Director, Marketing Strategy & Operations

Oklahoma City Thunder•Oklahoma City, OK

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Marketing and Brand team leads the strategic development and positioning of the Thunder brand, identity, expression, and marketing. We approach our work with intentionality and purpose, continually looking for relevant opportunities to connect the Thunder to people in deeper and more meaningful ways. We work collaboratively across the organization to ensure the brand is thoughtfully and consistently brought to life. As Director, Marketing Strategy & Operations, you will provide day-to-day leadership for the Thunder's marketing function, overseeing integrated marketing strategy and planning, paid and owned media planning, performance marketing, and brand operations. Working closely with the VP, Marketing & Brand Engagement and Director, Brand Identity & Creative, you will connect brand strategy to marketing execution while building the processes, partnerships, and accountability necessary to deliver effective work. You will lead and develop the Marketing team while serving as a strategic partner across the organization.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in integrated marketing, brand marketing, media, performance marketing, and/or a related discipline
Demonstrated experience leading marketing strategy, integrated campaigns, and cross-functional planning across paid and owned channels, with experience contributing to brand strategy and governance
Experience working with digital media platforms such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Meta Ads Manager, and X Ads, as well as search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM)
Strong understanding of brand positioning and governance, paid media, performance measurement, audience targeting, and optimization
Experience managing people and leading complex, cross-functional work from strategy through execution
Experience managing marketing budgets and using performance insights to inform marketing investments and priorities
Strong strategic, operational, and analytical skills with the ability to move comfortably between big-picture direction and executional detail
Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate marketing strategies, recommendations, and results to a variety of stakeholders
Demonstrated ability to identify challenges, evaluate solutions, and exercise sound judgment when making decisions that impact marketing and organizational objectives
Ability to prioritize across multiple projects and competing business needs in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
Ability to stay informed of industry trends and apply relevant insights to marketing strategy and decision-making

Responsibilities

Lead annual, seasonal, and campaign marketing strategy, establishing objectives, audiences, positioning, messaging, channel plans, key performance indicators (KPIs), and measurement
Partner closely with the Vice President, Marketing & Brand Engagement to advance brand strategy, positioning, and priorities and translate them into actionable marketing plans and campaigns
Lead paid media strategy and investment across digital and traditional channels, including audience strategy, channel mix, agency and media partner management, optimization, and emerging opportunities
Partner with the Fan Development department to develop and evolve audience profiles and segmentation, translating fan insights into actionable targeting strategies across marketing and media
Develop a performance marketing approach focused on testing, targeting, return on investment (ROI), return on ad spend (ROAS), and measurable fan and business outcomes
Lead integrated owned media planning in partnership with Social, Digital, Content, in-arena, and other channel owners and in collaboration with the Marketing Strategist
Oversee campaign workflows, project management, prioritization, calendars, budgets, and cross-functional execution
Turn campaign, media, and audience insights into recommendations that strengthen marketing effectiveness, fan connection, and the Thunder brand
Provide strategic oversight of Brand Operations, empowering the Brand Operations team to strengthen workflows, processes, and prioritization that enable the Brand Expression team to operate efficiently and effectively
Champion brand governance across the organization, partnering closely with the Director, Brand Identity & Creative to ensure the Thunder brand is consistently and appropriately represented across internal and external touchpoints
Provide strategic oversight of the marketing relationship with Legends Global (Paycom Center management), ensuring third-party events, marketing requests, and arena activations appropriately represent and support the Thunder brand
Partner with NBA Marketing to align league and team initiatives, identify opportunities for local activation, and leverage relevant league resources and best practices
Provide day-to-day leadership of the Marketing team, develop staff, and ensure clear priorities, accountability, and follow-through, including direct supervision of the Marketing Strategist, Brand Operations Lead, and Paid Media Coordinator
Perform other duties as assigned