Senior Director, Marketing

Who We Are:
Based in Stratford, Ontario, the Stratford Festival is one of the world’s foremost repertory theatre companies. It operates year-round, presenting a season of about a dozen plays each year between the months of April and November, a rich stream of digital content and hundreds of events designed to deepen understanding of the plays. For every person a theatregoer sees on our stages, we have seven people working behind the scenes, some of the world’s most dedicated and experienced arts workers.
The Stratford Festival is committed to ongoing work to support equity, inclusion, anti-racism and anti-oppression in all areas of our work. These areas include play selection, casting, marketing and public relations efforts, education programs, production, design, recruitment of staff and volunteers, and the composition of the Board of Directors.
Why You Should Apply:
• Creative work environment
• Paid operational shutdown in December, with flexibility of days being used at alternative times during the year
• Group Insurance Benefits
• Employer matched RRSP
• Employee Assistance Program to encourage work-life balance and strong mental health
• Complimentary & discounted ticket offers and events
• Employee discounts on merchandise and event space
• Being a part of the magic of live theatre!


The Senior Director, Marketing (Senior Director) will lead the Festival’s audience development strategies, deepening relationships with its patrons, attracting new audiences and supporting each step of the visitor experience. The Senior Director will guide the work of a team of leaders dedicated to meeting revenue expectations and relationship building metrics working closely with advancement and education. Deeply versed in digital and experiential marketing, the Senior Director will play a key role in achieving the Festival’s ambitious earned and contributed revenue targets. This role will lead the implementation of the Festival’s brand strategy, which is comprised of three layers: the overarching brand, the annual season, and the individual productions and events, including the Forum, the Lab, education offerings, STRATFEST@HOME and the touring and outreach activities.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Marketing
• Develop and oversee the implementation of integrated marketing plans designed to meet ambitious revenue targets in collaboration with the position’s key direct reports.
• Formulate the profile of the Festival’s target markets, tracking the effectiveness of the marketing tactics against the audience segments, improving bottom-line results.
• Articulate a clear value proposition associated with the brand and ensure the proposition is integrated into compelling copy and the work of the marketing, audience engagement, publicity, sponsorship, and communications teams.
• Establish, implement, and evaluate short- and long-range departmental objectives, policies, and operating procedures to ensure goals are met or exceeded.
• Regularly analyze sales data and competitive activity and share with the Festival senior team, together with observations and recommendations.
• Recruit, manage, and provide direction and support to employees, fostering professional development, effectively managing performance and maintaining a caring and inclusive work environment.
• Guide the work of the Marketing, Publicity, Audience and Community Engagement, Film Production & Distribution, Corporate Sponsorship, and Analytic teams setting the overall plan and supporting the leaders regularly in the execution of those plans.
• Advise colleagues on programming choices based on knowledge of target markets, competitive offerings, emerging social issues, and internal competencies.
• Identify and develop new customers, build loyalty among existing customers, and win back lapsed customers.
• Generate the evolution of a brand strategy that supports the Festival’s strategic goals and objectives.
• Oversee and direct the evolution of the Festival’s web and digital presence with the goal of optimizing revenue.
• Nurture positive relations with the Board of Directors, delivering information in a consistent and effective manner, which includes as staff support to the Marketing Committee and serving on ad-hoc committees as they arise.
• Embrace other strategic leadership and marketing duties as needed.
Audience Engagement and Partnerships
• Govern the functions of the Audience Engagement department to meet annual net ancillary revenue targets from commercial business units (cafes and catering, retail, parking, non-Forum tours, Front of House).
• Maintain regular contact with internal and external stakeholders, working to ensure consistent communication towards developing a common brand and reputation.
• Forge and nurture connec