Director of Content and Brand Strategy

National Aquarium • Baltimore, MD

2d • $71,000 - $92,399

About The Position

The National Aquarium is seeking a Director of Content and Brand Strategy to lead content and brand strategy that strengthens relevance with key audiences, supports attendance and revenue targets, grows the Aquarium’s reputation, and advances organizational priorities. In partnership with the VP of Marketing and Engagement Strategy and other senior marketing leaders, the Director ensures the Marketing team delivers against revenue and reputational goals.

The Director serves as the lead content and brand strategy partner for internal and external stakeholders. The role sets strategy, incorporates evolving business, partner, and audience needs, and works with marketing peers to align execution and optimize results. The Director provides leadership on organizational and external steering committees and may serve as a delegate for the VP of Marketing and Engagement Strategy or other senior leaders. The position reports to the VP of Marketing and Engagement Strategy and is a member of the Marketing Leadership Team.

The role leads multichannel content strategy; directs content, social media, and design implementation; and provides leadership and coaching to social media practitioners. It builds a cohesive production team across design, content, and social media, and works with project management and performance marketing partners to deliver on strategy, timelines, budgets, and KPIs. The Director also leads organizational planning and stakeholder engagement, represents the Aquarium externally, and leads budget planning for social media, design, project management, and content units.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or a related discipline.
• Eight or more years of experience in brand strategy, content, marketing, or communications, with demonstrated impact on audience growth, engagement, reputation, and revenue.
• Six or more years of experience managing complex teams and projects.
• Strategic brand and content expertise, including the ability to translate organizational priorities into compelling, integrated content across multiple channels.
• Experience contributing in cross-functional leadership settings and representing organizations externally.
• Results-driven and data-informed approach, with experience interpreting market insights and delivering on KPIs.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills; the posting describes the candidate as an influential and intentional collaborator and communicator.

Nice To Haves

• Agency experience.
• Tourism or hospitality experience.
• Business-to-consumer (B2C) experience.
• Nonprofit experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead content and brand strategy in support of attendance and revenue goals, future visitor growth, brand trust and awareness, the Aquarium’s value proposition, and organizational priorities.
• Lead multichannel content strategy and use data-driven platform insights to identify and align content optimization opportunities.
• Direct content strategy for owned and social channels, guiding the Content Manager, Social Media Manager, and Design Manager in implementation.
• Partner with Communications and Performance Marketing on content applications for paid, internal, and earned channels.
• Direct social media operations and coach social media practitioners; establish online community management and care standards, and ensure effective cross-training, delegation, and coverage.
• Coordinate with the Director of Community Partnership Strategy to connect online community management with organizational community engagement strategy.
• Refine and direct content creator strategy in consultation with the Director of Performance Marketing.
• Build a cohesive production team across design, content, and social media that collaborates to achieve KPIs and provides mutual support and coverage for other departmental units.
• Partner with the Senior Project Manager to maintain accurate project phases and tasks in the project management system and ensure deliverables are on time, on budget, and aligned with strategy.
• Provide direction to the Senior Project Manager on defining and prioritizing project requests and collaborating with stakeholders to deliver work on time, within budget, and in alignment with strategy.
• Prioritize the Design Manager’s work, identify opportunities to streamline internal requests, and determine when external resources are needed to enhance projects or capacity.
• Collaborate with the Director of Performance Marketing to support an integrated performance measurement framework covering acquisition, engagement, brand health, and revenue; refine programs and processes based on results.
• Liaise with external agencies supporting paid and digital strategy and play a key role in campaign development and branding initiatives conducted with agencies.
• Lead planning sessions, convene department-wide marketing communications strategy sessions, and attend organizational team meetings to source content and support alignment.
• Serve as the face of content and brand strategy; develop relationships with internal and external peers and counsel internal stakeholders.
• Support project intake when appropriate, create marketing briefs, and translate stakeholder needs into clear marketing deliverables.
• Provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership on opportunities to advance the Aquarium’s brand and reputation.
• Represent the Aquarium externally and manage relationships with brand and community partners, sponsorship activations, and content creators.
• Lead budget planning for social media, design, project management, and content units.
• Support the company mission, adhere to organizational and departmental policies and procedures, and perform other duties as assigned or required.

Benefits

• Flexible paid leave.
• Up to four weeks of paid family leave.
• Health care coverage for employees and families after 30 days of full-time work.
• Conservation day leave.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director