of HTML/CSS and basic SQL
• Experience with marketing analytics tools (Google Analytics, Tableau, Looker)