VP of Marketing - Tampa Bay Lightning (Tampa · FL)

Job Summary:

Inspiring fans to take action is at the heart of what our new Vice President of Marketing will do for the Vinik Sports Group (VSG) and The Tampa Bay Lightning.  The right leader for this role will bring a passion and relentless perseverance for engaging different audiences across a variety of traditional, digital and social platforms locally, nationally and globally.  This leader will also drive and measure fan engagement and growth across an increasingly complex and distributed world of live sports programming and other lifestyle content marketing. 

The Vice President of Marketing will oversee and manage all marketing and brand campaigns for the Tampa Bay Lightning and VSG and guide our approach to engaging with our fans as those fans continue to shift their media and brand consumption behaviors, along with owning the “voice of the fan.”   Strong experience in personalizing marketing and messaging strategies to different fan segments and platforms will be critical for the success of this role.  The VP of Marketing will also manage the marketing needs of all of our internal clients and business partners, including our community programs, Sponsorship, Ticket Sales and Service, Retail, People Operations, and other areas of the business as we serve them in an “agency-client” model inside of VSG.  The right leader for this role will be someone who embodies a “servant leadership” mentality, and a humble approach to understanding that collaboration across the business is the key to the success of any marketing campaign or project.  This person must be strong at building relationships and gaining consensus from various stakeholders while still guiding marketing strategy every step of the way.

This individual will manage three key teams than span digital and social marketing, traditional and grassroots marketing, and creative services.  The digital and social team oversees all of our owned and operated digital platforms along with all social channel management, email marketing, digital retail support, paid media to drive ticket sales and content amplification and more.  The traditional and grassroots team oversees all event activations, out-of-home advertising, media planning and buying, agency management, mascot strategies, and all local marketing efforts.  Finally, the creative services team supports the creative needs across the entire organization to develop digital, social, print and out-of-home work for both the Marketing team and all other internal clients.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

•    Develop and lead a marketing and brand strategy that supports the needs of the Tampa Bay Lightning throughout the year (including the off-season) that supports both revenue growth and fan engagement goals while also meeting the needs of our sponsors and partners.
•    Oversee the organization’s digital and social media presence and ensure that our brand is executed in a manner consistent with our brand standards, goals and objectives.
•    Build relationships and collaborate with internal department leaders to plan and execute key marketing programs – including Foundation, Community, DEI, People Operations, Sponsorship, Membership Sales & Service, Broadcast & Radio, and others
•    Implement strategic plans for various “theme” games and fan activations throughout the season along with our support of key cause marketing campaigns
•    Manage our entire Marketing budget across all teams and continue to find ways to optimize our spending based on shifting behaviors and media consumption habits of our fans
•    Identify trends in fan engagement and drive strategic recommendations to stay ahead of those trends to ensure we have a presence/voice wherever our fans want to engage with us
•    Develop a marketing calendar for each part of our business – Lightning, key internal departments, etc.
•    Work directly with the NHL to find ways to be included in league-wide programs and campaigns both from a marketing and content perspective
•    Manage our third-party marketing partnerships (agencies, media partners, etc.) to ensure the consistent execution of our messaging across all fan touch points, and to develop new ways to drive fan engagement
•    Collaborate closely with our Analytics team to measure and report on fan engagement well beyond linear TV ratings (the traditional way most sports teams have measured fan growth)
•    Collaborate with the executive team to provide consultation and innovative ideas to support organizational needs
•    Develop strategies and campaigns to drive fan engagement for the Club in collaboration with the Chief Marketing Officer and other executives and leaders
•    Perform other duties as assigned
 

Game/Event Responsibilities:

•    Evening and weekend games as necessary

Qualifications:

•    Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications, or equivalent degree
•    A minimum of 10 years relevant work experience in a Corporate Business environment 
•    Demonstrated experience in managing marketing strategies for brands and/or sports organizations
•    Proven strategic leadership ability, including the ability to plan, organize, coordinate and influence 
•    Ability to build strong and collaborative relationships with all levels within the organization, leadership team and ownership
•    Demonstrate the ability to effectively build a network of contacts at all levels within the industry and community, both internally and externally
•    Professional writing and public speaking skills required
•    Excellent oral and written communication skills; excellent analytical and critical thinking skills
•    Demonstrated experience managing departmental and organizational budgets, including the creation of strategic business plans
•    Ability to appropriately handle confidential matters and information
•    Ability to work in a fast-paced changing environment 
•    Ability to work independently and as part of a team
•    Ability to prioritize and manage numerous projects simultaneously
•    Self-motivated, with ability to work with little direct supervision
•    Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
•    Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point
•    Availability to work flexible hours, including weekends and evenings as required
 

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.