Assistant Vice President, Communications

Main Campus - Boston, MA
R04087

The Assistant Vice President (AVP), Communications directly supports the revenue-raising functions of the University. It provides vision, leadership, strategic direction, and expertise to Advancement Communications and to all communications that advance the University's brand and reputation. This includes the editorial oversight of a semi-annual, on-line as well as print version, of a newly launched alumni magazine, as well as several affinity-based regularly scheduled newsletters. The AVP for Communications also is responsible for developing strategic relationships and systems across the campus to ensure the collection of the most relevant, vibrant messages of the university and to ensure that the stories are told in the most impactful formats. Consideration must be given to all audiences including alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and the wider world and also to include the Institutions employing and hiring our alumni, students and prospective students and parents. Management is also a key component of the job including internal staff content creators as well as external contractors and vendors. Messaging vehicles under the purview of this position include all print and social media materials produced within the Office of Advancement, as well as scripts, programs, and proposals.

Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement, the AVP for Communications will work closely with Development, including the Simmons Fund, Major Gifts, and Corporate and Foundation Relations. The AVP for Communications will also work closely with Alumnae/i Engagement, Programs, and Events to ultimately increase engagement.

Essential Functions:

Provide vision, leadership, strategic direction, and expertise to Advancement Communications programs
Responsibilities include:

• Development of direct response fundraising and marketing materials (on and offline) in collaboration with Annual Giving; engagement marketing; and brand oversight.
• Responsible for a portion of the college's annual giving revenue generation, and works closely with Annual Giving and Alumnae/i Engagement to coordinate efforts.
• Extensive and effective collaboration and communication with donors, board members, volunteers, senior administrators, advancement staff, vendors, service providers, and individuals with departments across the College community. Represents Advancement on the college-wide communications committee. Budget and resource management.

Proposal writing

• Oversee streamlining and standardization of proposal process; crafting custom gift proposals as needed.
• Write compelling and accurate proposals for gifts of $50,000+ with a focus on principal gifts requests of $1M+.
• Research existing and emerging initiatives to gather a base of information and create standard written descriptions of key initiatives that may be used by field staff and others in the creation of correspondences, marketing, and more basic or routine proposals.
• Track proposal metrics (number requested, number completed, number of successful funding requests, etc.) to measure performance in this area; maintain electronic library of standard information for shared access by the major gifts staff and others.
• Advise fundraising staff on the messaging of the most important and strategic College priorities.

Alumnae/i Engagement Writing

• Oversee Campaign newsletters; research and create other written materials for established and emerging Campaign and other development priorities for all College-wide fundraising campaigns, manage communications process.
• Create - or act as Advancement point person for - all relevant written communications and have integral role in on-line presence.
• Develop and maintain a detailed understanding of all institutional initiatives and also of behind-the-scenes campaign infrastructure, critical relationships within and outside Advancement, timelines, etc.
• Specific documents that would be the responsibility of this position could include (but are not limited to): formal campaign plan, volunteer correspondences, newsletters for internal and external audiences as well as other promotional/marketing/publications copy (and/or communication of writing standards to other writers), donor stewardship materials (including fund reports), case statement and/or other case for support materials, and editorial responsibility for the production of a semi-annual alumni magazine.

Senior Editorial Authority for Advancement

• Acting as senior editor for the Office of Advancement on writing projects not handled by Central Marketing, and managing Communications projects as assigned.
• As needed, act as Senior Editor of important, presidential, or board-level documents created across Advancement.
• Ensure consistency of style and message in these materials.
• Serve as authority on the style preferences of the President and lead fundraising volunteers (and others as appropriate) for purposes of creating or editing ghost-written documents.
• Work strategically with other members of the Advancement staff to ensure that messages to the external and internal communities are consistent with Advancement standards and the College's brand.

Other Advancement Writing

• Write or supervise the writing of: compelling print and email appeals that support strategic goals for annual giving and College messaging; scripts and talking points for president, board members, and leadership volunteers as requested for key board/Advancement/Donor Relations events including Scholarship Brunch, and Commencement Recognition Celebration.
• Write appropriate letters of condolence and congratulations from President and/or Vice President of Advancement to alumnae/i donors.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 8 years of experience in a similar or related field.
• Meticulous attention to detail, strong organizational skills.
• Strong, documented verbal and written communication skills and ability to manage time to successfully accomplish competing priorities.
• Highly collaborative style; experience developing and implementing communications strategies.

Instructions to Applicants: Please submit a resume and cover letter in the Resume/CV field on the 'My Experience' section of your application.


As a College committed to diversity, Simmons encourages applications broadly. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body and curriculum.


To apply, visit https://simmons.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Simmons-Careers/job/Main-Campus---Boston-MA/Assistant-Vice-President--Communications_R04087-1

Located in Bostons historic Fenway area, Simmons College is a small, private, non-sectarian College which has educated students for enriching careers and purposeful lives since 1899. Working at Simmons means joining a collaborative, diverse and mission-driven community of educators and professionals.

We prepare students to be leaders for themselves, their communities and the world. Our faculty and staff members lead by example - sharing a commitment to excellence and putting the students first.