Manager, Marketing Strategy & Brand

Vinik Sports Group

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

VSG is looking for a Marketing Manager Strategy and Brand to establish, manage, and execute the overall marketing and media strategy for the Tampa Bay Lightning business under the guidance of the Director, Marketing & Fan Experience. The successful candidate will take a lead role in managing the day-to-day marketing duties while working collaboratively across multiple touchpoints both internal and externally. The primary areas of focus for this position will include setting campaign strategies and execution, management of advertising buying and trafficking, establishing and managing marketing calendar, gameday program oversight, retail marketing, hockey development marketing strategy and execution, cross-functional liaison with all internal teams, and management of direct reports. Vinik Sports Group (VSG) is an entity established by Jeff Vinik to manage the three-time Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning (2004, 2020, 2021) of the National Hockey League and hold the leasehold rights to Benchmark International Arena, the 19,092-seat downtown Tampa home in which the team plays its games. The venue opened in 1996 and became Benchmark International Arena in August 2025 when the global mergers and acquisitions firm, Benchmark International, partnered with Vinik and the Lightning. Since 2010, Vinik has led a complete brand and business transformation of the Lightning and the arena, featuring a mostly private renovation of the publicly owned facility. Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz joined the expanded ownership group of Vinik Sports Group in 2024, alongside Arctos, which initially joined in 2021. In addition to owning the Lightning and managing Benchmark International Arena, Vinik Sports Group, through TBSE, manages the Yuengling Center on the campus at the University of South Florida.

Requirements

4-6 years of related work experience in marketing, media, or related fields
A minimum of 2 years of direct employee supervisor experience, developing career progression and review programs
Minimum education level of BA/BS degree (4-year) specializing in marketing, communications, business management or sports marketing
Direct experience buying and executing paid media deals (Radio, TV, OOH)
Strong communication skills – both written and verbal, with the ability to create relationships and work independently
Ability to translate results from data into clear, concise summaries/presentations
Ability to copyright across multiple touchpoints (campaign taglines, broadcast, radio, etc.)
Team player who enjoys working in a high-achieving and innovative environment, with a commitment to be top of class
Structured, goal-oriented, with strong attention to detail
Proactive and a problem solver, with strong critical thinking skills
Ability to prioritize, be flexible with changing priorities and multiple projects

Responsibilities

Execute end-to-end integrated campaigns for strategic omnichannel partnerships to meet defined KPIs including increased awareness, engagement, audience growth, and revenue including, all retail initiatives, ticketing initiatives, special events/experiential/grassroots marketing, Lightning Foundation, Hockey Development, and NHL league initiatives
Serve as a key project management liaison between internal departments including Marketing, Digital, Social, Community Hockey, Community Relations, Corporate Communications, People Operations, Hockey Operations, Facilities, Game Presentation, Ticketing, Partnership, Premium, MS&S, Retail, and Event Marketing.
Assist the Director of Marketing & Fan Experience with the planning of advertising/media buying and promotional plans
Oversee the strategy and trafficking of print ads, radio spots, TV spots, etc. according to the above-mentioned plans
Manage and oversee the intake, tracking, and assignment of all creative requests; manage resource allocation, schedule timelines, and facilitate asset delivery for internal stakeholder review and approval.
Work in tandem with Digital Marketing to execute full funnel advertising campaigns across radio, TV, and out of home (billboard ads) including, media planning, trafficking, and optimization for key campaign touchpoints via paid, earned, and owned channels.
Track and evaluate the impact of campaigns, recap results and optimize future campaigns by analyzing marketing-generated pipelines and implementing action plans to address gaps.
Responsible for the coordination of various promotional programs and initiatives including Tampa Bay Lightning’s Kids Club and Student Rush programs
Assist in the negotiation, closing, implementation and evaluation of media and promotional deals
Participate in strategic planning of general market sales activity and develop programs to maximize sales
Participate in the brainstorming sessions while providing leadership and guidance
Provide leadership, guidance, coaching and support of direct report(s)
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Directly oversee Marketing Coordinator and University of South Florida Fellow
Ability to work min. 50% of all home games at minimum for special theme nights and promotions
Ability to work Tampa Bay Lightning branded events and initiatives as needed such as season kick-off event, hockey development activations, playoff events, etc.