Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-disciplinary arts center located in Brooklyn, New York. For more than 150 years, BAM has been the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas—engaging both global and local communities. With world-renowned programming in theater, dance, music, opera, film, and much more, BAM showcases the work of emerging artists and innovative modern masters.

The Vice President of Marketing will lead a dedicated team (17+ staffers) to build a rigorous marketing plan and implement innovative tactics that amplify BAM’s position as one of this nation’s most celebrated and influential cultural institutions. This role works across the organization to develop innovative marketing and communications strategies and then oversee comprehensive campaigns that strengthen the BAM brand; drive awareness of its programs; expand and diversify its audience; and achieve the organization’s revenue goals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Strategic Leadership

• Build brand awareness and ensure consistency of BAM’s voice across all channels and touchpoints
• Deeply understand and appreciate the institution’s program strategy, working closely with the artistic team to advance BAM’s mission, celebrate artists, and engage audiences across a dynamic mix of performance and film programming
• Partner with the Advancement team to align marketing and fundraising strategies, ensuring that communications inspire philanthropic investment alongside ticket sales
• Partner with senior leadership on long-term audience growth and revenue strategies and institutional positioning

Team & Department Oversight

• Develop, manage, motivate, and retain a high-performing team, which includes marketing, creative services, ticket services, communications, social media, and marketing operations staff
•  Foster a collaborative, creative, and data-informed culture
• Provide leadership and coordination of marketing function, optimizing operational aspects of marketing to ensure greatest workflow efficiency
• Oversee the Division’s planning/budgeting process, ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources; develop revenue projections and re-forecasting for all ticketed programs

Brand Marketing & Management

• Articulate and implement the institution’s brand and brand storytelling strategies designed to secure BAM’s reputation as one of the nation’s most iconic cultural institutions
• Steward the BAM brand by ensuring the consistency of the visual and verbal identity across all consumers facing touch points; champion and activate BAM's brand ethos across all marketing channels, initiatives, and programming 

Campaign Development & Execution

• Oversee multi-channel marketing and communications campaigns for all programs and initiatives
•  Collaborate with Advancement to design and execute integrated campaigns that support grass roots giving, promote membership, and elevate patron opportunities
• Integrate direct marketing, advertising, organic social, promotions, communications, and grassroots efforts to maximize reach and impact

Audience Insights & Analytics

• Use audience research and data analytics to inform strategy and optimize campaigns
• Monitor sales and engagement metrics, adjusting tactics in real time

Revenue & Growth

• Expand and diversify audiences in support of meeting the institution's attendance and revenue goals
• Deepen engagement with existing audiences by encouraging repeat attendance and long-term loyalty
• Collaborate with Development to drive membership sales, and to support donor and sponsor engagement
• Work across institutionally to develop new revenue streams and expand existing revenue streams like venue rentals and merchandise

Communication & Partnership

• Lead BAM's marketing strategy, reporting directly to the President
• Collaborate with institutional leadership to develop strategic planning for audience development and revenue growth
• Collaborate closely with BAM's Artistic Director, Producer, VP of Advancement and CFO to align marketing efforts with programming and fundraising goals; collaborate with other cross-functional teams to integrate marketing efforts with overall organizational goals
• Hire, manage, mentor, and guide a diverse team to achieve the institution’s goals; develop and mentor three direct reports; building their capacity for people-centered leadership while building a culture of collaboration, accountability, and high performance
• Measure and report on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, providing insights to leadership and the Board of Trustees 5 Communication & Partnership (cont.)
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including media partners and community organizations who can help us reach and engage target audiences

