OVERVIEW:
Our client is a leading national, design practice that draws upon architecture, interiors, planning and branding to deliver enduring, beautifully-crafted designs that serve the complex needs of clients and communities. The firm is driven to create impactful work, welcoming diverse ideas, people, and disciplines to explore the power of place to create economic, social, and environmental change. Its engaging, collaborative, and entrepreneurial culture extends across its network of studios and disciplines. Its innovative portfolio encompasses educational, civic, cultural, workplace, housing, healthcare, and hospitality projects nationally. Given the firm’s strategic growth, the firm is seeking to identify a Chief Marketing Officer to drive excellence in marketing strategy and creativity.

OPPORTUNITY:
The Chief Marketing Officer will set the firm’s marketing strategies and work closely with the National Managing Principal, and in collaboration with firm leadership, to effectively position each studio and the overall firm for sustained desired growth and development. Developing and implementing best practices to maximize marketing effectiveness and efficiency, this entrepreneurial leader will develop cohesive marketing plans, including targets and metrics aligned with the firm's strategic plan, while monitoring and driving/steering firmwide marketing initiatives, investments, and results. 

Working collaboratively across studios and disciplines, the Chief Marketing Officer will lead strategic research, including benchmarking in designated markets, competition, strategic intelligence, and market and industry trends. S/he will explore new growth potential, developing and implementing strategies to expand existing markets and position for new and compelling opportunities. The Chief Marketing Officer will develop and balance an intimate understanding of the firm’s business, culture, values, needs, and history with professional marketing knowledge to provide guidance for the firm’s positioning. S/he will recommend the requisite resources including finances, people, technology, and marketing information needed to successfully implement marketing strategy. It is imperative that the Chief Marketing Officer translate strategy into actionable marketing plans, with goals based on strategic positioning and pursuit of design opportunity objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensure overall rigor, discipline and discipline in marketing efforts throughout the firm
• Establish valued relationships with leaders and teams across five locations to understand and support unique needs of each studio
• Hire, mentor, and facilitate professional development to create a high-performing and well-rounded marketing team
• Help individual studios with staffing organization so that marketing professionals can play a proactive role in realizing marketing objectives
• Develop firmwide marketing goals by building upon studio and market initiatives
• Provide leadership throughout ongoing refreshed branding initiatives
• Implement technology to share information of descriptions, proposals, images, and contacts
• Oversee content and design of marketing materials and qualifications packages used for new business development and firm positioning
• Ensure overall approach and process for proposal responses and interviews is strategic, innovative, and audience focused
• Continually improve the quality, timeliness, professionalism, differentiation, and effective communication of proposals and interviews
• Leverage public relations opportunities that enhance the brand, distinguish the firm in local, regional and national markets and lead to client engagement.
• Work with Managing Principals and CFO to develop annual plans for local and national sponsorship budget for events that support and promote brand and business development objectives
• Maintain goals for the gathering and maintenance of up-to-date project descriptions, visual materials and references
• Work with studio leadership, engagement and business development staff to ensure communication and alignment between marketing and business development efforts
• Develop relationships and facilitate client/stakeholder/partner satisfaction discussions and organize feedback to be relevant and actionable to leadership and project teams
• Advocate for appropriate tools, resources and best practices and lead the marketing team to leverage them to relieve inefficiency and focus effort strategically
• Develop strategic relationships inside and outside the firm to facilitate sharing of information, leads, expertise and influence to advance understanding of marketing and business issues and achieve goals
• Set budgets for marketing effort for overall firm, office, and each business

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business or related field or equivalent combination of education, training and experience
• 15 plus years’ experience in marketing/communications, with 5+ years in a in a senior leadership role; experience in architecture or design preferred. Must be a design enthusiast and intellectually curious
• Demonstrated experience and leadership in managing a team of professionals to meet the strategic business needs of the firm
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with leaders within the firm to develop and execute plans
• Proven track record of effectively managing budgets and developing metrics to efficiently meet goals
• Experience in building, mentoring, and coaching a team of marketing specialists
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Superior management skills; ability to influence and engage direct and indirect reports and peers
• Self-reliant, good problem solver, results oriented
• Ability to make decisions in a changing environment and anticipate future needs
• Excellent and persuasive communicator
• Collaborative, and proactive; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical initiatives
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively work within a matrix organization