Director of Marketing & Growth

Chicago Beyond • Chicago, IL

1d • $125,000 - $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Marketing & Growth is responsible for building and executing Chicago Beyond’s marketing strategy to expand our national reach, influence, and engagement across key audiences. This leader will architect a unified, data-informed marketing practice while also directly driving execution across key channels. As a small and agile organization, we are looking for a player–coach: someone who can think strategically, operate with excellence, and implement high-quality work themselves. Reporting to the Chief Innovation Officer and working in close partnership with the Senior Director of Communications, the Director of Marketing & Growth will translate Chicago Beyond’s narratives, insights, and strategy into high-performing campaigns and engagement systems. This role ensures that our stories reach the policymakers, practitioners, funders, and community leaders positioned to advance systems change.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 8+ years of experience in marketing (strategy, product marketing, digital marketing), growth, or digital strategy roles.
• Nonprofit, advocacy, social impact, or mission-driven experience preferred
• Demonstrated success developing and executive marketing strategies that drive audience growth and influence
• Expertise in defining audiences and architecting multi-channel distribution
• Deep fluency in digital and channel marketing (email, social, SEO, analytics tools)
• Experience with CRM and social media marketing automation platforms such as Hootsuite
• Strong planning and project management skills, with the ability to translate strategic initiatives into clear goals and actionable plans that drive results
• Demonstrated ability to develop KPIs, create dashboards, and analyze data to drive insight, decision making, and accountability
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve their full potential in a dynamic environment
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex information to diverse stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Marketing Strategy & Audience Growth
• Co-develop and own Chicago Beyond’s national marketing strategy aligned with our mission and long-term goals
• Define, segment, and prioritize target audiences; build tailored engagement plans for policymakers, practitioners, funders, and field leaders
• Identify and cultivate high-value networks, intermediaries, and platforms to amplify reach, influence, and visibility
• Build and co-execute a growth roadmap that deepens Chicago Beyond’s presence in key national conversations and spaces
• Player–Coach Execution Across Channels
• Serve as both strategist and operator, designing the approach and directly executing day-to-day marketing work, ensuring brand consistency and alignment between storytelling, content, and marketing strategy.
• Manage core channels (social, web, partner amplifications) in partnership with the Senior Director of Communications.
• Translate content and insights from Communications into cohesive distribution plans with clear KPIs and outcomes
• Digital Ecosystem & Distribution Strategy
• Lead and manage the redesign and ongoing evolution of Chicago Beyond’s website to ensure it communicates our strategy and impact with clarity and resonance
• Develop distribution strategies for insights, investment announcements, and organizational initiatives that elevate Chicago Beyond’s national presence
• Leverage marketing analytics to strengthen planning, segmentation, decision-making, and workflow efficiencies
• Community Building & External Amplification
• Increase meaningful engagement across social platforms, owned channels, and targeted national networks
• Develop and execute partner and ally amplification strategies to expand collective visibility and influence
• Cultivate relationships with collaborators, ecosystem leaders, and field-specific communicators to build Chicago Beyond’s presence in key circles
• Analytics, Measurement & Continuous Learning
• Build a marketing analytics function, including tools, dashboards, reporting rhythms, and insight loops from the ground up to meet established KPIs for audience growth and engagement
• Establish KPIs and metrics strategy for audience growth, engagement, reach, and distribution performance.
• Use data to optimize content, refine audience journeys, and guide digital ecosystem improvements.
• Content Design & Creative Workflows
• Partner with Communications to ensure content is visually compelling, strategically aligned, and optimized for distribution (Communications leads the development of core narratives, content, and design. Marketing translates those assets into growth strategies, distribution systems, and audience engagement.)

Benefits

• Chicago Beyond provides a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive medical, dental, and vision plans, a matching 401(k) program, and generous paid time off.

What This Job Offers

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