Job Posting: Senior Director, Marketing & Sales, Stratford Shakespeare Festival

POSITION Senior Director, Marketing & Sales
LOCATION Stratford, ON
CORPORATE WEBSITE www.stratfordfestival.ca
REPORTS TO Executive Director

THE ORGANIZATION
With William Shakespeare as its foundation, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival aims to set the standard for classical theatre in North America. Embracing our heritage of tradition and innovation, we seek to bring classical and contemporary theatre alive for an increasingly diverse audience.

For more than half a century, our mission has evolved to address the ever-changing, ever-challenging Canadian cultural landscape. What has remained constant, however, is our determination to create stimulating, thought-provoking productions of Shakespeare’s plays, to examine other plays from the classical repertoire, and to foster and support the development of Canadian theatre practitioners.

By searching Canada and the world for the finest talent, and by providing the conditions and training that enable those artists to achieve their most courageous work, we will immerse our audiences in a theatre-going experience that is not only innovative, entertaining and unsurpassed anywhere in the world, but also deeply relevant to, and reflective of, their lives and communities.

THE POSITION
With your passion for the performing arts and desire to become part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s vibrant new management team, you will have a positive impact on the organization as its new Senior Director, Marketing & Sales. You will provide sound leadership, management and coordination of all sales, marketing and communications strategies, as you develop and implement these strategies, monitoring and analyzing performance against goals. This exciting, unique opportunity will leverage your past achievements and extensive knowledge of the performing arts while providing a working environment that is fun and both personally and professionally rewarding. The Senior Director, Marketing & Sales is a key representative of the organization and is a natural and active advocate of theatre with other arts organizations, stakeholders and the community at large.

Our patrons are our lifeblood – they purchase tickets, make donations and contribute to the communal experience of enjoying theatre and reacting to the work of our artists. The role of the Senior Director of Marketing & Sales is to shape and articulate the public face of the Festival and to connect with our patrons by increasing loyalty among them, introducing new patrons to the Festival and improving retention rates of all of our patrons. The Senior Director of Marketing & Sales will be guided by a superb knowledge and understanding of the various patron segments as well as a clear objective to optimize earned revenues and minimize expenses so that our resources can be dedicated to creating unparalleled theatre experiences.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Marketing & Sales

  • Direct and coordinate company sales and marketing functions designed to meet annual ticket sales target of $33 million and sponsorship revenue of $3 million
  • Lead development and execution of Annual Integrated Marketing, Sales, and Communications Plan, that addresses key sales and communications strategies, tactics and vehicles for all productions
  • Develop and coordinate sales selling cycle and methodology shaped around each of the Festival’s target markets (individuals, new, returning, lapsed, groups, schools, corporate, donors)
  • Clearly delineate the Festival’s target market based on internal data and regular audience research findings. Take leadership for initiating and analyzing audience and research
  • Direct and oversee the company marketing function to identify and develop new customers, win-back lapsed customers and build loyalty among existing customers
  • Research and develop strategies and plans which identify traditional marketing opportunities, direct marketing, and online and digital marketing initiatives
  • Plan and strategize effective methods of revenue generation
  • Analyze the effectiveness of sales, marketing initiatives and costs, and continually improve bottom-line results; create benchmarks and success measurements for marketing programs
  • Provide input and oversee the sales and marketing budgets
  • Establish and oversee the short and long-range goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures
  • Promote, develop and maintain positive relations with partners, vendors, and distributors
  • Oversee media relations activities as they target the general public, entertainment, and arts & culture sectors
  • Set goal for sponsorship revenue and help to identify prospects and build customized cases to support these prospects
  • Prepare and administer marketing plans in relation to government funding opportunities
  • Prime responsibility for driving the development and evolution of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival brand activities including positioning, messaging, branding and intellectual property (Trademark and attribution) guidelines
  • Write and edit copy for marketing and sales materials
  • Continuously monitor best practices of our competitors and others in the industry, and beyond our industry, to deliver progressive, best-of-class communications in a cost-effective and timely manner
  • Represent the organization at various community and/or business meetings to promote the company.

Leadership

  • Partner with key members of senior management to understand their sales, marketing and communications goals and how best to meet them; design, implement and evaluate communications strategies
  • Maintain regular contact with internal and external stakeholders and work to ensure consistent communications that develop a common brand and reputation
  • Work closely with senior management, to recommend and administer policies, procedures and opportunities to enhance the business and operations
  • Regularly report to the Festival’s Marketing and Communications Committee of the Board. Prepare meeting agendas, conduct follow up and liaise regularly with key members of the Committee
  • Establish, implement and evaluate short and long-range departmental and company objectives, policies, and operating procedures to ensure goals are met/exceeded
  • Participate in the development of new project proposals
  • Develop and maintain appropriate working relationships with management and staff, mentoring and coaching whenever possible through conceptualizing, guiding and explaining goals and their relationship to projects

CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE & CHARACTERISTICS

  • University degree or equivalent experiential record with minimum ten years of relevant and progressive senior-level management in a complex, entertainment-related business or cultural organization
  • Able to extend and translate the organization’s brand identity through strategic planning and execution; knowledge of contracting, negotiating and change management
  • Knowledge of structuring sales quota goals and revenue expectations; exceptional track record in planning marketing strategies, advertising campaigns, e-marketing programs and successful public relations efforts
  • Extremely comfortable with and proficient in online and digital media marketing strategies and techniques
  • Experience in corporate sponsorship sales and cultivation
  • Excellent communication skills, particularly copywriting for marketing and sales materials
  • Established senior contacts with relevant local, national and international communities a significant plus
  • Able to lead with the independence of thought and urgency required to be effective
  • Deliver within tight time frames in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with staff and stakeholders; an enthusiastic and positive person capable of maintaining professional demeanor and highest standards of ethics and integrity in a demanding environment
  • Significant and exceptional project management skills and experience; strengths in task and team management: able to execute with small teams or alone
  • Highly articulate with exceptional team building skills; visionary leader, able to instill pride and push effective innovation as needed
  • Fluent with Microsoft Office Suite and internet use

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • A passion for theatre
  • Natural leadership skills; pro-active and dynamic professional who inspires confidence and credibility; superior intellect, strategic orientation and polished presence
  • Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills and the personal stature to inspire colleagues and stakeholders and represent the Festival
  • Exhibit stamina and a strong work ethic, as well as flexibility to deal with unpredictable pressures and a constant flow of work activity
  • Comfortable simultaneously contributing to specific marketing projects, providing leadership to staff and guiding broader strategy
  • Result-oriented personality with a collegial management approach and a flexible personal style with a high level of integrity and an ability to balance multiple priorities
  • Pragmatic problem-solver; disciplined, takes initiative and accepts ownership with a hands-on approach
  • Extremely organized and detail-oriented

COMPENSATION
A competitive, experienced-based compensation package will be provided with salary and applicable benefits.

CONTACTS

We thank all those who express interest, however only those advancing in the process will be contacted.

Searchlight Recruitment
2 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, M4T 2T5
(416) 645-3776 F 416) 513-0348

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