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Vice President for Marketing & Communications
Job Location:
Job Location:
Norman, OK - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not provided by the employer
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
29 September 2026 (27 days ago)
Posted:
Application Deadline:
27 December 2026
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Vacancies:
Job Summary
POSITION: Vice President Marketing & Communications
Introduction:
Founded in 1890 the University of Oklahoma is a comprehensive public research university with campuses in Norman Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Together these campuses advance the universitys mission through undergraduate and graduate education professional and clinical training research and discovery patient care partnerships athletics excellence and statewide service.
Founded in 1890 the University of Oklahoma is a comprehensive public research university with campuses in Norman Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Together these campuses advance the universitys mission through undergraduate and graduate education professional and clinical training research and discovery patient care partnerships athletics excellence and statewide service.
Enrollment at OU has surged in recent years pushing total enrollment at all campuses past 36500 students. The universitys six-year graduation rate has climbed from 67% to 75.3% in the past five years.
OU offers more than 180 majors at the baccalaureate level roughly 200 at the masters level and about 90 doctoral majors (plus 10 doctoral professional programs) within 20 colleges supported by more than 2500 full-time faculty. The university is classified among R1: Doctoral Universities Very High Research Activity and continues climbing toward its goal of Association of American Universities (AAU) membership.
The OU Health Campus in Oklahoma City is central to the universitys education research and public service missions. Its health professions colleges and programs prepare Oklahomas future health care workforce advance biomedical and clinical research and support initiatives that improve health outcomes throughout the collaboration with OU Health the universitys connected academic health system the campus also contributes to the integration of education research and clinical care across the state.
In athletics the Oklahoma Sooners have won 47 national team championships in program history including seven in football eight in softball (with four consecutive titles from ) 12 in mens gymnastics eight in womens gymnastics (most recently in 2025 and 2026) seven in wrestling three in baseball (most recently in 2026) and two in mens golf; OU has claimed at least one national title in 13 of the last 14 2024 Oklahoma left the Big 12 Conference to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC) a move that has already boosted national visibility and contributed directly to growing recruitment including expanded admissions from new states. This athletic profile continues to be a major driver of national brand awareness for the Sooners.
The University of Oklahoma is an institution executing a serious data-driven strategy to elevate its standing among the nations leading public research universities. Under President Joe Harroz OUs strategic plan Lead On University has guided the institution since 2020 and includes five updated pillars organized around the universitys enduring purpose We Change Lives:
- Lead as a Top-Tier Public Research University
- Empower Students for a Life of Success Meaning and Impact
- Ascend as ONE OU Unified by Purpose Values and Strategic Plan
- Lift the Health of Oklahoma
- Shape the Future Through Discovery Creativity and Innovation
The plan sharpens OUs focus on several defining commitments including achieving AAU membership; keeping an OU degree affordable particularly in-state; advancing health outcomes statewide through OU Health with major cancer-care expansions underway in Tulsa and Norman; and unifying OUs Norman Oklahoma City and Tulsa campuses under a single strategic identity. The university also initiated a comprehensive Campus Master Planning process in 2026 to guide long-term physical development of the Norman campus in alignment with these goals.
To fund this vision OU launched a historic $2 billion fundraising campaign which has already secured more than $1.9 billion including a record $427 million in gifts in a single fiscal year.
POSITION REPORTS TO:
The Vice President of Executive Affairs & Chief of Staff. The Vice President of Marketing & Communications is an executive officer and serves as a member of the Presidents leadership team.
SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Vice President of Executive Affairs and Chief of Staff the Vice President of Marketing and Communications works closely with the President and his leadership team to develop and execute communications strategies that advance presidential priorities support enterprise-wide initiatives and strengthen the universitys reputation. The position serves as a strategic advisor on institutional messaging executive communications emerging issues and matters affecting the universitys public profile. This leader oversees internal and external communications for OUs colleges campuses and business units ensuring an integrated approach and a consistent compelling expression of the universitys brand.
