Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Worker Type

Job Description

 

AeroVironment (AV) is a defense technology company with a mission to invent and deliver advantage to U.S. and allied militaries. We deliver integrated autonomy-enabled technology solutions that create strategic advantage across every domain of modern warfare. Our business model embraces commercial development and scaled production, founded on a culture of results and ownership, innovation, dedication to customers, and ethical standards of conduct. 

As we help our customers evolve to meet the changing nature of conflict, AV is hiring a senior marketing leader to shape our brand position, identity and voice.  Our Vice President of Marketing & Communications will lead a team of subject matter experts in developing and executing AV’s comprehensive marketing strategy. This role will capture and amplify AV’s brand story in bold and innovative ways, cutting through the noise.  This includes building and maintaining our brand, supporting growth through compelling marketing campaigns, and engaging global stakeholders in local and relevant ways. The role will build on an AV history of innovation and delivery to create a world class marketing program, strengthening our identity with customers, differentiating AV among its peers, and building new awareness.   

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive brand and marketing strategy to promote AV performance, platforms, products and services.

• Lead a team to deliver inventive and compelling content across the marketing, creative, digital, social, media, communication, partnership and exhibitions disciplines.

• Influence enterprise-level decisions with expert knowledge of audiences, policies, strategies, and objectives.

• Assess the market to identify trends, challenges and opportunities for brand and thought leadership.

• Mentor and guide your team to make data-based decisions, fostering collaboration and leading with clarity to achieve business results.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and maximize marketing impact.

• Manage and optimize the marketing budget and employ credible effectiveness metrics to achieve maximum return on investment.

• Develop and maintain relationships with key industry partners, media, and influencers.

Required Qualifications

• Vision for the future, dexterity to manage in the present; you possess the foresight to shape our brand over a three-to-five-year window and demonstrated the organizational management to meet the current moment

• A drive to challenge assumptions, break new ground, and differentiate AV from our competitors

• A proven track record of architecting successful brand awareness and engagement to propel business growth through marketing initiatives

• Subject matter expertise in marketing principles, brand and campaign management, and metrics and analytics

• Demonstrated performance in building and leading cohesive teams; developing the human capital that is your greatest resource 

• Resilience and flexibility to navigate internal and external stakeholder demands

• An ability to understand and streamline marketing and communications procedures to accelerate decision cycles and keep AV nimble while ensuring compliance for a publicly-owned company in a heavily regulated industry

• Experience in the technology space, and with the challenges and opportunities presented by industry disruption

• Knowledge of the government customer

• Exceptional communication skills

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s Degree in business and/or marketing or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

• 10+ years of proven success developing and managing brand strategies with experience connecting those strategies to business results

• 15+ years in marketing and/or communications

• 8+ years of experience supervising a marketing team

• Deep understanding of traditional and digital media, learning products and services, and the spectrum of customer touchpoints

• Ability to think strategically and creatively, but also detail-oriented with the ability to manage projects from inception through execution; deadline driven with ability to multi-task

• Experience gathering and using data to make findings, draw conclusions from those findings, and then communicate those conclusions

• A desire and ability to flourish in a dynamic, high-growth, entrepreneurial environment

• Ability to work wi