Marketing Communications Specialist Jobs in Tennessee

INTRODUCTION

The University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), a regional leader in higher education and a proud member of the UT System, invites nominations and applications for the role of Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications. Serving as the university's chief marketing and communications officer and as a strategic advisor to the Chancellor and senior leadership on issues related to the university's reputation, positioning, communications, and public engagement, the Vice Chancellor will join an institution with clear momentum: a new strategic plan, significant capital investment in campus facilities, strong enrollment, an outstanding student experience, and a well-earned reputation as one of the South's leading regional universities. This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished communications executive who can navigate complex institutional environments, anticipate stakeholder perspectives, and build consensus while advancing university priorities—and who is ready to help position UT Martin for its next chapter.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTION

The University of Tennessee at Martin is a primary regional university in the University of Tennessee System that includes the main campus and six regional centers in West and Middle Tennessee. Having recently completed a new strategic plan, UT Martin is ready for the region to Watch Us Soar from 2025 – 2030. The main campus is located in rural Northwest Tennessee and offers a traditional college setting in a welcoming community. UT Martin students experience high-quality academic programs, excellent facilities, and outstanding faculty members whose primary focus is teaching, while also engaging in meaningful undergraduate research, service, and outreach initiatives. Fall 2025 enrollment reached 8,101 students — representing 87 of Tennessee's 95 counties, 40 states, and 30 countries — and Fall 2026 enrollment is projected to grow to 8200 students.

The university offers baccalaureate and master's degrees, majors, concentrations, and options in more than 140 specialized fields. Many faculty members are considered among the top educators in Tennessee and the nation by professional organizations and through other recognitions. Experiential learning is an important part of being a UT Martin student through internships and other real-world learning opportunities that include options for international travel-study.

Besides traditional classroom education, UT Martin is also home to UT Martin Online, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the online Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) Degree for working adults. Beyond the main campus, the regional centers in Jackson, Parsons, Ripley, Selmer, Somerville, and Springfield provide broad access to UT Martin academic programs. An early state leader in dual enrollment, UT Martin also offers university courses to Tennessee high school students. Next to the 320-acre main campus, 680 acres of agricultural land serve as research and demonstration space for various academic programs.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is tied for 20th place in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings that included 135 regional southern universities. In other U.S. News rankings in the Regional Universities-South category, UT Martin was tied for 8th in Top Public Schools and 7th in the Best Colleges for Veterans. The university finished in 24th place in the Best Value Schools category. UT Martin is also listed as a Best Regional College by The Princeton Review for the 22nd year.

The university competes in NCAA Division I in both men's and women's athletics and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. The UT Martin rodeo team, the only collegiate rodeo team in Tennessee, is a member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

WHY THIS OPPORTUNITY

This is a pivotal moment for UT Martin. With the launch of the university's new strategic plan, Watch Us Soar, the next Vice Chancellor will have a rare opportunity to shape how a rising institution tells its story. The university's momentum is visible across campus: the new $57.5 million College of Business and Global Affairs building, the $18 million Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology (TEST) Hub now beginning construction, and a planned 400-bed student residence facility all reflect significant investment in UT Martin's future. Combined with strong enrollment, a broad regional footprint that spans the main campus and six regional centers, the strength and support of the University of Tennessee System, a national reputation for quality and value, and a distinctive mission of service to rural and regional communities, UT Martin offers the right leader the chance to build the marketing and communications strategy that positions the university for its next chapter.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting directly to the Chancellor and serving as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet, the Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications serves as the university's chief communications and marketing officer and as a strategic advisor to the Chancellor and senior leadership on issues related to the university's reputation, positioning, communications, and public engagement. The Vice Chancellor provides strategic leadership for all institutional marketing, branding, communications, media relations, digital communications, and crisis communications efforts for the University of Tennessee at Martin.

