Director of Brand & Content Marketing

Summary :

As the Director of Brand and Content Marketing, you are a strategic and creative visionary who thrives on data-driven decision-making.

Your primary mission is to elevate Shedd's presence, driving awareness and boosting attendance by leveraging our unique and expanding experiential brand.

Your ultimate goal will be to connect Shedd with a wider audience, creating compelling connections with visitors, inspiring repeat attendance, and fostering a deep love for our brand experiences.

You'll harness the power of social media, innovative content, and strategic marketing partnerships to engage aquatic science enthusiasts in ways that align with Shedd's goals and objectives.

Your empathetic approach and strategic mindset will be key in building relationships with key partners and stakeholders, ensuring that brand marketing efforts are innovative, cohesive, and aligned with Shedd’s broader institutional goals.

You will be a steward of Shedd’s experiential brand vision, ensuring its consistency across all campaigns and initiatives, and resonates deeply with all who experience it.

Responsibilities Include :

Brand Marketing Strategy :

• Develop and execute a comprehensive integrated marketing strategy that aligns with Shedd’s institutional goals, working closely with cross-functional teams
• Craft and implement innovative marketing campaigns that drive brand awareness, audience engagement, and visitor attendance
• Monitor and analyze marketing performance metrics to ensure effectiveness and make data-driven adjustments to strategies as needed

Brand Identity and Management :

• Support the evolution of Shedd’s experiential brand identity that embodies the organization’s mission, vision, and values
• Oversee the articulation of the brand's personality, tone, and voice to ensure consistency across all touchpoints
• Ensure consistent brand messaging and execution across all channels, programs, and assets

Social Media and Content Strategy :

• Oversee the strategic direction and execution of social media and content marketing initiatives
• Create a content innovation strategy, focused on the evolution of Shedd’s biology storytelling across existing and new channel / content formats (long and short-form video, podcast, content series, etc.)
• Develop content strategies that engage audiences and build brand loyalty across channels
• Collaborate with the Social Media Coordinator and Content Manager to produce high-quality, on-brand content that resonates with target audiences
• Partner with Design and Brand Creative teams on the evolution of video content strategy
• Utilize data and audience insights to inform content creation and distribution strategies

Marketing Partnerships and Experiences :

• Support the Senior Director in developing partnerships with Ancillary teams, develop and implement a comprehensive event marketing strategy that aligns with the organization’s overall marketing goals and brand objectives, focused heavily on new audience / cohort acquisition
• In partnership with the Senior Director, develop strategic marketing partnerships pipeline to enhance brand visibility and reach, creating revenue diversification opportunities
• Lead the creation of innovative and engaging marketing activation concepts that capture the essence of the Shedd Aquarium brand
• Work collaboratively with Development / corporate relations to prioritize sponsorship relationships and provide opportunities to further partnership through marketing channels

Team Leadership and Development :

• Lead and mentor a high-performing brand marketing team, fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, and excellence
• Provide strategic direction and guidance to team members, ensuring alignment with overall marketing goals
• Invest in the professional growth and development of team members through training, mentorship, and performance management
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive environment that encourages cross-functional teamwork and effective communication

Qualifications :

• 6-8 years experience in Brand or Content Marketing; bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business, or a related field
• Exceptional marketing skills, including expertise in brand positioning and strategy, editorial and storytelling, content development and distribution, and marketing partnership negotiation and coordination
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of managing and developing high-performing, collaborative, and inclusive teams
• Excellent project management abilities, with a knack for overseeing complex, cross-functional initiatives
• Ability to shape a comprehensive marketing plan and socialize with senior leadership, peers, and partners based on target audience understanding - who they are, where they are, how they consume content, their needs, and barriers as it relates to experiencing Shedd
• Experience stewarding strategy with designers and creative directors throughout the creative development process
• Experience formulating brand communications strategies and project briefs and championing them throughout the organization
• Experience stewarding brand visual and voice standards within an agency or organization
• Proven experience managing and creative agencies
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to innovate and drive initiatives
• Strong collaborative skills, capable of working effectively across various teams
• Data-driven and results-oriented with a strong focus on execution and getting things across the finish line
• Proficient with martech, social media, content creation and distribution tools, technology, and platforms
• Strong analytical skills and competence in utilizing best-in-class marketing processes and practices
• Bilingual skills in Spanish or other languages are a plus

BENEFITS WORKING AT SHEDD :

We offer competitive compensation packages and opportunities for professional growth within our organization.

• Medical Insurance
• Vision and Dental Insurance
• Accrued Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discounts

Reasonable Accommodations :

Shedd Aquarium is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodations for any part of the employment process, please email us at .

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.