The Editorial Director is part of the Executive Communications team within the Communications and Marketing team at Vanderbilt University and is responsible for managing the execution of the university’s highest priority content, messaging, and written works. The Director of Editorial will ensure the written content of communications materials effectively supports and advances the university’s mission, values and strategic direction with all priority audiences, aligned with the highest standards of quality.  

This position works closely with colleagues across the Communications and Marketing team as well as with the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, other senior university leadership, and campus partners to ensure compelling messaging that is coordinated and aligned across units. The candidate should be a strong top-editor, able to swiftly and carefully review content developed by other members of the team to ensure voice, tone and message are aligned with executive preferences and institutional vision. In addition, the ideal candidate should have experience with speechwriting, ghostwriting and messaging advising for top-level executives of globally recognized institutions. 

Reporting directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications and Partner Relations, this position has supervisory responsibility of writers on the team and is responsible for mentoring and coaching them to be independent, self-directed and on-message. This role requires alignment with writers on other teams within the Communications and Marketing team, as well as in other divisions throughout the university. This role also does not require the ability to report to work in-person on the Vanderbilt University campus, but some visits to campus (approximately two to four visits annually) may be required, and daily in-person or hybrid work are both options. 

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. 

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Own accountability for the overall quality, voice, message, tone, and content of executive remarks, thought leadership, communications, correspondence, and more.   Serve as a top editor for all types of content that are developed within the Executive Communications team and beyond it, to ensure alignment with executive or institutional voice, message, tone, and quality. This includes everything from high-profile op-eds for publication to thank you letters and other correspondence.   With the support of a project manager, delegate and distribute content projects and tasks throughout the Executive Communications team, as well as other teams within the Communications and Marketing division, agency partners, freelancers, and all other forms of support in order to ensure quality, on-time delivery.  Manage a team of writers in drafting remarks, messages and high-importance correspondence for chancellor and provost. Coach and mentor this team to thrive and execute at the highest level.  Work closely across and beyond the Executive Communications team on strategy, particularly around messaging, for chancellor and provost.  Develop and review messaging, and maintain a strong and consistent brand voice for Vanderbilt University’s top executives, including the Chancellor, Provost and other leaders, such as Vice Chancellors and the Board of Trust chair.  Develop, review, and ensure brand voice consistency and top quality for high-priority remarks, thought leadership, community messages, emails, and social content for the chancellor, in partnership with the executive writing team.  In partnership with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications and Partner Relations, facilitate a results-driven culture of collaboration, self-empowerment and accountability. This includes setting goals across the team, monitoring progress toward results, and overseeing both performance and professional development.  Conduct thorough research and assure fact-checking and accuracy for all written materials.  Meet all deadlines to allow for ample review time for top executives.  Adhere to confidentiality and business ethics; demonstrate outstanding judgment and discretion.  Demonstrate a high level of comfort with project management tools such as Wrike.  Maintain fluency in current and ongoing executive leadership developments in higher education and beyond.  Analyze and interpret trends and developments, and make appropriate recommendations based on findings.  Demonstrate understanding of the university’s mission, values, goals and priorities and an ability to ensure that all are considered in developing communications strategies.  Communicate and collaborate effectively with a wide range of audiences—including students, faculty, leadership, staff, alumni and local stakeholders and partners.  Efficiently and effectively manage multiple, complex and results-oriented projects with both quick turn-around requirements and long lead times.  Operate in a highly organized fashion with attention to detail on all projects.  Work outside regular business hours as needed in order to perform job responsibilities, including being officially on-call.  Provide overall support as needed and assigned for department priorities.  Perform other relevant duties as assigned. 

 

Qualifications  

A Bachelor’s degree is necessary.  Experience managing a team of writers is necessary.  Minimum of 10 years of writing for executives with a public profile is necessary.  Experience managing multiple and varied projects simultaneously in order to meet ambitious deadlines and achieve short- and long-term goals is necessary.  Ability to produce fact-checked written materials and to accept and incorporate feedback is necessary.