Director, Brand and Messaging

Position Summary

The Director, Brand and Messaging is responsible for translating Vanderbilt University’s institutional brand direction into clear, cohesive, and actionable messaging and narrative frameworks that guide communications and marketing efforts across the university.

Working in close partnership with the Vice Chancellor and senior leadership, this role operationalizes the university’s brand direction—ensuring institutional priorities, positioning, and messaging are consistently expressed across campaigns, storytelling, executive communications, and enterprise initiatives.

The Director develops and maintains the university’s messaging architecture, supports alignment across schools and administrative units, and ensures Vanderbilt’s voice remains clear, consistent, and differentiated in a complex and decentralized environment.

In addition, this role leads brand-focused initiatives and programs that strengthen messaging clarity, institutional alignment, and consistent application of the university’s brand direction across the institution.

About The Work Unit

The Communications and Marketing team at Vanderbilt University is a dynamic and deeply collaborative group. The division, with all of its departments and sub-teams, serves as the institution-wide center of excellence for communications and marketing, developing and executing strategies that inform, engage and inspire others to participate in Vanderbilt University’s global academic and research mission. The division is a key strategic adviser and partner for other divisions in the university, providing comprehensive plans and thoughtful analysis on messaging opportunities and constraints. The Communications and Marketing team continuously seeks innovative solutions to new and emerging challenges in order to deliver results at scale to advance the larger mission, values and priorities of the university.

Key Responsibilities And Expected Performance

Brand Direction and Messaging Leadership

• Translate Vanderbilt University’s institutional brand direction into clear messaging frameworks, narrative structures, and positioning guidance for use across communications and marketing efforts.
• Partner with the Vice Chancellor and senior leadership to interpret institutional priorities and ensure they are reflected consistently in messaging and communications.
• Maintain a clear articulation of Vanderbilt’s value proposition, messaging pillars, and institutional narrative for use across schools, departments, and initiatives.
• Ensure messaging reflects institutional priorities while remaining relevant to key audiences and external context.
  
  

Narrative Architecture and Messaging Frameworks

• Develop and maintain the university’s messaging architecture, including institutional narrative, thematic messaging pillars, and proof points.
• Ensure messaging coherence across major institutional initiatives, campaigns, executive communications, and storytelling efforts.
• Translate complex institutional priorities into clear narrative frameworks that guide communications across schools, administrative units, and leadership.
• Support senior leaders in articulating Vanderbilt’s story in ways that align with institutional direction and messaging.
  
  

Brand Initiatives and Program Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of brand-focused initiatives that strengthen messaging clarity, institutional alignment, and consistent application of the university’s brand direction.
• Own and drive key brand programs, which may include:
• Development and rollout of messaging frameworks
• Institutional narrative alignment initiatives
• Brand education and enablement programs
• Creation and adoption of messaging toolkits and resources
• Cross-unit efforts to improve clarity and consistency of communications
• Define scope, sequencing, and success measures for brand initiatives, and work across the division to activate and implement them effectively.
• Partner with the Director, Enterprise Programs to ensure coordination with broader institutional initiatives and alignment with enterprise priorities.
  
  

Brand Insights and Research Integration

• Lead institutional brand research initiatives, including perception studies, audience research, and competitive analysis.
• Interpret insights from brand tracking, focus groups, and market intelligence to inform messaging, narrative development, and communications priorities.
• Translate insights into practical guidance that improves messaging clarity and effectiveness across the division.
• Partner with the Director, Enterprise Programs to ensure insights are reflected in institutional initiatives and reputation-building efforts.
  
  

Institutional Alignment and Brand Stewardship

• Promote shared understanding of Vanderbilt’s messaging and narrative frameworks across schools, departments, and administrative units.
• Convene and support institutional alignment mechanisms(e.g., brand forums, leadership workshops, cross-unit convenings) that improve narrative alignment, reduce fragmentation of institutional messaging, and improve coherence across the university.
• Provide guidance to major institutional initiatives, ensuring alignment with Vanderbilt’s established messaging and narrative frameworks.
• Support senior leadership in maintaining coherence across high-visibility communications and engagements.
  
  

Integration Across the Communications and Marketing Operating Model

• Serve as the strategic brand partner across the division’s operating model capabilities:
• Align: Translate institutional direction into messaging frameworks and narrative guidance
• Create: Partner with creative leadership to translate brand strategy into visual and editorial expression.
• Activate: Ensure campaigns and communications reinforce Vanderbilt’s institutional messaging priorities.
• Enable: Collaborate with brand governance leaders to maintain standards and tools that reinforce brand consistency.
  
  

Supervisory Relationships

This position reports administratively and functionally to the Chief Operating Officer, Communications and Marketing and may convene cross-functional teams and working groups but does not require formal supervisory responsibility.

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience is required. Master’s degree(MBA) or commensurate experience is preferred.
  
  

Experience And Skills

• 10 years of experience in brand strategy, institutional communications, marketing strategy, or related field.
• Experience translating institutional priorities into messaging frameworks and narrative structures within in complex organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to translate direction into clear, actionable messaging guidance that can be applied across teams.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and influence across diverse teams.
• Strong understanding of reputation management and audience perception.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and bringing structure to loosely defined problems.
• Proven ability to lead with a bias for action, ensuring disciplined execution and operational efficiency.
• Experience maintaining high standards through consistent prioritization, repeatable processes, and attention to detail.
• Experience working with senior leaders on institutional communications and positioning.
• Experience conducting or interpreting brand research and market insights.
• Experience in higher education, research institutions, or mission-driven organizations is preferred.
  
  

Core Competencies

• Narrative and messaging development
• Institutional positioning translation and communication
• Audience insight and brand research interpretation
• Executive messaging and communication support
• Systems thinking across complex organizations
• Cross-functional collaboration and influence
• Ability to translate strategy into practical guidance for teams