Three years into the centralization of campus-wide marketing and communications the Vice President provides strategic reinforcement and services across OUs Norman Health and Tulsa campuses ensuring each campuss distinct mission audiences and priorities are represented within a cohesive university-wide strategy. This includes elevating the OU Health Campuss contributions to health professions education biomedical research workforce development and the health of Oklahoma while coordinating closely with the connected OU Health system on shared priorities and brand alignment.
With responsibility for marketing and communications for OUs three campuses global and extracurricular programs and Trademark & Licensing the Vice President brings together a broad and complex portfolio under a unified strategy. Serving as a trusted thought partner and collaborative leader the Vice President will work with an extensive network of stakeholders to align priorities strengthen connections and deliver clear and cohesive messaging throughout the OU ecosystem.
The Vice President also collaborates regularly with OUs Department of Athletics to integrate the Sooners athletics reputation into the brand of the entire university while helping navigate the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics and its associated issues in Oklahoma Washington D.C. and in statehouses and courthouses across the country.
Overall the Vice President will provide a commitment to creativity and excellence which will advance the universitys strategic priorities expand public awareness and strengthen OUs reputation and opportunities for growth in Oklahoma and beyond. The Vice President will lead the development and execution of innovative measurable and data-informed marketing and communications programs aligned with Lead On University: The Next Phase OUs refreshed strategic plan. As a trusted advisor and subject-matter expert to senior university leaders the Vice President will play a critical role in articulating and advancing OUs mission priorities and impact among internal and external audiences.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Strategically position and advance OUs priorities while leading integrated marketing and communications that reflect the distinct missions audiences and contributions of the Norman Health and Tulsa campuses.
- Provide counsel and coaching on potential threats and vulnerabilities as well as tactics to respond to redirect or mitigate those challenges.
- Facilitate the relationships between MarComm and the colleges/departments it supports through the still-young centralization of most all campus marketing and communications.
- Work closely with the universitys Department of Athletics to predict and shape its responses to the volatile and continuously evolving world of college athletics.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the President Chief of Staff and university leadership on executive communications institutional priorities emerging issues and opportunities to strengthen OUs reputation.
- Partner with academic leaders Health Campus deans researchers and OU Health executives to elevate the universitys contributions to education research clinical training workforce development and the health of Oklahoma.
- Strengthen OUs national and global visibility through compelling storytelling strategic media relations brand management and coordinated communications across its colleges campuses athletics programs and affiliated organizations.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with local and national media outlets.
- Lead crisis and emergency communications serve as a university spokesperson and protect the institutions reputation during sensitive or high-profile situations.
- Shape effective internal communications that inform and connect faculty staff and students while reinforcing a shared university identity across all three campuses.
- Use audience insights performance metrics emerging technologies and innovative marketing approaches to expand engagement and support institutional growth.
- Lead and develop a high-performing marketing and communications team of nearly 70 employees managing an $8 million budget and aligning staffing and resources with university-wide priorities.
- Oversee university brand standards Trademark & Licensing and related governance including leadership of the Trademark Administrative Committee.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelors degree in communications journalism public relations marketing or a related field with at least 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience. An advanced degree is preferred.
- Demonstrated success developing integrated marketing communications and branding strategies that strengthen institutional reputation engage varied audiences and produce measurable results.
- Experience advising a president chief executive officer or other senior leaders on executive communications institutional priorities sensitive issues and crisis management.
- Exceptional judgment communication skills and political acumen including experience managing media relations navigating high-profile or sensitive situations and serving as an organizational spokesperson.
- Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams manage resources effectively and build productive relationships across a complex organization.
- Experience working within a multicampus university academic health center research institution health system or similarly complex organization is preferred.
WHY YOU BELONG AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA:
The University of Oklahoma values our communitys unique talents perspectives and experiences. At OU we aspire to harness our innovation creativity and collaboration for the advancement of people everywhere. You Belong Here!
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:
The University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race color national origin sex sexual orientation marital status genetic information gender identity/expression (consistent with applicable law) age (40 or older) religion disability political beliefs or status as a veteran in any of its policies practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions employment housing financial aid and educational services.
Required Experience:
Exec
