Assistant Vice President, Content Strategy & Communications

Vice President of Strategic Communications

Preferred experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic communications, with at least 5 years in senior leadership, including leading content teams.

Education preferred: Advanced degree in Communications, Marketing, Fundraising Content Development, Journalism, or related field.

Overtime status: Exempt, not eligible for overtime.

FTE and benefits: 1.0 FTE, eligible for full employment benefits.

Preferred start date: April 1, 2026.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

The Assistant Vice President of Content Strategy & Communications ("Assistant VP") of the Montana State University Alumni Foundation ("Alumni Foundation") is responsible for shaping the overarching storytelling and messaging framework that drives alumni engagement and philanthropic success. This senior leadership position operates at the intersection of brand leadership, donor psychology, and institutional priorities, ensuring that every narrative advances the Alumni Foundation's mission of alumni engagement and long-term fundraising objectives. The Assistant VP, under the direction of the Vice President of Strategic Communications, collaborates closely with various teams and departments to set vision, influence organizational strategy, and partner with senior leadership to position the organization as a premier philanthropic brand while directing and overseeing the tactical content development produced by the Senior, Associate, and Assistant Directors of content. The position is also the strategic lead for the integration, governance, and advancement of artificial intelligence within all content and communications functions.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

1. Enterprise-Level Strategy
   • Lead the development of a unified narrative architecture for all campaigns and initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational vision and donor engagement strategies.
   • Oversee all content creation for digital and print channels, supervising the content team.
2. Executive Influence
   • Serve as strategic advisor to the Vice President of Strategic Communications and executive leadership on messaging for major engagement campaigns, capital projects, and high-profile donor communications.
3. Cross-functional Leadership
   • Partner with Development/major gifts, Annual Fund, Engagement, ETGP, and Stewardship teams to integrate storytelling into fundraising pipelines and engagement programs.
4. Innovation & Thought Leadership
   • Drive adoption of emerging storytelling platforms, donor-centric personalization, and data-driven content strategies to maximize impact.
5. Strategic Narrative Development
   • Define and implement a comprehensive narrative strategy that elevates the Alumni Foundation's brand and inspires philanthropic action.
   • Serve as editor-in-chief of The Collegian magazine leading story development, assigning features or writing features and collaborating on overall design with the Assistant VP of Creative Services.
   • Lead and manage the Story Collective (a collection of potential stories and news items to be used across platforms and uses).
   • Shape messaging for major campaigns, leadership communications, alumni engagement and transformational gifts.
6. Executive-Level Collaboration
   • Develop and advise the Vice President of Strategic Communications on content strategy for high-stakes initiatives.
   • Represent the Communications function in enterprise planning and campaign leadership teams.
7. Team Leadership & Capacity Building
   • Lead and mentor directors and associate/assistant directors responsible for content creation, digital engagement, and editorial strategy.
   • Recruit, train, and evaluate performance for direct reports.
   • Oversee content budget allocations.
   • Build organizational capacity for storytelling excellence through training and best practices.
8. Innovation & Analytics
   • Leverage data insights to refine messaging and optimize donor engagement.
   • Explore new technologies and platforms to enhance the reach and effectiveness of storytelling.
9. Affect and maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly collaborative, and performance-centric work environment.
10. Perform other related duties as assigned by the Vice President of Strategic Communications.

Duties and responsibilities may change at any time.

Special Skills and Qualifications

1. Demonstrated success in shaping enterprise-level messaging for fundraising or nonprofit organizations.
2. Experience serving as a primary magazine or publications editor.
3. Exceptional ability to collaborate, influence, and lead across complex organizations.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, donors, various university personnel, volunteers, service providers, and the general public.
5. High standard of professional ethics with demonstrated ability in respecting the confidential nature of donor information and university matters.
6. Exceptional leadership, management, collaboration, and communication skills.
7. Proven track record of leading and managing content-creating teams and cross-functional projects in fast-paced environments.
8. Deep understanding of brand strategy and integrated marketing.

About MSU and the Alumni Foundation

The Montana State University Alumni Foundation exists to serve one mission, to "cultivate lifelong relationships and secure private support to advance Montana State University." In addition to raising private support for the university, the MSU Alumni Foundation also manages the endowment, a $178 million pool of more than 1,200 investment funds that provide perpetual support to the university. Growing the endowment is the best way to ensure that Montana State University remains healthy, strong, competitive and able to fulfill its land-grant mission into the future.

Benefits

The MSU Alumni Foundation offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance (all of which are 90-100% employer-paid for employee-only coverage), 403(b) retirement plan with 7% employer contribution, up to 5 weeks' paid time-off, 11 paid holidays, tuition assistance and more.

Applications and Recruitment

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, a resume, and three professional references online. Recruitment will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The MSU Alumni Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer who believes that diversity, equity and inclusion allow us to better serve our students and communities and are critical to supporting the mission of Montana State University as a land grant institution.