About the Opportunity
Appalachian State University ("App State") seeks an innovative, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as its next Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMCO). Reporting directly to the Chancellor and serving as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet, the CMCO will provide university-wide leadership for marketing and communications and serve as a trusted advisor on matters affecting App State's reputation, visibility, and engagement with key audiences.
The next CMCO will join App State at an exciting time of growth and opportunity and will play a central role in how the university tells its story and connects with its communities. The position offers the opportunity to bring together strategy, creativity, technology, and audience insight to strengthen App State's communications and marketing efforts. Working across academic and administrative areas, the CMCO will foster collaboration, strengthen the university's communications infrastructure, and position the division to respond to an evolving higher education and media environment.
For additional information about the opportunity and App State's priorities for its next CMCO, please download the full leadership profile here.
About the University
Founded in 1899, Appalachian State University ("App State") is a premier public university and one of 17 institutions in the University of North Carolina System. Located in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, App State is recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, student success, educational access, and public service.
App State enrolls more than 21,000 students across its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate programs. With a strong tradition of student-centered teaching and learning, the university also continues to expand its research, innovation, and economic impact while preparing graduates to lead and serve their communities.
To learn more about Appalachian State University, visit appstate.edu.
About the Team
University Communications serves as App State's central resource for institutional marketing and communications and works across the university to connect audiences with App State's people, programs, priorities, and impact. The division collaborates with academic and administrative units to coordinate communications, support institutional initiatives, and promote a cohesive university identity.
Its work spans strategic communications, marketing, creative services, media relations, digital engagement, internal communications, and brand management. Through these efforts, University Communications supports the university's ability to reach prospective and current students, faculty and staff, alumni, donors, partners, media, and communities across North Carolina and beyond.
About the Role
As App State's senior marketing and communications executive, the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer reports directly to the Chancellor and will lead the university's integrated marketing and communications efforts and serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership. The CMCO will oversee University Communications, guide strategies that strengthen App State's brand and reputation, and foster collaboration across the university to advance institutional priorities. The role also provides leadership for crisis and executive communications, digital engagement, creative services, internal communications, and emerging technologies.
Key areas of responsibility include:
- Provide strategic communications and marketing counsel to the Chancellor, Cabinet, and university leadership.
- Direct university-wide marketing and communications planning in support of institutional priorities.
- Oversee the development and management of App State's brand across channels, audiences, and university units.
- Guide creative, digital, media, and internal communications strategies and establish expectations for quality and consistency.
- Strengthen coordination among communicators across colleges, divisions, departments, and campuses.
- Lead communications planning and response for significant institutional issues, major announcements, and crises.
- Use research, analytics, and audience insights to inform strategy, evaluate effectiveness, and guide investment.
- Oversee external agencies, vendors, partnerships, and resources supporting university marketing and communications.
- Recruit, develop, and support a talented multidisciplinary team while fostering collaboration and accountability.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and establish responsible approaches to their use in university communications.
Minimum Education, Experience, and Skills
- Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public affairs, or a related field; advanced degree (Master's or MBA) strongly preferred.
- Minimum 12–15 years of progressively senior marketing and communications experience, with demonstrable leadership at the executive or near-executive level.
- Proven cross-sector experience: substantial track record in both commercial/corporate environments AND public, government, or mission-driven institutional settings.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop large, multi-disciplinary teams of creative and strategic professionals.
- Significant experience bridging creative and strategy functions.
- Proven crisis communications experience with demonstrable judgement under pressure.
- Fluency in digital marketing tools, analytics platforms, and content management systems at a strategic and supervisory level.
- Meaningful, hands-on experience with AI tools in a professional communications or marketing context, including generative AI for content, image, or workflow applications, and the ability to set strategic direction and policy for their use.
- Outstanding written, verbal, and visual communications skills; persuasive presenter to diverse audiences.
Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills
- Direct experience in higher education, healthcare, government, or other publicly accountable institutional environments.
- Experience managing communications through political or legislative scrutiny, including testimony, FOIA/open-records, or public accountability processes.
- Familiarity with enrollment marketing, alumni engagement, and development/fundraising communications.
- Track record of successful brand repositioning, institutional reputation management, or multi-year strategic communications campaigns.
- Experience with marketing technology stack assessment and procurement.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit a cover letter and CV/resume. Confidential review of applications will begin immediately and the position remains open until filled. For best consideration, please submit your application by October 21, 2026. All candidate names and materials will remain confidential; however, finalists invited to campus may be asked to waive confidentiality to engage with the broader campus community.
Salary is commensurate with education and experience. This is a full-time, onsite position in Boone, NC.
Contact Information
Appalachian State University has retained the UNC System Office Executive Search Team to support this recruitment. Confidential inquiries and nominations should be directed to executivesearch@northcarolina.edu.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Other Information
Appalachian State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation.
To apply, please visit: https://northcarolina.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/6/home/requisition/738?c=northcarolina