Description

Position Overview

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) seeks a Vice President, Marketing & Communications to lead the Commonwealth’s efforts to promote Virginia as a Top State for Business. This position oversees integrated marketing strategies that showcase Virginia’s competitive advantages, including digital branding, trade show engagement, and site consultant outreach. This role will interact professionally, collaboratively, and strategically with all divisions of VEDP as well as local, regional, and state partners, and site selection consultants, often engaging and leveraging resources where viable to accomplish the division’s objectives and providing relevant support to achieve VEDP’s goals and mission. Critical to the outreach component of this role is the ongoing cultivation of VEDP’s relationships with site selection consultants, who represent companies in their search for best business destination to relocate or expand their business operations across the United States. The Vice President, Marketing & Communications is a member of VEDP’s Business Development Core Group, ultimately reporting to the Sr. Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Research and Chief of Staff.

Core Responsibilities

Leadership

• Develop Marketing & Communication’s strategy and plans and provide clear direction and clearly communicate goals of the agency to staff and inform external stakeholders and clients.
• Provide appropriate staff oversight and performance management. Foster independence and appropriate risk taking as well as team interdependence and support.
• Provide ongoing performance feedback that is both positive and constructive. Address performance deficiencies specifically, constructively, and timely, i.e., evaluate performance accurately and continually.
• Execute effective budgets and assignments of tasks to maximize resource allocation.
• Create employee engagement by communicating as a leader and a team player.
• Engender trust and confidence with employees, encouraging two-way feedback, and a willingness to know them.
• Ensure adequate professional development opportunities are provided for team members.
• Promote and encourage teamwork and collaboration across units at VEDP.
• Continually identify potential growth opportunities within the division and/or VEDP for staff in order to cultivate long-term success and support employee retention.

Branding & Advertising

• Collaborate with colleagues across VEDP, other state agencies, and local/regional partners to position the Commonwealth as the best place to live, invest, and grow.
• Partner with internal and external colleagues to assess changes in competitive landscape, economic climate, technology developments, and customer attitudes and adjust positioning and messaging to account for changes.
• Lead and collaborate on Virginia’s value proposition, developing primary messaging focused on the Commonwealth’s differentiated value.
• Oversee integration of the messaging into (1) marketing materials, such as brochures, campaigns, print publications, and websites, and (2) enhancements to the Commonwealth’s brand as a premier location for business.
• Direct successful web and mobile marketing strategies that promote Virginia’s business location advantages and increase top of mind awareness that Virginia is the premier business location.
• Oversee a marketing collateral program to support and enhance VEDP's brand position and outreach marketing programs.
• Direct an effective social media marketing strategy to establish VEDP as a leader and trusted knowledge base for economic development content and services, targeting individuals seeking information regarding Virginia’s economic development programs, target industries, assets, and/or VEDP. 
• Oversee the content development, publication, positioning, and distribution of VEDP’s Virginia Economic Review quarterly magazine.
• Oversee the content development and distribution of large, annual projects, such as VEDP’s Annual Report.
• Oversee the third-party agency relationship and budget management.
• In collaboration with VEDP’s Sr. Vice President for Talent and Workforce Strategy, support development and execution of a talent attraction strategy for Virginia, including, but not limited to research, partner engagement, and cross-organizational collaboration. 

Site Consultant Cultivation, Outreach Marketing, Ecosystem Awareness, and Lead Generation

• Lead Virginia’s site consultant cultivation strategy and execution.
• Responsible for proactive consultant outreach in partnership with VEDP’s leadership team and related divisions.
• Partner with VEDP colleagues to (1) identify, target, and engage customer segments and (2) incorporate primary messaging into pitches and presentations.
• Collaborate with VEDP colleagues (e.g., all Lead Generation Divisions, Research, Economic Competitiveness) to develop and support lead generation initiatives by:
  • Coordinating with client-facing divisions to develop and deploy relationship cultivation strategies with key accounts.
  • Mining and analyzing data in Salesforce CRM to track and improve client engagement across all client-facing divisions.
  • Developing and implementing targeted media campaigns.
  • Planning and overseeing high-quality events that enhance our customer engagement during trade shows, cultivate relationships with site selectors, and build rapport during high-profile site tours.
• Strategically coordinate and leverage the resources of Team Virginia, including overall programming, high-impact events, and content development.
• Coordinate with state agency partners to leverage resources, build awareness of the sectoral ecosystems, and retain and attract talent to the Commonwealth.

