Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Description

The Organization

The Greater Houston Partnership brings together business and civic-minded leaders to advance the Houston region's growth and address its greatest challenges. As the Houston Chamber of Commerce and economic development organization, the Partnership serves more than 900 member companies and institutions across the 12-county region—representing approximately one-fifth of the regional workforce. With a legacy dating to 1840 and a formal merger in 1989, the Partnership remains the go-to place for collaborative, strategic action on issues that matter to Houston.

The Partnership promotes regional growth by attracting global companies and supporting local expansions. Its economic development team provides site-selection assistance, market intelligence, incentive navigation, and connections to key stakeholders while working with regional allies to tell Houston's story to the world.

The Partnership also serves as the business voice for the region, advocating for policies that strengthen the economy and addressing priorities in education, infrastructure, workforce, energy, and more. Through world-class events, data-driven insights, and programs designed to help companies and professionals connect, learn, and lead, the Partnership creates a place where organizations come together to make an impact.

The Opportunity

Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Reporting directly to the President and CEO and serving on Executive Officer Team (XO), the Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications will lead an enterprise-wide strategy that strengthens the Partnership's brand, reputation, reach, and influence. The SVP will advance the organization's economic development and public policy priorities, deepen member and stakeholder engagement, support sustainable revenue growth. This role will also provide strategic marketing and communications leadership for key regional initiatives, including HETI, RSN, ILO and other Partnership-led efforts that operate across distinct brands and audiences, while positioning Houston as a premier place to live, work, and build a business, across local and national markets.

Salary Commensurate upon experience

Internal candidates are also being considered as part of the selection process

The Position

The SVP is both an enterprise strategist and an operating leader. The role advises the CEO, Executive Officer Team, and Board; aligns marketing resources across the organization; and leads the full marketing and communications team directly and indirectly through Vice Presidents and other functional leaders.

• Enterprise Brand and Strategy - Establish and execute an integrated strategy for marketing, communications, brand, reputation, audience engagement, and digital experience across the Partnership and its strategic initiatives, including those operating under distinct brands and communications channels.
• Economic Development Marketing – Lead marketing strategies that position Houston as a premier destination for business investment, relocation, and expansion, supporting regional business attraction efforts, economic development partnerships, and Houston’s visibility in national and international markets.
• Executive Counsel - Advise the CEO, executive leaders, and Board on positioning, stakeholder sentiment, executive visibility, emerging issues, and high-stakes communications.
• Marketing and Growth - Lead audience, membership, event, program, and revenue-support strategies across paid, earned, shared, and owned channels.
• Communications and Reputation - Direct media relations, public affairs, executive and internal communications, issues management, and crisis response. Identify and support strategic external speaking engagements and thought leaderships opportunities that elevate the Partnership’s visibility and influence.
• Content and Digital Experience - Oversee editorial strategy, creative services, digital platforms, marketing technology, automation, and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
• Insights and Performance - Establish measures for brand health, reach, engagement, conversion, member value, revenue contribution, and strategic outcomes.
• Team and Operations - Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team; manage priorities, budgets, agencies, vendors, platforms, contracts, and operating standards.
• Stakeholder Influence - Build trusted relationships with business executives, members, Board leaders, elected officials, civic partners, economic development organizations, and media to advance the Partnership’s priorities and regional initiative.

Requirements

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be an accomplished marketing and communications leader who combines enterprise-level strategy with disciplined execution. The individual will bring sound judgment, strong business acumen, executive presence, and the ability to translate complex regional, economic, and policy priorities into clear and compelling narratives.

• Typically 12 or more years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, brand, public relations, or public affairs, including leadership of complex, multidisciplinary teams.
• Vice President or comparable senior leadership experience, with a record of advising a CEO, executive team, and/or Board.
• Demonstrated success leading an integrated portfolio across brand, marketing, media relations, digital, content, creative services, and analytics with measurable results.
• Experience managing high-stakes reputation, issues, and crisis communications in a visible or politically sensitive environment.
• Strong record of leading through other functional leaders, managing substantial budgets and agencies, and delivering organizational or commercial outcomes.
• Credibility with business, government, civic, community, and media stakeholders; knowledge of economic development, public policy, or membership organizations is highly valued.
• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations, business, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience developing and executing marketing and communications strategies for economic development, regional initiatives, or complex organizations with multiple brands, audiences, and stakeholder groups is highly valued.

Leadership Attributes

• Enterprise Leadership - Connects functional strategy to the long-term health and impact of the organization and region.
• Exceptional Communication - Communicates with clarity and credibility across executive, Board, media, member, and community audiences.
• Business Acumen - Connects marketing investment to member value, revenue, financial performance, and organizational outcomes.
• Innovation and Digital Fluency - Applies data, technology, and modern practices to improve reach, experience, productivity, and impact.
• Talent Leadership - Builds capability through coaching, delegation, inclusion, accountability, succession planning, and continuous improvement.

The Culture

The Greater Houston Partnership is proud to be recognized as a Top Workplace and the recipient of seven workplace awards. The culture brings together mission-driven professionals who value collaboration, accountability, inclusion, innovation, and service to the Houston region. Team members work across disciplines and are united by a shared commitment to Houston's long-term success.

Why the Partnership

When you join the Greater Houston Partnership, you have the opportunity to work with an organization helping guide the future of the Houston region. Our professionals work across Economic Development, Executive, Finance and Accounting, Marketing and Communications, Member Engagement, Public Policy, Regional Workforce Development, Research, Resources, and the Center for Houston's Future.

The Partnership works to make Houston one of the best places to live, work, and build a business. By bringing together business and civic-minded leaders across 12 counties, the organization gives employees the opportunity to contribute to work with visible regional impact while building relationships across Houston's business and civic community.

This position may require periodic travel and work outside regular business hours in support of events, media needs, executive engagements, and urgent issues.

The Greater Houston Partnership is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.