Senior Vice President, University Relations and Public Affairs and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

Position Summary

Senior Vice President, University Relations and Public Affairs

and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

New York University

New York, NY

New York University seeks an experienced and dynamic communications and public affairs strategist to serve as the Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer. This leader will have demonstrable success operationalizing strategy and building consensus across large, complex teams. As a key member of the President’s leadership team, this role presents a robust opportunity to contribute to the trajectory of one of the most prominent, respected, and ambitious research universities in the world.

About New York University

In 1831, NYU’s founders set out to create a new kind of university, one that matched New York City’s growing demands and demographics; a university that was different by design and open to all. NYU has soared since then — in reputation, academic breadth and depth, accessibility, and cosmopolitanism. No other university engages the world like NYU does, with our own campuses, faculty members, students, and staff generating knowledge and discoveries in intellectual hubs around the globe.

Today, that trailblazing spirit makes NYU one of the most prominent and respected research universities in the world. Anchored in New York City and with degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai as well as 13 study away sites throughout the world, NYU is a leader in global education, with more international students and more students studying abroad than any other US university.

NYU is adventurous and ambitious. It rewards entrepreneurship, inspires philanthropy, and is determined to continue its remarkable upward trajectory. At the heart of the University are its dedicated staff and its more than 5,000 full-time faculty (roughly half tenured/tenure-track and half contract), whose research and teaching have placed them at the forefront of their disciplines. Among the faculty at NYU are Nobel laureates and Abel laureates; Guggenheim Fellows and MacArthur Fellows; Academy Award, Tony Award, and Emmy Award winners; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators; members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering and the Turing Award; and winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Humanities Medal, the National Medal of Science, and the National Medal of Technology.

The research enterprise at NYU has achieved new heights, more than doubling in the past decade to $1.27 billion in annual R&D expenditures in FY 2022. As per the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) report, NYU’s research expenditures rank it as the top research university in New York City, the seventh among private universities nationally, and among the top 15 institutions nationally. NYU climbed eight positions in the overall HERD ranking, making it the fastest-growing research university among its peers.

For 16 straight years, NYU has been a dream school, receiving over 120,000 student applications this year and a 9% acceptance rate at the undergraduate level in 2024. At the same time, NYU is dedicated to increasing access across socioeconomic status, meeting the full financial need of all undergraduate students on the New York campus. In October 2023, President Mills announced the NYU Promise: starting in fall 2024, all undergraduates who start as full-time first-year students in New York will not have to pay tuition if they have a family income under $100,000. NYU students come from nearly every state and 133 countries, and the University draws upon the varied backgrounds of its faculty, staff, and students, ensuring its scholarship and teaching benefit from a wide range of perspectives.

Now among the largest private universities in the US, NYU provides a rigorous education to more than 60,000 students. It counts among its faculty recipients of the highest scholarly honors and is a top producer of patents and revenue from licensing among US universities. NYU has a vast network of alumni who have gone on to succeed across professions, from the sciences to the arts and government, throughout the world.

Leadership

Linda G. Mills became the 17th president of New York University on July 1, 2023. President Mills assumed the role after serving as NYU’s Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice Provost for Global Programs and University Life for 11 years. In the summer of 2024, Georgina Dopico was named NYU's provost after serving as interim provost beginning in August 2022. Provost Dopico joined the NYU faculty in 2000 and has served as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, FAS Dean for Humanities, Director of Global Curriculum for CAS, Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Strategic Pathways

Drawing from President Mills’ listening tour and conversations with more than 2,500 NYU community members, the Offices of the President and Provost have developed a set of “strategic pathways” to serve as a touchstone for leaders at all levels across the institution. These pathways are complementary and aspirational — intended as starting points to help align the work of NYU’s expansive global community around a number of important directions — and are neither exhaustive nor exclusive.

Interdisciplinary Impact: Lead the world in interdisciplinary collaboration for innovation and impact.

NYU is distinguished by interdisciplinary, multi-school, and multi-location research and educational programs that take full advantage of our unique scale, breadth, and global network to generate high-impact research on critical issues facing the world and offers novel opportunities to students.

Science and Technology: Position NYU as the #1 place to be for discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship with a global perspective.

NYU leverages key strengths in science and technology, entrepreneurship, and our global position and convening power, among others, to create a distinctive and world-class ecosystem that is a magnet for talent and makes us a preferred partner for academic institutions, industry, and government. Our ability to draw upon deep assets across the university, including those in the arts and humanities, social sciences, health, business, law, and policy, multiplies our real-world impact and helps make NYU a champion of progress on a number of key global challenges.

Global: Lead the world in global education and research.

NYU is the world’s leading university in global education and research, featuring a vibrant network of academic locations around the world; strong support for globally-oriented research and creative work; a large and thriving population of international students, faculty, and staff; and global study experiences that define an NYU undergraduate education, giving students a unique edge relative to their peers.

Flourishing: Build and sustain a welcoming and supportive community in which students, faculty, and staff can flourish and timely graduation is a top priority.

NYU is a vibrant and diverse, welcoming and accessible global community in which students, faculty, and staff feel supported, connected, and inspired to do their best work. We are diligent and persistent in reducing and eliminating barriers to success, whether measured in terms of timely progress to graduation for students, efficient and effective provision of research and teaching support for faculty, or robust opportunities for professional development and growth for staff.

Enabling Pathways: Complementary to the strategic efforts are Enabling Pathways that provide an Organizational Culture that empowers all to reach their highest potential; New Resources that help fund strategic priorities; and Storytelling that captures NYU’s singular impact and experience.

• • Organizational Culture: Enact an organizational culture shift that empowers and enables us to reach our highest potential.

