Communication Faculty - Digital Marketing and Public Relations
Position Summary:
The Communication Department at Vanguard University invites applications for a professional or tenure-track position in digital marketing and public relations. This faculty position will teach undergraduate courses in a newly crafted joint Digital Marketing and Public Relations degree emphasizing professor-student interaction, experiential learning, digital skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The ideal candidate is a team player who embraces diversity, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking. The candidate will teach classes in digital marketing, social media, data analytics, digital consumer behavior, artificial intelligence, SEO, GEO, and SEM marketing. Besides teaching, the candidate is expected to provide service to the department and the Patty Arvielo School of Business and develop a research or professional development agenda.
Vanguard is a teaching institution, and as such, it requires that the successful candidate have a developed pedagogical approach, experience with both in-person and online delivery methods, and a passion for mentoring students. Vanguard seeks professionals of Christian faith who are committed to integrating faith and learning in their respective fields.
The Communication program at Vanguard University is part of the Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management. Currently, it offers a BA in Digital Marketing and Public Relations, a BA in Organizational Communication, and a BA in Communication and Media.' The department houses the MediaHub, a center for digital skills training and development, a campus chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, and a thriving chapter of PRSSA. The department fosters a collaborative, supportive environment for faculty with room for creative thinking and opportunities for personal growth and leadership.
ABOUT VANGUARD UNIVERSITY AND THE PATTY ARVIELO SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Orange County's first four-year college, Vanguard, has been equipping students since 1920 for a Spirit-empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service. Today, we continue to offer a top-rated Christian education, combined with practical skills and training in liberal arts, sciences, and professional programs, to prepare students for the next chapter in their lives. With a tight-knit community of 2,200 students, Vanguard is a campus where each student is known and where their story matters.
The Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management at Vanguard University, launched in fall 2024, is the first U.S. business school named after a Latina. Honoring Patty Arvielo, co-founder of New American Funding, the school benefits from a significant donation that supports graduate program development, endowed faculty chairs, and scholarships. Founding dean Thomas Arnold, with extensive experience from with vast experience from Chapman University, the University of Florida, 18 years on Wall Street and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, aims to develop a cutting-edge curriculum, strengthen the institution's ties with the local business community, and expand the school's offerings in high-demand areas such as real estate, accounting, finance and creative technologies.
Patty Arvielo's inspiring story as a first-generation Latina resonates with Vanguard's diverse student body. Today, nearly half of our undergraduate students are Hispanic, and Vanguard is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution. A strong commitment to cultural diversity, racial reconciliation, and gender equality is a consequence of Vanguard being deeply grounded in the faith tradition that brought the University into existence. Moreover, these core values continue to define the institutional vision that pulls the Vanguard community forward toward its mission and educational targets and goals. Within this Christian context of inclusiveness, the University aims to provide a quality educational experience by promoting academic excellence that integrates faith and life and providing professor-mentors in a dynamic community environment.
Essential Functions:
• Teach undergraduate-level courses in public relations, crisis communication, data analytics & GEO, strategic communication, customer insights/behavior, AI-assisted marketing techniques, and other digital marketing topics.
• Transfer knowledge, including theory, practical skills, methods, and techniques.
• Develop students' ability to engage in critical discourse and thinking, including critical evaluation of peer-reviewed articles, case studies, simulations, and other published sources.
• Provide opportunities for students to practice essential job skills.
• Collaborate with department faculty in curriculum implementation, program promotion/marketing, student support, and continuous program improvement.
• Imagine, promote, and lead new initiatives.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Terminal degree in a related field. Qualified individuals with an M.A. in associated areas and significant professional and teaching experience will be considered.
• Current practical professional experience in public relations/marketing.
• Competency in written, oral, and visual communication.
• Functional knowledge/usage of industry-standard digital applications.
• Proficiency or strong familiarity with the Microsoft Office suite of applications and the Canvas learning management system or equivalent LMS.
• Engagement with the sociopolitical and ethical aspects of digitally mediated marketing and communication.
• Understanding of current trends and required skills sets in the job field.
• Demonstrated teaching ability at the undergraduate level. Experience with flexible and online delivery methods preferred.
• A vibrant Christian faith and commitment to an integration of faith and learning.
Salary:
Full-time position. Rank and salary are commensurate with qualifications and experience. Highly qualified candidates may be considered for an appointment to an endowed professorship with additional compensation.
Assistant Professor: $58,242 to $78,336 Associate Professor: $67,932 to $91,494 Professor: $78,846 to $109,548
Placement at an appropriate rank (e.g., Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor) and initial salary are dependent upon education and experience and are based on Vanguard's faculty compensation schedule. The upper range is reserved for candidates who demonstrate the highest level of proficiency within a particular rank. Vanguard University also offers a very competitive and generous benefits package.
Vanguard offers both tenure-track and term faculty contracts; the type of contract offered will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications at the time of hire.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Please complete and submit the application along with the required documents. Please do not send your documents directly to the Department Chair.
Accompanying Essays:
1. Personal Testimony of Relationship with Jesus Christ. Please provide a brief account of your experience of coming to faith in Christ. Include current church attendance, ministry, outreach and service involvement, any experience you have had with the Assemblies of God or other Pentecostal churches.
2. Philosophy of Christian Education and Role of a Christian University. Explain what you believe to be the elements essential to the educational theory & practice of a Christian University.
3. Integration of Faith, Teaching and Scholarship. Explain how you integrate your faith with your discipline & in your teaching and scholarship.
Curriculum vitae includes:
• Colleges/universities attended, location, & degree or units earned.
• Majors or fields of study, undergrad & graduate majors, minors, & areas of concentration.
• With the most recent, a chronological listing of teaching experience - name and location of institutions, title/academic rank, full/part-time, dates of employment
• A specific listing of courses previously taught
• Publications, presentations, honors, awards, and memberships in professional organizations
• With the most recent employment, position/title, full/part-time, dates of employment
• Any other qualifying experience, paid/voluntary, other.
References - Names, e-mail, and phone numbers of at least 3 people not related to you whom we may contact for an evaluation of your professional abilities.
Pastoral reference letter - Pastor or church leader.
Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts accepted to apply. If selected, notarized transcripts are required prior to employment.
* All of the above requested attachments must be included with your application in order to be considered. Applications will be accepted until position is filled or until there are a sufficient number of applicants.
To apply, please visit: https://apptrkr.com/6610105
