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