Director of Marketing and Communications

Full-Time, Exempt 

Reports to: Executive Director

Oversees: Part-time Marketing Assistant

Job Description:

The Director of Marketing and Communications at Lighthouse will provide visionary leadership and strategic direction for all aspects of the organization’s communications efforts. This role encompasses both the high-level strategy and the hands-on execution required to tell a compelling narrative about our mission-driven initiatives. 

From cultivating a compelling branding identity to orchestrating comprehensive annual marketing campaigns and fostering partnerships with influential media outlets, the Director will shape a cohesive and impactful communication ecosystem. This role is a balance between sales-based marketing and philanthropic storytelling and requires an inventive, nimble and energetic communicator. 

Overall Responsibilities:

• Architect and administer a shared marketing calendar, steering marketing initiatives from conceptualization to realization. 
• Lead the composition and design, or oversight, of weekly e-newsletters and monthly community e-newsletters while maintaining email lists.
• Oversee the ideation, design, written content, and dissemination of digital and print marketing assets and occasionally serve as the in-house graphic designer. This encompasses digital advertisements, brochures, catalogs, and website imagery, often in collaboration with freelance graphic designers and internal stakeholders.

Program-Specific Marketing:

• Collaborate closely with Adult Programs (including sessions, Lit Fest, and Book Project/Poetry Collective), Community Engagement, and Young Writers Program departments to devise and execute program-specific marketing campaigns and associated promotional materials. This involves creating content, strategizing distribution channels, orchestrating freelance design resources /creating design resources for teams, and maintaining robust contact databases.

Philanthropic Marketing: 

• In partnership with the Development team, spotlight our community engagement endeavors, fostering a vibrant network of members, advocates, and contributors by telling the story of Lighthouse’s impact.
• Provide support for public-facing philanthropic campaigns including Colorado Gives Day and the annual gala. 

General:

• Manage and provide direction for the Marketing Assistant. 
• Develop consistent social media platforms, ensuring a cohesive and compelling online presence.
• Develop and circulate timely press releases and community communications. Cultivate robust affiliations with local media outlets. Grow presence beyond local media. 
• Execute media advertising strategies in alignment with budgetary allocations.
• Create and uphold the integrity of Lighthouse’s style guidelines while assuming responsibility for proofreading written materials as warranted.
• Represent Lighthouse at intermittent public events.
• Attend weekly strategy team meetings and play a role in developing Lighthouse’s new 2025-to-2028 strategic plan. 
• Develop new relationships with other arts organizations and grow marketing pipeline. 
• Collect and analyze marketing data to measure effectiveness and impact of tactics/strategy, and adjust accordingly.
• As necessary, work with Operations Director and leadership to implement internal communications strategies between Lighthouse staff, faculty, and board and operations team. 
• Provide occasional night and weekend support for Lighthouse programming and events.

While we do our best to outline the duties or responsibilities that are required of this position, this job description is not designed to be an exhaustive list of all activities and responsibilities. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5 to 7 years of experience, ideally a mix of nonprofit and sales-based marketing.
• Ability to both strategize new marketing approaches while also being able to execute them in collaboration with program team members. 
• Exhibit extraordinary writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to mold and refine content from varied sources into a coherent narrative, as well as a willingness to embrace constructive feedback from a team of seasoned writers.
• Showcase a track record of marketing diverse program portfolios to both internal and external audiences, with a proven ability to cultivate new demographics.
• Demonstrate a history of crafting comprehensive annual marketing and communications schedules, coupled with the ability to manage cross-functional teams for successful campaign execution.
• Embrace and champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and access (EDIA) initiatives, understanding the influence of marketing and communications in nurturing these imperatives within an organization.
• Excel in data analysis, consistently using insights to iterate and optimize marketing methodologies.
• Demonstrate familiarity with online content management systems (e.g., Drupal) and exhibit working proficiency in tools such as InDesign, Photoshop, and Canva.
• Display flexibility in accommodating occasional evening and weekend commitments.
• Elicit a propensity for networking and cultivating strategic relationships with cultural, civic, and artistic entities, along with individuals and patrons of the arts.
• Possess hands-on experience in designing and implementing impactful social media strategies.

The Director of Marketing and Communications role at Lighthouse presents an opportunity for an innovative, resourceful, and visionary leader to invigorate our storytelling and outreach efforts. If you are prepared to leverage your comprehensive expertise in marketing, coupled with an affinity for the transformative power of literature and creativity, we invite you to apply. Applications are due by 5:00 PM MT on January 10.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 403b with up to 3% employer match
• Hybrid work schedule – 3 days required in office
• ½ days between Christmas and New Years
• Free Lighthouse workshops

Working at Lighthouse

Lighthouse is a dynamic staff full of literary enthusiasts, spreadsheet nerds, passionate helpers, hard workers, and the occasional office dog. Folks who have succeeded with us tend to be highly organized, problem-solvers, creative, curious, flexible, and goal-driven. We pride ourselves on being an office culture where we care about each other as professionals and people, and are looking for candidates who are excited to engage authentically with our community.

Lighthouse is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. We comply with all applicable laws governing employment practices and do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.