Job Details

Vice President of Integrated Communication Strategy, External Affairs

Position Number: 6414951
Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Public Relations, Marketing and Communications

Vice President of Integrated Communication Strategy, External Affairs

Job Description
Vice President of Integrated Communication Strategy, External Affairs

Category
Charles River Campus --> Professional
Job Location
Boston, MA, United States
Tracking Code
25500897230725
Posted Date
7/25/2025
Salary Grade
Grade 00
Position Type
Full-Time/Regular

Position Summary

Boston University is seeking an experienced and visionary leader to serve as Vice President of Integrated Communication Strategy. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of University Relations, this individual will play a pivotal role in driving a bold transformation of BU's communications strategy. Acting as a strategic second-in-command, the Vice President will lead the collaborative integration of marketing and communications activities across the university. This work will be done in partnership with other senior leaders who report to the senior vice president and who lead the division's functional areas, including marketing and creative services, editorial, government and community relations, federal relations, public relations and social media, and executive communications.

This role is ideally suited for a seasoned executive who thrives in complexity, excels at leading large-scale organizational change, and inspires cross-functional teams toward innovation, cohesion, and strategic impact.

About Boston University

Boston University's origins trace back to 1839 when a Methodist theological school was established in Vermont; the university was chartered under its current name by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1869.

Notably, the charter stated that every department of the new university was open to all on an equal footing regardless of sex, race, or (except for the School of Theology) religion. BU was the first American university to award a PhD to a woman, and the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts Bar was a law school alumna.

Today, BU is a top-tier research university with a global footprint. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, the university is home to 17 schools and colleges (plus the Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences) as well as more than 130 research centers and institutes across all disciplines. BU offers over 300 programs of study, and its 4,490 instructional and research faculty issued nearly 7,700 publications in 2023. The university received $579.5 million in research awards in Fiscal Year 2024, and its research expenditures totaled $559 million during the same period.

The student body is highly diverse and comprises over 17,000 undergraduate and 18,000 graduate students. Roughly 20 percent of the undergraduate student body comes from outside the US, and over 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students represent over 140 countries.

The university is spread across three campuses in Boston: the sprawling Charles River Campus; the Boston University Medical Campus; and the Fenway Campus, which is largely residential. In October 2024, the City of Boston approved the Charles River Campus Institutional Master Plan (IMP), enabling the university to advance three major projects on the Charles River Campus including upgrades to undergraduate residential housing, construction of a new School of Global Studies, and renovation of the Mugar Memorial Library.

In 2019, the university completed its first-ever, highly successful comprehensive capital campaign. Prior to 2005, the university had done very little to connect with its over 400,000 living alumni and motivate them to provide financial support. Concerted outreach to BU's alumni during the campaign-and significant recent major gifts to the university-justify optimism that philanthropic contributions will continue on a significant upward trajectory.

In Fiscal Year 2024, BU's operating expenses were $2.5 billion, while operating revenues were $2.6 billion; the university's net assets grew 5.4 percent, to $5.96 billion; and the endowment increased by $387 million and now exceeds $3.5 billion. More information may be found in the 2024 Annual Report.

Key Responsibilities

Serve as deputy leader for the External Affairs division, supporting strategic execution across all major functions.
Convene and align multifunctional communications and marketing teams to a unified strategic vision.
Facilitate and support a comprehensive reorganization, embedding new priorities and modern best practices.
Cultivate collaboration between internal teams and external partners, fostering a culture of cohesion, service, and agility.
Mentor and partner with school and unit communicators to support and integrate communications and marketing practices across the campus.
Partner with university leadership on budgetary planning and resource reallocation in support of the communications transformation.
Represent the communications division in executive-level initiatives across the university.
Interface with a variety of university leaders to provide strategic expertise and ensure External Affairs teams are cohesively deployed to help leverage and amplify opportunities and mitigate risks across campus.

Required Skills

Required Qualifications

At least 10 years of senior-level experience leading strategic communications or marketing in a complex institution or organization
Demonstrated success in managing organizational change, restructuring teams, and integrating strategic functions
Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and align diverse teams
Strong background in talent development and operational strategy
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Excellent communications and language skills

Desired Traits

Strategic thinker and integrator, able to translate vision into action
Skilled collaborator and influencer across disciplines and leadership levels
Adaptable leader with experience in high-pressure, mission-driven environments
Deep commitment to higher education and institutional mission

Compensation and Logistics

Compensation for this executive leadership position will be commensurate with experience.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Required Skills

Job Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Full-Time/Regular
Salary Grade: Grade 00

To apply, visit https://jobs.silkroad.com/BU/External/jobs/315684