The Vice Chancellor develops and implements comprehensive marketing and communication strategies that enhance the university's reputation, support enrollment growth, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and advance the mission and strategic priorities of UT Martin. The position provides leadership for university-wide brand management, recruitment marketing, social media, websites, publications, mass media relations, and all other marketing and communications activities of the university. The Vice Chancellor also serves as the university's lead crisis communications officer, coordinating communication planning and response during emergencies and other significant institutional events.

As a participant in the institution's long-range planning, the Vice Chancellor analyzes and recommends new initiatives and programs as they influence recruitment, fundraising, community relations, legislative relations, public opinion, current and prospective students, institutional partnerships, and other internal and external constituencies. The position is responsible for establishing, presenting, and maintaining an honest, consistent, and legally appropriate institutional message and plan of action to the university and the public.

The Vice Chancellor's duties include, but are not limited to the following:

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND BRAND LEADERSHIP

• Leads the development and execution of an integrated university-wide marketing and communications strategy
• Protects and strengthens the UT Martin brand across all platforms and audiences
• Ensures consistent visual identity, messaging, and brand standards throughout the institution
• Partners closely with the Chancellor, Enrollment Management, Advancement, Athletics, and academic leadership to develop integrated strategies that strengthen student recruitment, enrollment, retention, alumni engagement, fundraising, and institutional reputation
• Monitors market trends, higher education communications practices, and competitive positioning

COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA RELATIONS

• Serves as the university's chief spokesperson or designates appropriate spokespersons
• Oversees media relations, press releases, news coverage, and public information activities
• Develops proactive communications strategies that enhance the university's visibility and reputation
• Manages relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets
• Provides communications counsel to the Chancellor, Cabinet, and other university leaders
• Oversees media relations, press releases, news coverage, and public information activities, along with the university’s primary communication channels and publications, including the news website, faculty and staff newsletter, and alumni magazine
• Coordinates statewide and national publications and media relations in cooperation with the University of Tennessee System
• Coordinates communications supporting legislative relations and government affairs in partnership with the Chancellor and the UT System
• Ensures institutional messaging is honest, consistent, and legally appropriate, including compliance with Tennessee public records laws and related university guidelines
• Coordinates communications and media relations supporting Division I intercollegiate athletics in partnership with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Provides shared oversight with the Information Technology Division for the university's website strategy, governance, and content standards
• Leads institutional social media strategy and engagement
• Oversees digital advertising, search marketing, email marketing, and other digital communication channels
• Ensures digital communications support recruitment, retention, and institutional advancement goals

RECRUITMENT MARKETING AND PUBLICATIONS

• Directs recruitment marketing campaigns in partnership with Enrollment Management
• Oversees the development of university publications, magazines, brochures, viewbooks, annual reports, and other institutional materials
• Ensures communications effectively reach prospective students, parents, alumni, donors, legislators, and community partners
• Provides marketing and communications support for development and advancement campaigns, including donor and campaign messaging
• Oversees university photography, videography, and the management of institutional visual assets supporting print and online publications

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS AND REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

• Advises the Chancellor and senior leaders on communications strategies, stakeholder engagement, emerging issues, and reputational risk
• Monitors emerging issues and leads proactive issues management to protect and strengthen the university's reputation
• Leads university crisis communications planning and response
• Develops and maintains crisis communications protocols and messaging strategies
• Coordinates communications during emergencies, critical incidents, and other high-profile events
• Serves on university emergency management and crisis response teams
• Provides timely, accurate, and strategic communications to internal and external audiences during crises
• Serves as designated personnel for emergencies, reporting to the assigned work location to ensure continuity of essential communications functions during an emergency or when the university has suspended or delayed operations

LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION

• Serves as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet and participates in institutional strategic planning and decision-making
• Provides supervision, leadership, and professional development for marketing and communications staff
• Exercises full budgetary oversight for the division, establishing the budget and holding full authority to implement budget initiatives, commit funds, and allocate resources and operational priorities
• Fosters collaboration across academic and administrative units
• Provides communications leadership and planning support for university special events, ceremonies, and signature institutional events
• Establishes metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing and communications initiatives