Communications Management and Media Relations

• Direct VEDP’s earned media communications program and partner with other state agency resources to implement a strategic media relations program that ensures maximum exposure of favorable Virginia economic development, community development, and quality of life articles in major business publications, economic development trade magazines, and vertical industry publications.
• Support the Managing Director of Communications with the production of VEDP-Governor press releases and media events.
• Support the Governor’s Call and Mission programs with key messaging and event planning as needed.
• Support the Communications team with two industry-focused media tours per fiscal year.
• Develop and implement an internal communications strategy to improve information sharing across all VEDP divisions.

Experience Required

• At least 15 years of relevant experience, in positions of progressive responsibility including, but not limited to, marketing and communications leadership experience at the managing director, assistant VP, and/or VP level. 
• Strong managerial and leadership abilities including cross-functional leadership, decision-making, and communication skills.
• Excellent strategic analysis and problem-solving skills. 
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Management of internal direct reports and indirect reports with a record of accomplishment of developing people and building successful teams.
• Excellent computer proficiency, particularly with presentation (PowerPoint) and spreadsheet (Excel) development.
• Division/department management, resource allocation, and project delegation.
• Support of organization-wide efforts.
• Ability to multitask.
• Ability to work, lead, and generate results and outcomes in time sensitive situations.

Preferred Experience

• Participation and experience with economic development, government agencies, and/or industry organizations.

Personal Attributes

• Innovative and strategic thinker who can synthesize large amounts of information quickly.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Excels under pressure, in a fast-paced, high-profile work environment.
• Passion for public-sector impact.
• Enjoys meeting needs of internal and external customers.
• Ability to balance progress on medium- and long-term projects with short-term deliverables.
• Patience and collaborative instincts with stakeholders.
• Relationship builder, motivator, and team player.
• Positive attitude and energetic.
• Sound judgment.
• Inquisitive.

 Within 9-12 months, success looks like . . .

• The Vice President has developed a full understanding of VEDP and is comfortable presenting to internal staff, VEDP’s Board of Directors, and external stakeholders on VEDP activities and initiatives.
• The Vice President has developed trusting and collaborative relationships with VEDP colleagues and has partnered with colleagues to refine Virginia’s positioning and implement primary messaging that motivates target customers to live, invest, and grow in the Commonwealth.
• The Vice President has developed strong, productive relationships with other state, regional, and local partners.
• The Vice President has engaged and led execution of the FY26 VEDP Marketing and Communications strategy and will lead development of the FY27 VEDP Marketing and Communications strategy.
• VEDP’s Marketing and Communications team is operating efficiently and effectively, with staff productively executing their various assigned responsibilities and partners providing consistently positive feedback.
• The Vice President has made distinctive contributions through effective management of multiple complex workstreams to evaluate and improve the perception of Virginia and its regions for business investment.
• The Vice President and team are regarded as highly supportive and collaborative based on interactions with internal and external partners (e.g., sharing goals and potential synergies, aligning strategies and programs, communicating frequently and openly.)
• Economic ecosystems continue to attract increased national attention from investors, stakeholders, and earned media.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in related field (e.g., business, economics, marketing, communications) is required. Graduate degree preferred.

Compensation

• Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.

References and Background Information

It is VEDP’s policy to complete an extensive background and reference check of candidates. Once strong mutual interest has been established, candidates are asked to provide a list of references that should include, but not be limited to, a supervisor, peer, a development client and a subordinate, as applicable. Candidates will be asked to sign an authorization to release information for the purpose of background investigation, which may include verification of education, credit check, criminal, and driving records. Should an offer be extended prior to the completion of these checks, the offer will be contingent on the successful completion of the reference and background checks.

Application Process

Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. VEDP uses the E-Verify system and does not provide sponsorship.

All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vedp.org/careers. Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter. A valid Virginia driver’s license and ability to obtain a passport is required. Application deadline: Open Until Filled.  

VEDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or against otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities. It is VEDP’s intent that its employment and personnel policies and practices conform to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VEDP Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vedphr@VEDP.org. TDD 1-800-828-1120.