DescriptionVice President of Communications & MarketingVOA MichiganHelp shape how Michigan sees, understands, and connects with our mission.
VOA Michigan is seeking a strategic, creative, and results-driven Vice President of Communications & Marketing to lead our brand, communications, marketing, public relations, and audience engagement efforts.
As a member of the senior leadership team, you will develop an integrated strategy that strengthens our reputation, increases awareness of our services, and supports organizational and business growth. You will guide internal teams and external agencies while bringing strong business judgment, analytical expertise, and the ability to move from strategy to execution.
This role combines communications leadership with marketing expertise. Success requires evaluating what works, measuring results, and directing resources toward activities that deliver the greatest impact.
What You'll DoLead communications, marketing, and brand strategy- Develop an organization-wide strategy aligned with VOAMI's mission, strategic plan, growth priorities, and financial objectives.
- Maintain consistent brand positioning, messaging, and standards across healthcare, housing, social services, thrift/retail, fundraising, recruitment, and ministry.
- Integrate public relations, advertising, digital content, social media, and internal communications to engage donors, customers, employees, people served, partners, and the broader community.
- Assess existing staffing, vendors, technology, channels, and spending, and recommend improvements.
Strengthen public relations and executive communications- Oversee the external public relations firm, establishing clear objectives, deliverables, and performance expectations.
- Develop media opportunities and capture compelling stories from programs, employees, participants, volunteers, donors, and partners.
- Lead the President and CEO's external communications and thought-leadership strategy, including speeches, presentations, talking points, articles, interviews, and digital content.
- Advise senior leadership on reputation, sensitive issues, and crisis communications; maintain communication protocols and coordinate with VOA National and other affiliates as appropriate.
Direct marketing, digital channels, and content- Manage advertising and marketing agency relationships, including scopes of work, budgets, deliverables, and accountability.
- Partner with department leaders on marketing for programs, services, thrift stores, fundraising, vehicle donations, recruitment, and community initiatives.
- Lead website content and maintenance, social media strategy and execution, email communications, editorial planning, and marketing collateral.
- Oversee responses to social media comments and organizational inquiries, and establish standards for approving materials developed by programs.
- Maintain appropriate accessibility, privacy, brand, and risk-management practices across digital platforms.
- Evaluate emerging digital, search, and artificial intelligence technologies for appropriate organizational use.
Measure results and manage resources- Establish meaningful performance measures and dashboards tied to organizational goals.
- Evaluate audience growth, engagement, awareness, traffic, conversions, media quality, donor and customer acquisition, recruitment outcomes, and revenue influence.
- Assess the effectiveness and return on investment of campaigns, agencies, advertising, sponsorships, technology, and internal resources.
- Develop annual communications and marketing budgets, recommend investment priorities, and determine which activities should be managed internally or outsourced.
- Present results, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to the President and CEO, senior leadership, and Board of Directors as appropriate.
Lead people and build partnerships- Develop and coach communications, marketing, social media, and related staff.
- Set clear goals and expectations for employees, agencies, and vendors.
- Collaborate across Development, Human Resources, Healthcare, Social Services, Housing, Thrift/Retail, Finance, Operations, and Ministry.
- Provide brand training and guidance, advise organizational leaders, and represent VOAMI at community events and meetings.
What You'll BringRequired qualifications- Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, business, or a related field.
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, brand management, or related fields, including significant leadership responsibility.
- Experience leading both communications/public relations and marketing/advertising functions. Candidates whose background is primarily in one discipline must demonstrate substantial experience integrating the other.
- Demonstrated success managing an organizational brand across multiple programs, services, locations, or audiences.
- Experience managing external agencies, including budgets, scopes of work, deliverables, and performance expectations.
- Strong understanding of earned, owned, paid, and shared media and the ability to integrate them strategically.
- Experience leading internal and employee communications, including organizational change and executive messaging.
- Strong knowledge of digital marketing, social media, content strategy, websites, email, paid media, search, audience development, and analytics.
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate marketing and communications investments using data, business outcomes, and return on investment.
- Understanding of artificial intelligence and its evolving impact on communications, marketing, search, content, analytics, audience engagement, and reputation.
- Exceptional writing, presentation, interpersonal, organizational, and project-management skills.
- Strong strategic, creative, analytical, business, and financial judgment, including the ability to present recommendations and results to executives and the Board.
- Ability to build trusted relationships, advise and appropriately challenge senior leaders, and handle sensitive matters with discretion.
- Ability to lead teams and external partners, balance competing priorities, and translate complex information into compelling communications.
- Commitment to innovation, continuous learning, and VOAMI's mission and values.
- Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and a driving record acceptable to VOAMI's insurer.
Preferred qualifications- Master's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, business, or a related field.
- Experience developing executive communications and thought-leadership strategies for CEOs or other senior executives.
- Experience in a multi-location, multi-service, nonprofit, healthcare, retail, consumer, or similarly complex organization.
- Nonprofit or mission-driven organizational experience.
BenefitsVOA Michigan offers eligible full-time employees:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching.
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.
- Life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
- Flexible spending account.
- Access to free counseling, wellness coaching, and legal and financial advising.
- Employee discounts, including discounts at our thrift stores.
- Personal and professional training support.
