Senior Director, Brand Storytelling and Creative

PositionSummary:

The Senior Director Brand Storytelling and Creative plays a critical role in shaping how the university expresses its values priorities and aspirations through integrated storytelling and creativeexecution.Thisroleoverseescommunicationswritingandeditorialstrategygraphic design visual media social media and content production.

The Senior Director is responsible for translating Vanderbilts brand strategy into compelling cohesive and high-quality expression across platforms and audiences. This position ensures the universitys brand comes to life through distinctive visual identity powerful narrative and strategically aligned creative work. At its core this role oversees how Vanderbilts brand expressionisinterpretedactivatedandproducedcreatingwhatisneededtoeffectivelytell the institutions story.

In addition to creative and editorial leadership the Senior Director champions the thoughtful integration of technology tools and evolving platforms to enhance the effectiveness efficiency and scalability of storytelling and creative production. This leader fosters a culture of digital fluency and continuous improvement ensuring teams are equipped to deliver high-quality on-brandworkwithspeedandagilitywhileupholdingappropriatestandardsforgovernanceethics and brand integrity.

This position reports to theChiefOperating OfficerCommunications and Marketing and serves asaleaderwithintheCommunicationsandMarketing(MarComm)division.TheSeniorDirector has supervisory responsibility over a multidisciplinary team of writers editors designers videographers photographers social media specialists and content strategists.

Aboutthe 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 Universitysglobalacademicandresearchmission.Thedivisionisakeystrategicadviserand partner for other divisions in the university providing comprehensive plans and thoughtful analysisonmessagingopportunitiesandconstraints.TheCommunicationsandMarketingteam 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.

KeyResponsibilities andExpectedPerformance:

BrandStorytellingandCreative Direction

• OverseethedevelopmentcreativedirectionandexecutionofVanderbiltsbrand storytelling strategy across internal and external touchpoints.

• Serveasthecreativeauthorityresponsibleforhowtheuniversitysbrandlooksfeels and sounds across channels.

• Bringtolifetheuniversitysbrandidentityandpositioningthroughpowerfuldistinctive andrelevantcreativeexecutionsacrossmediumsandforvariousaudiencesincluding prospective and current students faculty staff alumni and other key stakeholders.

• Guidethedevelopmentofintegratedcampaignsandsupportingassetsthatexpand brand visibility and deepen engagement with institutional priorities.

• Overseeeditorialplanningandcontentstrategytoensurestorytellingisaudience-centered strategically aligned and reflective of Vanderbilts mission and values.

• Reviewcritiqueandguidecreativeworkgeneratedbyinternalteamsandexternal agency partners to ensure excellence consistency and strategic alignment.

• Driveinnovationacrossstorytellingformatsandplatformsidentifyingnewandmore effective ways to advance institutional goals through creative expression.

Team LeadershipandTalent Development

• Lead inspire enable and develop the Brand Storytelling and Creative team including writerseditorsdesignersvideographersphotographersandsocialmediaspecialists.

• Facilitatearesults-drivencultureofcollaborationaccountabilityandcontinuous improvement.

• Recruitandretaintopcreativetalent.

• Establishteamgoalsanddirectthecollectionofqualitativeandquantitativedatato measure impact and inform ongoing optimization.

OperationalExcellence andTechnology Enablement

• Developandoptimizesystemstoolsprocessesandworkflowstosupportefficientand high-quality creative production.

• Championthethoughtfulintegrationoftechnologyandevolvingplatformstoenhance creative effectiveness scalability and collaboration ensuring teams are equipped to deliverhigh-qualityon-brandworkwithspeedandagilitywhileupholdingappropriate standards for governance ethics and brand integrity.

• Directandmanagethe BrandStorytellingandCreative budget.

• Efficientlyandeffectivelymanagemultiplecomplexandresults-orientedprojectswith both quick turnaround requirements and long lead times.