The Nashville Shakespeare Festival

Marketing Director

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival

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Job Summary

OUR MISSION: The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional theatrical experiences. The Festival enriches and unifies our community with bold, innovative, and relevant productions along with empowering, participatory educational programs, setting the community standard of excellence in educational outreach and performances of Shakespeare’s plays.

ABOUT THE NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL: Since 1988, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival (NSF) has provided professional, free, and accessible outdoor theatre each summer that has served audiences from all economic backgrounds, employing hundreds of theatre artists, and engaging thousands of patrons and volunteers. NSF also has robust educational programs that reach into schools around Tennessee with performances, workshops, and other educational programs. In continuous efforts toward equity and inclusion, we seek to create excellent theatre that reflects the rich diversity of our community and creates a culture of acceptance and unity.

Job Description for Marketing Director

Position: Marketing Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Wage Classification: Full-Time

Compensation: $43,000

Start Date: March 2025 preferred

Position Summary: The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is seeking a motivated and dynamic Marketing Director. The Marketing Director will be responsible for leading all of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s marketing, public relations, and advertising efforts. The Marketing Director will develop and execute strategies that increase awareness, audience engagement, and support for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s productions and programs.

Job Responsibilities

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Public Relations and Communications

  • Create and oversee strategic communication plans to promote all of NSF’s offerings, including but not limited to performances, educational programming, fundraising activities, and other events.
  • Proactively seek out strategic media opportunities that keep the Nashville Shakespeare Festival in the public eye year-round. Assess and respond promptly to media inquiries. 
  • Oversee all aspects of marketing plans that utilize direct email communication. Utilize email to identify appropriate messaging and segment audiences for the most effective direct communications possible.
  • Train and prepare staff and artists for media opportunities through media training and preparation of talking points.
  • Develop an overall social media strategy for the organization.
  • Create compelling social media content that engages the community with NSF’s work and mission.

Branding

  • Prepare and/or edit written materials for all facets of the organization that maintain a consistent message and voice. Ensure accuracy and brand consistency across the organization.
  • Maintain NSF website and ensure all information is current, user-friendly, and aligned with marketing goals.
  • Maintain company graphics standards with brand-consistent graphics, including basic graphics creation.
  • Manage all design projects assigned to outsourced graphic designers, photographers, and videographers, ensuring that all members of a project meet their deadlines.

Advertising 

  • Develop advertising plans and strategies for ticket sales, donations, community performances, and educational programming and assess opportunities within the existing advertising budget.
  • Identify opportunities and messaging for advertising across all programs in collaboration with staff.
  • Ensure that all advertisements are produced and released to media partners on time with accurate information.
  • Analyze the performance of advertising to assess which campaigns were most effective.
  • Apply for in-kind advertising with media partners.
  • Ensuring advertising and promotion is in alignment with corporate sponsorship benefits in collaboration with the Executive Director. 

General Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement marketing/campaign plans to promote NSF’s productions, educational programs, community engagement, and events.
  • Staffing at NSF shows and events.
  • Fulfill other additional tasks as assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in arts administration, marketing, communications, performing arts, advertising, or business OR equivalent relevant experience.     

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Passion for the art form of theatre and the work of Shakespeare.
  • Proactive, solutions-oriented attitude.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication with a knack for storytelling.
  • Self-starter with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Strong attention to detail, time management, and editing skills.
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with experience developing content that is culturally sensitive and welcoming to audiences from all backgrounds.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively with team members from all departments.
  • Proficiency in social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X.
  • An understanding of the fundamentals of graphic design.
  • Experience with email platforms (Emma), website editing (Squarespace), Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite, and Canva OR similar platforms.
  • Being bilingual is a plus, but not required.

Experience: At least two years in advertising, marketing, sales, public relations, arts administration, or other relevant work experience. Performing arts and/or nonprofit experience preferred.

Equipment: Standard office equipment including computer and software, phone, copier, etc. High proficiency with smartphones is required. 

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are a non-exhaustive list of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to handle, feel, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms above the shoulder. The employee is frequently required to sit and occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Most of the work throughout the year is done in an indoor, open-office environment. This position requires work on some nights and weekends. When performances take place outside in the summer, the employee may encounter noise that is moderate and weather conditions such as heat or rain.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is a casual and low-key work environment with hybrid options to work from home when duties/responsibilities allow, however in-person attendance in the office multiple days a week and at most performances is required.

Disclaimer Statement: This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this document is intended to be an accurate description of the current job, circumstances may require that other, or different tasks be performed (e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments).

Additional Information

Benefits

Why Work With Us?

  • Opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization that makes theatre accessible to all with a rich history and an exciting future.
  • Relaxed and fun work environment.
  • Staff is a small, close-knit team that brings the spirit of theatre and a sense of humor to everything we do.
  • Flexible remote work options (in-person attendance is required for key meetings and events).
  • Nine paid federal holidays annually, paid vacation days, and paid sick time.
  • Full-time, permanent employees are eligible to participate in a retirement plan (Simple IRA) with a 2% employer match starting in their second calendar year of employment.
  • Professional development opportunities.
  • Perks such as comp tickets, merchandise discounts, occasional industry discounts at other local performing arts companies, and more.

This position’s salary is $43,000 per year.

How to Apply

Send a cover letter and resume with the subject line “Marketing Director” to isabel@nashvilleshakes.org. No phone calls or mail, please.

Details

  • Date Posted: January 29, 2025
  • Type: Full-Time
  • Job Function: Communications / Marketing / PR
  • Service Area: Arts / Culture
  • Salary Range: $43,000