Earl R. Merrill: Hartford Stage / Director of Marketing & Communications

Tony Award-winning Hartford Stage seeks a Director of Marketing and Communications to lead its energetic team of marketing, sales, communications, and community engagement professionals in achieving the strategic objectives of the theatre, producing content and campaigns as groundbreaking as the work on stage.

OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW

Now in its 53rd year, Hartford Stage is led by Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts and is one of the nation’s leading resident theatres. Hartford Stage is known for producing innovative revivals of classics and provocative new plays and musicals, including 73 world and American premieres, as well as offering a distinguished education program, which reaches more than 20,000 students annually.

Hartford Stage now seeks a Director of Marketing and Communications to lead its energetic team of marketing, sales, communications, and community engagement professionals in achieving the strategic objectives of the theatre, producing content and campaigns as groundbreaking as the work on stage. In addition to meeting the theatre’s revenue and attendance goals, the Director of Marketing and Communications will have a unique opportunity to help the theatre grow its stature in Hartford’s cultural landscape, as well as further enhance its strong profile in the national and international arts community.

Since Tresnjak’s appointment in 2011, the theatre has produced the world premieres of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (winner of four 2014 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical by Tresnjak); Rear Window with Kevin Bacon; the new musical Anastasia by Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (currently on Broadway); Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Water by the Spoonful, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Breath & Imagination by Daniel Beaty; Big Dance Theatre’s Man in a Case with Mikhail Baryshnikov; and Reverberation by Matthew Lopez.

Hartford Stage has earned many of the nation’s most prestigious awards, including the 1988 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Other national honors include Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, OBIE, and New York Critics Circle awards. Hartford Stage has produced nationally renowned titles, including the New York transfers of Enchanted April; The Orphans' Home Cycle; Resurrection (later retitled Through the Night); The Carpetbagger's Children; and Tea at Five.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Summary:

The Director of Marketing and Communications is responsible for leading the theatre’s marketing, branding, public relations, audience development, community engagement, and sales strategies, resulting in the greatest possible market penetration, increased ticket sales and exceptional brand/product awareness. In collaboration with all of the theatre’s departments, and with the support of a staff of over 14, the Director of Marketing and Communications will ensure that the theatre maintains strong and mutually rewarding relationships with its audience, generates compelling content befitting the theatre’s artistic quality, and is a thriving addition to the city, state, and nation’s cultural landscape.

Position Function and Expectations:

Executive/Leadership

Supervise all aspects of institutional marketing, sales, and public relations in an effort to achieve approximately $4M in annual ticket revenue.
Serve as primary departmental interface with the Managing Director, Artistic Director, Marketing Committee, and Board of Directors. Serve as staff liaison to the Community Engagement Committee of the Board.
Contribute to the work of the senior management team by creating a positive and creative environment for artists and staff.
Maintain a position of leadership in the field and remain current with rapidly changing technology and approaches to reaching diverse audiences.
Supervise a staff of over 14 people, with direct reports that include the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications; Community Engagement Associate; Graphics and Design Coordinator; Website and New Media Manager; Box Office Manager; Subscriptions Manager and House Manager.
Embrace the challenges and opportunities of producing a broad range of programming that spans classical theatre, new works, musical theatre, and education initiatives; as well as inspire enthusiasm in the entire marketing team to do the same.

General Responsibilities

Oversee all aspects of Hartford Stage’s subscription campaigns (acquisition and renewal); single ticket campaigns for MainStage productions, A Christmas Carol, and other events as scheduled; and all aspects of marketing and public relations for ticketed special events, readings, humanities events, education programs, and community relations activities.
Oversee the successful execution of Hartford Stage’s brand across all marketing collateral, as well as materials produced for all departments.
Ensure consistent messaging across all outbound sales channels, including supervision of Telemarketing and Group Sales efforts.
Ensure Hartford Stage’s visibility in local, statewide, national, and international media; and ensure that Hartford Stage is current with advancements in all media, with emphasis on digital.
Represent the theatre and its objectives in public spheres through speaking engagements and personal appearances.
Work with the Development department in advancing sponsor and/or donor opportunities. Help ensure that appropriate donor recognition occurs in print and broadcast materials. In concert with the Director of Development, develop sponsorship opportunities.

Marketing Strategies

Plan and execute an integrated marketing strategy and campaigns that encompass content marketing, paid media/advertising (digital, print, broadcast, outdoor), CRM, email marketing, social media and experiential/event marketing, SEO/SEM, and press.
Ensure that the theatre maintains a strong digital presence, including social media, web, and mobile platforms.
Oversee development and execution of media strategy/buying, including programmatic buying.
Measure and report performance of all digital marketing campaigns, and assess against goals (ROI and KPIs).
Identify trends and insights, and optimize spend and performance based on them.
Spearhead the theatre’s community engagement initiatives including community partnerships, and outreach initiatives.

Financial Management and Reporting

Create, in concert with the Managing Director, an annual budget that maximizes revenue and streamlines expenses.
Forecast and research sales potential for various artistic projects; establish sales goals and direct departmental activity toward achieving said goals.
Ensure that the theatre is implementing and optimizing pricing and revenue management in line with industry best practice.
Provide sales reports and forecasts to keep the theatre up to date on its current and anticipated financial status.
Additional Responsibilities
Other duties, responsibilities and special projects as assigned by the Artistic and/or Managing Directors.
Evening and/or weekend work may be required

Position Qualifications

Qualifications

Required: 7 or more years of professional marketing experience in the arts and demonstrated success in achieving or exceeding sales goals;
Excellent organizational, management, interpersonal communication, and public speaking abilities;
Must be able to handle multiple tasks and be detail and deadline oriented;
Extensive knowledge and significant experience in professional theatre, arts marketing, patron loyalty and subscription programs, and single tickets and group sales strategies;
Excellent writing skills;
Previous experience with budgeting and forecasting;
Must have a creative aesthetic and be able to work with theatre artists, designers, photographers, and visual artists;
Demonstrated interest and experience leveraging digital media.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work effectively in a creative, innovative and intellectual environment
Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to follow-through
Excellent computer skills in Microsoft office, and experience with Tessitura software a plus
Ability to juggle multiple priorities effectively
Demonstrable experience leading and managing CRM and marketing technology/databases, email, social media and/or display advertising campaigns, SEO/SEM
Experience in identifying target audiences and devising highly creative campaigns that engage, inform and motivate
Experience in optimizing landing pages and user funnels
Experience with A/B and multivariate experiments
Solid knowledge of website analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, WebTrends)
Working knowledge of ad serving tools (e.g., DoubleClick, Atlas)
Experience in optimizing Google Adwords campaigns
Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript development and constraints
Strong analytical skills and data-driven thinking
Knowledge of latest trends and best practices in digital marketing and measurement
Inspiring leadership, a love of theatre, and a good sense of humor

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to tom@tomoconnor.co (note: not ".com") with “Hartford Stage” in the subject line.

Hartford Stage is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and equitable environment and strongly encourages applications from minorities and women.