Oversight of Strategies, Tactics, & Goals

• Develop annual marketing plans and budgets in collaboration with department directors; track spending to ensure resources are used effectively and that the department achieves expense efficiency.
• Oversee audience segmentation and targeting strategy to ensure the institution is using its resources effectively to engage priority segments
• Grow ticket revenue and attendance by implementing effective pricing strategies including successful implementation of both dynamic pricing and strategic discounting
• With internal teams and external agency partners, develop and implement innovative campaigns (direct marketing, advertising, communications, promotions, etc.) to drive awareness as well as attendance and revenue for BAM’s diverse set of programs
• Conceive of, develop, and implement innovative marketing and communications campaigns to support all program verticals (Film, Theatre, Music, Dance, Opera, Literary, Community, and Education) and the institution’s signature Next Wave and DanceAfrica festivals

Maintaining Systems for a Strong Department

•  Develop and implement systems and optimize existing processes to increase the team’s effectiveness and efficiency
• Leverage insights gained through ongoing work with artistic and production teams and with sales data from BAM’s programs each season to create revenue projections, monitor sales, and make revenue forecast adjustments as requested
• Develop and implement a framework for data-driven marketing strategies, leveraging analytics and market research to inform decision-making; optimize advertising media buy based on data analysis and audience insights
• Foster a culture of innovation and experimentation in marketing approaches, aligning with BAM's mission vision and values
• Stay abreast of emerging marketing trends and technologies in the arts and cultural sector
• Manage conceptualization and review of promotional material and publications, including websites, email, and digital or print materials, such as brochures or programs
• Oversee creative (external marketing assets) production for all BAM events and new programming schemes and series in production
• Ensure effective use of technology to meet BAM marketing goals
• Ensure marketing efforts support BAM's commitment to inclusion and accessibility in the arts

• 10+ years of experience as a marketing lead in an in-house brand or arts non-profit of similar scale to BAM
• Proven track record of developing and executing large-scale, multi-channel campaigns in the cultural sector
• Expertise in digital marketing, audience development, and brand strategy; ability to balance creative vision with data-driven decision making
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage, mentor, and inspire a diverse team of marketers with various levels of experience
• Ability to translate artistic and brand vision into compelling marketing campaigns
• Excellent collaborative skills, with experience working across departments and with external partners
• Proficiency in marketing technologies, CRM systems, and digital marketing platforms
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-informed decisions
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, and ability to adapt communication style depending on the interactions and audience
• Experience in budget management and resource allocation
• Knowledge of current trends in arts marketing and audience development
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts
• Flexible, open, and capable of thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Passion for BAM’s mission and contemporary performing arts
• Familiarity with the New York arts and cultural landscape preferred
• Good sense of humor
• Ability to follow BAM’s hybrid work policy, which currently requires at least two days per week in the office, but is subject to change

Compensation: The salary for this position is $235,000-250,000. BAM provides a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement plan opportunities including both 401(k) and pension plans, as well as BAM-related benefits including access to BAM's fantastic programming.

Working Conditions: Category 2- Administrative work with walking

Application Instructions:

The Vice President of Marketing and Communications search is being conducted on behalf of BAM by TOC Arts Partners, a national consultancy aligning strategies, structures, and leadership toward a thriving cultural sector. The search is being led by Search Consultant Brenna Thomas, in consultation with and support from the TOC Arts Partners search team.

 Must complete an online application through BAM's website  - no phone calls, emails or walk-ins, please. Your cover letter should include any training or experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity, and anything else you’d like us to know about your qualifications that may not be present in your resume.

Internal Applicants must apply through BAM's website

Employees must meet all the following criteria to be considered for an interview: 

• Completed at least 1 year of continuous, active service in current position. (Positions excluded include, but are not limited to, temporary assignments, and probationary employees) 
• Meet the experience and skills requirements as outlined in the job post 
• Be employed in the current position for at least one year 
• Performed in a satisfactory manner without any corrective actions in the last 12 months 

Brooklyn Academy of Music is an Equal Opportunity Employer. BAM recognizes that historic institutional practices lead to a non-inclusive environment and is working to address diversity and inclusion in all forms. Individuals in BAM are experiencing their own pace during this process, which is not uncommon when addressing power and privilege. The Marketing team supports and continues to take part in this process.