Job DescriptionThe Assistant Director of Brand and Content Strategy is a leader on the Marketing and Communications team at the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management. The position leads institutional storytelling that drives demand, strengthens reputation, and builds long-term brand equity. 

The Assistant Director is responsible for defining and executing Owen’s brand narrative, content strategy, and owned and earned media approach across platforms and audiences. The role sets editorial direction, oversees organic and paid social strategy, and uses performance data to continuously refine priorities and impact, playing a critical role in establishing a cohesive, distinctive brand voice for Owen.

Reporting to the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Owen, this role partners closely with the Office of the Dean, Strategic Enrollment Management, Academic and Student Affairs, Career Management Center, Leadership Development Programs, Development, Alumni Engagement, and University Communications teams, along with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, corporate and community partners, media and rankings organizations, and more.

The Owen Graduate School of Management (OGSM) is a professional school at Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee, focused on graduate-level business education. OGSM’s mission is to create opportunities for its faculty, staff, and students to discover, grow, and thrive in business and beyond. OGSM recognizes discovery in traditional forms, such as scholarly research, intellectual curiosity, and curricular learning. But it also celebrates discovery unique to the human experience, that is, the art of becoming, which is lived through a desire to connect with others, to find meaning in work and relationships, and to create something new. OGSM sees transformation as foundational.

The Marketing and Communications team at the Owen Graduate School of Management serves as a strategic partner to the school’s enrollment, academic, advancement, and engagement efforts. The team is responsible for shaping and stewarding the Owen brand, translating strategy into clear messaging, and bringing the school’s people, programs, and impact to life across channels.

The team blends brand strategy, content, creative, digital, analytics, and paid media to drive demand, strengthen reputation, and support institutional growth. Work is highly collaborative and cross-functional, with close partnerships across Owen, Vanderbilt, and external stakeholders.

The culture of the team emphasizes strategic thinking, creative excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on measurable outcomes and long-term brand equity.

Duties and ResponsibilitiesEstablish Owen’s brand messaging framework and ensure consistent application across mediums and channelsDevelop and lead content strategy across formats including digital, social, podcast, video, and long-form storytellingDrive editorial planning and content calendars aligned to institutional priorities and key momentsLead organic and paid social strategy in close coordination with marketing and admissions partnersTranslate institutional goals into compelling, audience-centered narrativesEnsure storytelling elevates student experience, faculty expertise, career outcomes, alumni success, and real-world impactCollaborate closely with the marketing and creative strategy functions to align messaging, targeting, and executionBuild scalable, repeatable content systems, templates, and workflowsUse analytics and performance data to guide content investment, optimization, and experimentationOther duties as assigned

Supervisory Relationships

This position has supervisory responsibility for the brand and content strategy sub-team. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree requiredDemonstrated experience leading brand and content strategy in a complex organization is requiredStrong editorial judgment and storytelling skills across multiple formats and channels are requiredExperience managing social media strategy, including organic and paid integration, is requiredExperience using analytics and performance data to inform strategy is requiredExperience in higher education or mission-driven organizations is strongly preferredExperience managing and developing staff is strongly preferred