QUALIFICATIONS

A master's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, business, or a related field and eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, broadcast media, print journalism, public relations, media relations, or brand management, including significant leadership responsibility, are required. The successful candidate will bring demonstrated success leading comprehensive, integrated marketing and communications strategies; experience supervising professional staff and managing budgets; excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with exceptional knowledge of Associated Press Style; and experience with crisis communications and issues management. The Vice Chancellor will demonstrate uncompromised integrity and ethics; strong organizational skills and high attention to detail with the proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities; the ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-oriented environment; exceptional judgment and discretion in the management of confidential, protected, and sensitive information; and strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use data to improve communications and marketing effectiveness.

The Vice Chancellor will have an understanding of and appreciation for UT Martin's mission as a provider of high-quality educational opportunities and will share enthusiasm for students; an appreciation for faculty and staff; and a commitment to the university's mission, core values, goals and the system's Be One UT values.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctorate degree in a related field
• Experience in higher education marketing and communications
• Knowledge of enrollment marketing, digital strategy, and brand management
• Experience working with executive leadership, governing boards, and external stakeholders
• Knowledge of event planning and of fundraising communications support
• Knowledge of Tennessee public records laws and related university guidelines
• Knowledge of Division I NCAA intercollegiate athletics

KEY COMPETENCIES AND REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

STRATEGIC AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Ability to think and plan strategically and to align marketing and communications activity with institutional goals and priorities
• Knowledge of higher education at the local, state, and national levels
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and make timely decisions on matters with far-reaching institutional implications
• Political and organizational acumen, including the ability to navigate complex institutional environments, anticipate stakeholder perspectives, and build consensus while advancing university priorities

TEAM LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

• Ability to lead, supervise, and develop a communications team possessing diverse skills and talents while managing multiple projects at once
• Ability to work across university divisions, departments, and offices and with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and opinion leaders
• Personnel and budget management skills

COMMUNICATIONS AND BRAND EXPERTISE

• Written, verbal, and visual communication skills
• Skill in brand management, including the ability to maintain a consistent visual identity, message, and brand standard across the institution
• Skill in crisis communication and issues management, including the ability to communicate accurately and decisively under pressure
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with local, regional, statewide, and national media
• Knowledge of digital marketing, including social media, website content strategy, digital advertising, email marketing, and analytics
• Knowledge of prevailing media and social media trends

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Supervisory responsibility: This position has supervisory responsibility and is responsible for staff performance management.
• Independence of action: In consultation with the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor sets priorities and goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow, keeping the Chancellor informed of progress, potentially controversial matters, and matters with far-reaching implications.
• Impact of decisions: Decisions have a significant impact on the management and operations of the campus and institution and contribute to decisions on the overall strategy and direction of the organization.
• Budget responsibility: Full budgetary oversight, including establishing the budget and full authority to implement budget initiatives.
• Designated personnel for emergencies: Yes. This position is required to report to the designated work location to ensure operation of essential campus functions during an emergency or when the university has suspended or delayed operations.
• Shift and work schedule: First shift, with frequent evening and weekend work and occasional overnight travel.
• Background check: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check in accordance with university policy.
• Physical demands and work environment: Primarily an office environment. Frequent sitting, talking, hearing, seeing, use of hands, and repetitive motion; frequent standing and walking; occasional reaching, climbing, stooping, driving, and lifting up to 25 pounds. Complete physical demand and work environment detail is recorded on the official University of Tennessee position description form.

NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

Priority consideration will be given to materials received by September 18, 2026. Applications should include a 1) current CV or resume and 2) a letter of interest that addresses the responsibilities and qualifications described above.

The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $180,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2027. The university offers a comprehensive benefits package, including excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, and more. Additionally, Tennessee residents do not pay state income tax.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the System Human Resources, Knoxville, TN 37996, telephone 865-974-8170. Requests for accommodation of a disability may also be directed to this office.