Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Description

Earlham College has retained the Executive Search Firm, The Ward Group, to lead the search efforts. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: info@wardgroup.com and reference Earlham in the subject line.

Earlham College’s mission is to provide the highest quality undergraduate education in the liberal arts, including the sciences, shaped by the distinctive perspectives of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

In pursuit of this mission, Earlham, an independent liberal arts college located in Richmond, Indiana, strives to educate morally sensitive leaders dedicated to improving human society for the benefit of future generations. Therefore, Earlham stresses global education, peaceful resolution of conflict, the equality of people, and high moral standards of personal conduct.

Earlham’s mission thus requires selection of an outstanding and caring faculty committed to creating an open, cooperative learning environment. The College provides extensive opportunities for students and faculty to interact and learn from each other in a cooperative community, an important aspect of which is collaborative student/faculty research.

Earlham consistently ranks among U.S. News and World Report’s top national liberal arts institutions and has one of the country’s best classroom experiences, according to The Princeton Review.However, rankings alone do not reflect Earlham’s value as an institution. Many prestigious organizations —including the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the Watson Foundation, and the Lilly Foundation — invest in Earlham’s students, academic programs, and facilities because they recognize the full promise of an Earlham education and the transformational, lifelong impact it has on students and alumni.

For more information, please visit the Earlham College website.

Earlham College is seeking a Vice President of Marketing and Communications to join our team!

Reports to
President Paul Sniegowski

Opportunity Proposition

Under the leadership of new President Paul Sniegowski, this is an exciting and important moment in Earlham’s history, as the college aims to reposition itself within the higher education landscape. Earlham’s reputation for providing an exceptional, morally centered, and globally minded education is unique among liberal arts colleges. The next marketing and communications leader will have the opportunity to tell this story in new, compelling and transformative ways while leading a talented and collaborative team to new levels of success.

Principal Responsibilities

With support of the President and Senior Council, the Vice President of Marketing and Communications will provide innovative and strategic leadership, stewarding brand, marketing, and communications initiatives that align with the college’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities. The VP will manage the marketing and communications department, staff, and programs with the goal of elevating Earlham’s institutional reputation and awareness among key audiences and stakeholders while significantly improving enrollment and fundraising.

Specific Duties

• Establish strong relationships with college leadership, faculty, staff, and students to develop a deep understanding of Earlham’s history, culture, aspirations, and marketing and communications needs.
• Lead ongoing brand and audience research; maintain brand consistency across all platforms; and steward the college’s brand to enhance awareness, engagement, preference, and conversion.
• Integrate all marketing and communications functions—including website, publications, media relations, social media, email—into a cohesive, strategic program that aligns with institutional goals.
• Evaluate and advance digital and web initiatives—including content strategy, storytelling, social media, and digital engagement platforms—to optimize lead acquisition and audience engagement throughout the enrollment funnel.
• Collaborate closely with admissions, institutional advancement, and key on-campus stakeholders to design and implement integrated acquisition programs that drive top-of-funnel awareness, lead generation, and engagement with multiple audiences.
• Partner with institutional advancement to develop and execute communications and marketing programs that drive donor engagement and philanthropic support.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the president, senior leadership, and board on marketing objectives; serve as the college’s chief spokesperson; and oversee external agency partnerships.
• Develop and execute data-driven marketing and communications campaigns— across digital, social, and traditional channels—to drive reputation, enrollment, and advancement objectives, with continuous measurement and optimization.
• Oversee communications strategies—including media relations, crisis communications, executive and internal communications—in alignment with institutional priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Provide strategic leadership and operational management for the marketing and communications team, including direct supervision of senior staff, oversight of the department, organizational structure optimization, and performance management.
• Develop and utilize a metrics-informed evaluation process to assess the effectiveness of marketing assets and refine strategies based on performance data.
• Provide ultimate oversight of major on-campus events—including the Guest Artisan Lecture Series and Convocation—by managing staff and ensuring the planning, execution, and promotional efforts align with college priorities.
• Monitor internal and external environments for opportunities and threats and lead crisis communications planning and responses; recommend and implement adjustments to communications and marketing strategies accordingly.

Qualifications

Professional and Personal Profile

• Demonstrated success in progressively responsible marketing and communications roles, with a track record of developing and executing programs that drive reputation, enrollment, and advancement.
• Experience thriving in complex, matrixed environments—preferably higher education—with strong skills in shared governance, consensus building, and multistakeholder collaboration.
• Expertise in contemporary marketing and communications—digital, social, content, SEO, paid media—with audience segmentation, persona development, and journey mapping to advance institutional goals.
• Inspirational leadership with a mentoring mindset; proven ability to nurture diverse talent and foster a collegial, high-performing team environment.
• Strong grasp of media relations, crisis and executive communications, and internal messaging; exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Passionate about liberal arts education, community engagement, and collegiate athletics.
• Brings humor, energy, and a collaborative spirit to campus life.
• Intellectually curious, committed to professional growth through industry reading, association participation, and ongoing development.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree preferred.

Benefits Working at Earlham:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance*
• Company paid Long-Term Disability after 1 year of full-time service*
• Basic and Voluntary Life insurance*
• Employee Assistance Program*
• Campus Store Discount
• Free ticket vouchers for Richmond Symphony Orchestra
• Wellness Center Free Membership or Discount for eligible employees
• Athletic Games-Free entry to all home games
• Free entry into most Theatre/Music shows
• Tuition Benefits for Immediate Family for eligible employees*
• 403(b) Retirement* – For eligible employees, Earlham will contribute a non-elective contribution equal to 5% of gross pay after 2 years of service. After 3 years of service, this non-elective contribution increases to 8%. Vesting credit is available for new employees with previous service in the education sector with required documentation.
• Many Wayne County Chamber of Commerce member businesses offer discounts to anyone with an Earlham ID

*All employee benefit offerings are subject to employee eligibility per plan documents.

Earlham College is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or religion in its employment policies. In addition, Earlham explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, in accordance with Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, and other applicable state and federal laws. As an institution with a Quaker identity, Earlham encourages applications from members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Earlham's Work Authorization Policy

Earlham utilizes E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for all newly hired employees within the United States.