NYU’s leaders, both centrally and in the schools, will share a sense of common purpose and dual responsibility, mutual trust and accountability, and confidence in what we can do together. We will work together to use our management bodies, systems, budgets, and policies effectively, with clear expectations and aligned incentives. Our “bench” of rising leaders will be diverse and full of capable, well-informed people prepared to thrive and perform in any number of roles across NYU.

• •  New Resources: Create new resources to fund strategic priorities.

NYU’s leaders, both centrally and in the schools, will share a sense of common purpose and dual responsibility, mutual trust and accountability, and confidence in what we can do together. We will work together to use our management bodies, systems, budgets, and policies effectively, with clear expectations and aligned incentives. Our “bench” of rising leaders will be diverse and full of capable, well-informed people prepared to thrive and perform in any number of roles across NYU.

• • Storytelling: Tell a compelling, unifying, and magnetic story of transformative impact.

NYU will be known globally for its transformative impact on students and the world, with a compelling story, told in innovative ways, that unites and motivates our community and serves to attract the most talented and pioneering students, faculty, and staff.

Qualifications

The Opportunity

The Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (SVP) will serve as the senior leader for NYU’s engagement and communication strategies to support mission and impact-oriented storytelling amongst its expansive ecosystem of internal and external stakeholders. This strategic thinker will shape, advance, and amplify the University’s mission, reputation, and strategic priorities in a rapidly changing information landscape. The SVP will oversee cross-functional teams of communications, marketing, and public affairs professionals while fostering collaboration, innovation, and a culture of excellence. This leader will bridge existing gaps, streamline processes, and ensure a unified approach to storytelling, brand management, and stakeholder engagement. This leader will serve as a close and trusted advisor to the President, reporting to the Chief of Staff, and serve as a member of the President’s strategic advisory group and the President’s Cabinet. The SVP will be responsible for developing and executing a robust and integrated communications and engagement strategy that aligns messaging, marketing and branding, engagement, and proactive outreach across all platforms and audiences, both internal and external stakeholders in coordination with the President, Board of Trustees, and senior University leadership.

This role requires a relationship builder who has successfully led change management efforts across robust teams and leads authentically to inspire collaboration and manage multi-stakeholder projects while serving as a trusted advisor to senior University leadership in all matters related to public affairs, communications, marketing, and external relations. The SVP will work closely with academic departments, administrative offices, and University leadership to support student recruitment, institutional advancement, and public relations efforts therefore must have demonstrated success building relationships in large, complex organizations.

The ideal candidate has an in-depth understanding of the higher education landscape, including the unique needs of students, faculty, staff, and global audiences, with the ability to tailor communications and engagement strategies accordingly. Additionally, the SVP will monitor industry trends, evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns and initiatives, and make data-driven decisions to continually enhance the University’s visibility and impact. The SVP will play a critical role in advancing NYU’s profile as a top global research university by broadcasting the profound impacts of NYU’s expansive network of students, faculty, staff, and research.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute an integrated institutional communications and marketing strategy that elevates the University’s brand, enhances its reputation, and supports institutional goals across all channels, including media relations, digital, social, and print
• Serve as the lead brand steward for all university content, ensuring messaging and strategy alignment across publications and channels.
• Oversee and align the work of the university relations and public affairs teams, fostering cross-functional collaboration and ensuring consistent messaging and excellence in the University’s messaging, visual identity, and storytelling across schools, departments, and global sites
• Partner with university leadership, faculty, staff, and students to align communications and marketing initiatives with academic, research, and community priorities
• Mentor and empower diverse, cross-functional teams while encouraging innovation, professional growth, and operational excellence
• Manage vendors including consultants and PR agencies

Candidate Profile

The Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (SVP) will be politically astute, with a high level of emotional intelligence, a positive outlook, sound judgement, and the ability to operate with the highest level of diplomacy. The successful candidate will be a person who leads with integrity and transparency with a shared commitment to the University’s values. This person excels at building trust and confidence with internal and external constituents through thoughtful decisions and follow-up. Strong candidates must have an established record of visionary and proactive approaches to managing complex organizations, comprehensive problem solving, and relationship building. Superb strategic communication and collaboration skills are paramount.

In addition, the ideal candidate will offer the following:

• Demonstrated excellence in leading large-scale, cross-functional communications and marketing teams within complex, large organizations
• Proven ability to develop and implement integrated communications strategies that support institutional goals and enhance reputation across diverse stakeholder groups
• Deep understanding of media relations, marketing, crisis communications, public affairs, and digital engagement
• Exceptional strategic thinking, judgement, and decision-making skills, including the ability to navigate high-stakes and sensitive issues with discretion, nuance, and professionalism
• Deep knowledge of current and emerging higher education, communications, marketing, and digital media trends
• Strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities, including the ability to inspire and manage and foster collaboration across teams
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, balancing long-term vision with operational execution
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences and channels

A Bachelor’s degree and minimum of fifteen years of relevant, progressive leadership experience in communications, marketing, and public affairs. Experience must include overseeing large, cross-functional, matrixed teams; developing and executing integrated communications and marketing strategies; and advising senior leadership on reputation management, brand positioning, proactive storytelling, and stakeholder engagement. Significant professional experience within an academic institution, large company, or government agency is strongly preferred.

Additional Information

Compensation & Benefits

The compensation range for this position is $480,000 - $550,000 with a generous benefits package. This is a hybrid role with significant in-person responsibilities, including some nights and weekends, and a 4 days in office/1 day remote schedule.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and compelling cover letter explaining how your experience embodies the candidate profile and qualifications listed on the position description via the NYU Careers portal. Only candidates selected for an introductory conversation will be contacted. This search will move quickly, and interested candidates should not wait to apply.

NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/nyugreen.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply at all levels.