Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) is a public, open access institution of higher education in the Virginia Community College System whose main campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. This is home to the Charlottesville Historic Downtown Mall, The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, and the John Paul Jones Arena (JPJ). As a comprehensive community college, the College provides quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities for the residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. For more information, please visit: pvcc.edu
PVCC is known throughout the community and the Virginia Community College System for its exceptional faculty and staff, the quality of its programs and services, and the success of its students. PVCC seeks to attract, welcome, and retain individuals who reflect the communities we serve.
PVCC seeks an Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications (MarCom) to support integrated marketing and communications projects related to its strategic plan and College-wide marcom efforts. The Assistant Director plays a key role in advancing the institution’s brand, visibility, and strategic priorities through the development and execution of integrated marketing and communications initiatives. This position combines strategic planning, content development, and project management to support institutional goals, drive audience engagement, and ensure consistent, high-quality messaging across platforms.
The Assistant Director reports to the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications and serves as a member of the Marketing and Communications team, which currently consists of specialists in graphic design, multimedia design, web development and content management, and digital communications. The Assistant Director will work collaboratively with the MarCom team and peers across the College to elevate, promote and manage the reputation of the College brand, inform and engage audiences, including current and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, event attendees, industry partners and higher education peers.
The Assistant Director of MarCom will contribute to the daily operations of the marketing and communication office, with a focus on campaigns, projects and initiatives in support of the strategic plan, increasing brand exposure, creating promotional materials and assisting in managing the process, as well as specialized communication support through the creation of content. The position may assist with the coordination of press communications, as well as special event and program communications.
The ideal candidate is a strategic, collaborative, operations-minded marketing professional who will be energized by the opportunity to create engaging, marketing campaigns and content that helps increase enrollment, heighten awareness and build PVCCs brand. This candidate will enjoy shining a light on people and projects that create impact, contributing to broader awareness and understanding of all that PVCC offers, piquing curiosity among current and prospective students, alumni and donors, and creating emotional connection to the work of the school – as well as the mission, vision, values, community and culture that are at its core. The Assistant Director will work in support of the school’s mission and values, ensuring all work supports strategic goals.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Ability to manage multiple projects and perform efficiently in a fast-paced environment with fluctuating and competing priorities.
- Ability to represent the MarCom team with and in the absence of the Executive Director.
- Adherence to PVCC brand, style and accessibility guidelines – demonstrated accuracy, attention to detail and a service-oriented approach.
- Contribute to messaging and communications for target audiences of current students, new/prospective students, adult learners, the general community, and program areas across the College.
- Demonstrated planning, organization, and time management skills.
- High-level communication skills (verbal and written) and proficiency and excellence in writing and editing – AP Style.
- Proven ability to effectively manage collaborative, “customer-based” services in an environment with multiple stakeholders.
- Proficiency with computers, document creation software, presentation software, spreadsheets, Office 365 suite – specifically PowerPoint, Excel, WORD, Outlook, Teams. Familiarity with SharePoint, OneDrive and Adobe Suite.
- Understanding of accessibility regulations and ADA Title II/III, Section 504, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, and a willingness to learn how they apply in higher education.
- Use, improve and build processes and tools to help elevate personal and team efficiency and effectiveness.
The Assistant Director may indirectly manage other team members while collaborating on projects and may be asked to represent the Marketing and Communications Office in the absence of the Executive Director.
Well-qualified candidates should demonstrate:
- A service-focused mindset paired with strong, proactive relationship-building and collaboration skills
- A strategic mindset and a drive for data-driven decision-making.
- Ability to manage sensitive information with the utmost discretion.
- An interest and experience in content and creative trends and a drive to seek out new ideas.
- Demonstrated high level of integrity while handling confidential information.
- Excellent project management skills and ability to meet deadlines; a bias for action and problem-solving.
- Experience and aptitude in marketing and communications, including integrated campaign planning, working on creative teams, copywriting and copyediting, and of content management and similar applications.
- Experience working in marketing within higher education a plus.
- Strong attention to detail and an eye for quality.
How time will be spent:
35% – Developing and implementing strategic marketing and communication campaigns for key initiatives across the College.
- Analysis and reporting on projects and campaigns
- Creating and implementing integrated campaign messaging
- Designing accessible files for print, forms, PPT, other
30% – Program/Department specific campaigns and communication planning with Executive Director.
- Areas of study marketing and communication strategies
- Division marketing and communication – Workforce Development, TJACE, degree program strategic initiatives
- New program launches – Corporate arm of Workforce Development, new degree and non-degree programs
25% – General marketing and communication
- Assisting Executive Director
- Content development – writing, proofing and editing
- Project request assignments
- Reports – analysis, research and reporting
10% – Special projects and initiatives
- Department/program area requests
- Other projects as requested
