The Senior Director, Marketing secures Shedd’s position in the marketplace, directing strategy for Shedd’s marketing and brand communications. In addition, this role provides leadership to Shedd’s internal brand agency. This staff member plays a key role in understanding Shedd’s audience and interpreting that knowledge into meaningful insights to maintain and grow Shedd’s position in the marketplace and relevance in the community. This staff member plays a critical leadership role in the Marketing and Experience division, tracking performance, providing audience insights and driving audience growth strategies. A strong voice in annual and strategic planning, this staff member will provide leadership to Shedd’s efforts to grow here, there and everywhere.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Marketing and Brand Strategy
  • Provide leadership to Shedd’s in-house brand agency. Lead the agency’s efforts to develop evolving and innovative plans to meet attendance, revenue, and awareness goals by program, event or initiative.
  • Secure Shedd’s position in the marketplace. Provide leadership to efforts to evolve Shedd’s experiential brand internally and externally to embrace ambitious new strategic plan. Partner with Design and Exhibits department leadership and key stakeholders in the organization to evolve and manage.
  • Collaborate with peers to develop integrated communications plans that support Shedd’s goals, including coordination and support of PR, Development, Learning, Conservation and other key stakeholders. Champion efforts to track and report results to inform future plans.
  • Provide leadership and ongoing strategy to Shedd’s online footprint, staying up to date with the changing landscape and assuring Shedd’s presence is strategic and audience-centric.
  • Spearhead Shedd’s efforts to leverage CRM data to shift to people-based marketing strategies.
• Growth Strategy
  • Champion division efforts to grow here, there and everywhere.
  • Work collaboratively across the division to develop audience and community strategies to meet the increased attendance goals outlined in the strategic plan, with specific attention on growth in Latinx and African American audiences.
  • Spearhead sales and marketing plans to grow Shedd’s extraordinary experience and adult programs.
  • Utilize available Shedd data (especially CRM data) to develop more efficient and effective models to reach and connect with Shedd’s core audience while developing new audience opportunities.
• Division Planning
  • Represent department in annual planning and enterprise risk management efforts.
  • Take a leadership role in implementing major divisional initiatives, serving as a project lead when asked to assure initiatives are properly scoped and stay on track, and mentoring staff members as they take on project leadership roles.
  • Partner closely with VPs in Guest Relations, Design and Exhibits, Public Relations and External Affairs and Learning to track performance and alter plans as needed to achieve division goals. Additionally, work together to develop annual revenue projections and collaborate for a collective set of priorities and goals.
• Staff Development
  • Provide management and mentorship to direct reports including Assistant Director of Marketing, Content Planning and Strategy Manager and Marketing Analyst and Audience Development Strategist
• Team and Committee Participation
  • Serve as a key lead on cross-departmental teams.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field required.
• Experience:
  • Eight to ten years of experience in a marketing management role.
  • Experience stewarding brand visual and voice standards within an agency or organization.
  • Demonstrated success in community and audience development, especially with the Latinx and African American communities in Chicagoland.
  • Revenue management skills and demonstrated success driving sales growth through marketing programs.
  • Skilled with the formation and execution of annual media plans and buys.
  • Experience building and stewarding internal and external relationships.
  • Experience formulating brand communications strategies and project briefs and championing them within project teams.
  • Experience overseeing and coaching direct reports.
  • Agency experience, client services or project management oversight preferred.
  • Motivated self-starter with excellent written and verbal communication.
  • Excels in a fast-paced environment, strong prioritization skills.
  • Ability to work independently, as well as cooperatively with other Shedd staff.
  • Ability to problem-solve and suggest solutions.
  • Calm and collected demeanor.
  • Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.

 

We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ community, veterans and active duty military, parents, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from all cultural backgrounds to apply. Shedd Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to select which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs).