Chief Marketing and Experience Officer

Chief Marketing and Experience Officer

University Circle Inc. (UCI)
Cleveland, OH

Reports to:         President
Manages:            Department of 2 FTE and seasonal staff
Salary:                 Starting at $95,000, salary negotiable, commensurate with experience
Status:                 Full time - Exempt

About UCI

University Circle Inc. (UCI) is a nonprofit organization that exists as the connective tissue between our district’s stakeholders, residents, and neighbors. We convene, collaborate, curate, and nurture. We believe that University Circle is a world-class neighborhood, with an obligation to create opportunities for health and vibrancy within this district and for our surrounding neighborhoods. While we are charged with managing the place itself, we are responsible for creating a sense of belonging that extends beyond our formal boundaries.   Our values are Collaboration, Community, Integrity and Trust.

What’s the focus of this role?

University Circle, Inc. is looking to expand our voice and broaden our marketing and communications efforts.   In addition, we aim to embark on a new brand strategy with a focus on delivering exceptional experiences inside University Circle.   The Chief of this department will be responsible for creating a strategy around marketing and experience, managing a team to execute the strategy, overseeing the performance of the team and the projects and adapting to changes constantly.   This individual will work closely with all members of senior staff and be a thought partner in strategic planning for the entire organization.   In addition, they will be responsible for overseeing the creation and execution of their departmental budget.   This department includes marketing, communications, and events management.  The immediate tasks at hand (with team collaboration) include, but are not limited to:

• University Circle rebranding, including new website and wayfinding signage plan
• Communications strategy, including overseeing all communications coming from various departments
• Communications strategy also to include University Circle Police Department (UCPD)
• Events/Activation strategy in collaboration with the Place Management Department
• Media plan
• Advertising plan
• Social media and content strategy

What are some traits of the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer?

• You are a self-starter and you can look at a distant goal and visualize the path to achieve it;
• You have capacity for evening and weekend events;
• You are comfortable reaching out to unknown people and organizations to form collaborations;
• You are good at managing details around programs, projects, and campaigns;
• You are comfortable with a scrappy mindset, knowing that a nonprofit budget is less than its counterpart;
• You have a growth mindset, and do not enjoy being micromanaged;
• You enjoy managing a team and helping to advance each to reach their greatest potential;
• You believe in taking responsibility for your team, allowing them to take risks and be bold;
• You work to break down silos and create transparency between teams;
• You thrive in a culture that supports individuals, invests in professional development, and believes that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts;
• You strive for equity and will work tirelessly to move toward a world where everyone feels belonging.

What will you be responsible for?

• Lead all efforts related to UCI’s brand strategy and implementation;

• Develop a purpose, vision and goals for the department and for each team member;

• Drive innovation for all aspects of the organization’s marketing and communications efforts;
• Oversee marketing platforms and ensure cutting edge utilization of traditional and digital outlets;

• Oversee an events strategy that builds a calendar of activations that showcase diverse talent and attracts diverse audiences;
• Determine a strategy to establish, maintain and disseminate relevant analytics to measure the department’s effectiveness in achieving its goals;
• Guide strategy development in collaboration with all UCI departments to ensure consistent, seamless and effective communication with donors, institutions, residents, local businesses, elected officials, community & neighborhood leaders and local media;
• Oversee public relations and media strategies to engage and educate the local community and to encourage connections with the area institutions and businesses;
• Oversee all organizational collateral materials and ensure alignment to the vision and strategy;
• Define our audiences to effectively communicate and market to diverse constituencies;
• Collaborate with the President and senior leadership in developing organizational strategies and their corresponding marketing and communications plans;
• Provide thought leadership on continuing to improve and strengthen the University Circle narrative to continue to attract people to the district and build trust with communities;
• Actively engage in relevant trade organizations and proactively monitor emerging and current trends and best practices in events, marketing & communications;
• Serve as UCI’s representative on key community committees, task forces, and working groups;

• Build various marketing strategies that focus on UCPD, events produced by our organization, building the brand, supporting the institutions, and generally marketing the district as a cultural jewel;
• Work closely with the engagement and collaboration team to ensure messaging is consistent;
• Work closely with the philanthropy team to discover opportunities for grants and donor connections;
• Serve and/or lead various committees as assigned;
• Maintain a database of media contacts, marketing partners, vendors, sponsors, collaborative agencies and other useful partners;
• Conduct surveys and gather feedback to assess community needs and preferences;
• Oversee the coordination of a collaboration of marketing and events professionals within the institutions and neighboring partner organizations (CDCs);
• Manage the department budget and activities of all direct reports, agencies and vendor contracts;
• Manage your team’s performance, growth, work outputs, ongoing development, goal achievement and regular reviews;
• Other duties as assigned.

What we’d like to see in our new CMXO:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of Marketing and Experience roles with increasing responsibility
• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office programs
• Proficiency in all marketing platforms
• A combination of education and professional development in marketing/communications/media/events
• Project management experience
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Passion for the community
• Strong team work ethic
• Confidence in front of a camera representing the organization
• Belief in the work that UCI is aspiring to do!

How to Apply

Send your resumé and cover letter to resume@universitycircle.org.   UCI will be interviewing as applications are submitted.  Ideally, a candidate is starting in March of 2024.

Please include a resumé and cover letter and the answers to the following questions:

1. Describe an example that you are proud of, when you played a significant role in changing an existing perspective around an organization, product, or event and how.
2. With a reasonable amount of detail, how would you approach a new strategy to marketing a complex cultural district such as University Circle?
3. Why do you want this position and why should we want you for this position?

University Circle Inc. is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace that thrives on diversity. We acknowledge that this journey is continuous, and we are committed to an ongoing process of inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, we stand against discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. Our commitment is to nurture an environment where all employees can flourish and bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the forefront.  We believe that people matter in the goals that we aim to accomplish.