Senior Director, Organizational Excellence (TERM)

Position Summary:

The Senior Director, Organizational Excellence (TERM) serves as the Division of Communications and Marketing’s (MarComm) lead for operational efficiency and innovation—providing the structure, governance, and momentum to turn promising concepts into scalable solutions. By combining creative ideation with disciplined testing, this role enables the organization to learn fast, adapt quickly, and scale what works. The Senior Director drives continuous improvement and operational maturity across the division, optimizing end-to-end processes, refining workflows, building internal capabilities, and ensuring the strategic use of systems and data.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer of Communications and Marketing and overseeing a team which includes project management, vendor management, and data and analytics functions, the person in this role ensures that MarComm’s people, processes and platforms work together seamlessly to deliver high-impact marketing and communications outcomes.

A skilled communicator and change leader, the Senior Director will champion governance models and workflow frameworks that enable the division to operate with remarkable efficiency, while driving adoption of best practices, scaling operational standards and fostering a culture of efficiency, agility and innovation.

NOTE: A Term position is a staff position that exists for a period longer than six months but is not expected to last beyond one year. Although a position may exist for a specified or indefinite period, staff who accept term positions are not guaranteed employment for the entire period; they are employed for indefinite periods within the limit of the appointment. There are no guarantees of continued employment, either within the term or when the term ends.

About the Work Unit:

The Communications and Marketing team at Vanderbilt 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 Functions and Expected Performance
 

Operational Excellence

• Lead process improvement initiatives that enhance the efficiency, quality, and scalability of MarComm operations.

• Optimize the use and adoption of project