POSITION SUMMARY
The Director, Marketing & Brand, reporting to the VP, Marketing & Communications, is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive, innovative, and creative marketing strategies that align with Vector’s brand and marketing vision and business objectives to sustain our leadership position and share of voice in AI research and adoption nationally and achieve financial stability through sustainable funding from Vector’s partners and sponsors.
This leadership position involves overseeing a team of marketing professionals (marketing specialists, digital marketing, and graphic design) as well as owns relationships with various external marketing or creative consultants and agencies to enhance Vector’s brand consistency, engage target audiences, and contribute to business objectives.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsible for the annual marketing plan and strategy across all areas of the organization (e.g., research, talent, industry etc.) working with the VP, Marketing & Communications as well as senior staff to determine priorities and establish programmatic approaches that achieve business objectives.
Mentor and lead a high-performing marketing team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment with a visionary and innovative approach.
Own and work with the marketing team to maintain Vector’s brand identity, ensuring consistent messaging across all channels and providing oversight for all Vector-properties/ channels.
Oversee and manage the team responsible for all marketing content creation and execution of marketing campaigns, including but not limited to; advertising, digital, social media, demand-gen/ nurturing programs and ecosystem / larger brand partnerships.
Lead the creative direction and strategy for all campaigns and marketing materials/ collateral, including photoshoots, videos, graphics, nurturing / acquisition campaigns and written marketing-content.
Conduct market research to identify new trends, community / customer insights, and competitive analysis to inform Vector’s marketing strategies - additionally, standing up process and practices to support data collection on these insights to support Vector in driving more data-driven approaches to programming, events, and marketing.
Manage the marketing budget, allocating resources effectively to maximize ROI against a limited budget.
Monitor and analyze the performance of marketing initiatives, providing regular reports to the VP, Marketing & Communications as well as senior leadership and making data-driven adjustments to programs.
Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships and collaborations where appropriate to enhance brand visibility and growth - be the lead relationship owner in these agreements.
Drive accountability with the marketing team through leading the campaign management cycle, reporting on activities, and presenting key learnings to the broader MarComm/Events teams as well as other departments internally.
Manage and execute multi-touch, integrated demand generation programs including email campaigns, webinars, online ads, retargeting, sponsorships, content syndication, and events.
Work with the Specialist, Digital & Analytics to continually improve organic acquisition strategies, optimizing channels such as SEO and conversion rate on campaigns where demand gen is the objective.
Research and analyze data to translate them into highly performing acquisition and retention strategies for students, prospective partners, funders, and stakeholders.
Lead the team in regular forecasting, annual and quarterly planning, budget tracking, and performance reporting with a focus on ROI and pipeline growth.
KEY SUCCESS MEASURES
Measurable increases in brand awareness and consideration.
Progress towards industry sponsor acquisition, program enrollment and talent recruitment targets is measurably boosted and followers/ growth of subscribers increases annually.
Vector’s digital presence reflects and enhances its reputation as a leading technology institute.
Support Vector’s business goals to achieve financial stability through sustainable funding and program growth while we sustain our national leadership position and share of voice in AI research at the international level.
Internal and external colleagues provide positive feedback about the team’s value and impact.
Nurtures and leverages strategic relationships with key partners in the AI ecosystem to enhance brand.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in brand marketing, content creation, and/or field marketing, preferably within B2B environments or non-profit growth-stage organizations.
5+ years of experience managing marketing teams.
Exceptional leadership and team management skills with experience leading and developing high-performing marketing teams.
Proven track record of developing and executing successful innovative and creative marketing strategies that drive towards pipeline growth, funding, or profit.
Experience marketing for organizations where the marketing plans and campaigns are either nascent or are required to be built from scratch.
Strong creative and strategic thinking skills, with proven ability to develop compelling marketing campaigns across multiple channels.
Experience managing creative resources, freelancers, agencies and to produce photoshoots, videos and other creative assets.
Deep understanding of digital marketing, social media platforms, and emerging marketing technologies (e.g., automation, AI and more).
Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into actionable insights.
Collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Some proficiency or knowledge of best practices for B2B marketing automation and technology products (Salesforce, Marketo, Marketing Cloud), project management tools, (G Suite, MS Suite, Figma, JIRA, Workfront, Google Data Studio), and digital ad platforms/tools in mid-sized organizations.
Understanding of nuances in AI and technology and/or research sectors is an asset.
Experience driving non-profit/ fundraising campaigns is an asset.
Fluent in English, French is an asset.
At the Vector Institute, we are committed to driving excellence and leadership in Canada’s knowledge, creation, and use of AI to foster economic growth and improve the lives of Canadians. We strive for greater inclusion in the programs and culture that we build by welcoming and encouraging applications from all qualified candidates. This includes, but is not limited to, applicants who are indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, racialized persons/visible minorities, women, and people with disabilities.
If you require an accommodation at any point throughout the recruitment and selection process, please contact [email protected], and we will happily work with you to meet your needs.