$160,000 - $190,000 USD
How This Position Contributes to the Team
The Managing Director of Marketing and Communications (MARCOM) will lead the strategic development and execution of marketing branding and communication initiatives for the Water Environment Federation (WEF). The role requires a visionary leader who can drive innovative marketing strategies, enhance brand visibility, lead member engagement, partner with stakeholders, and effectively communicate WEF’s mission.
The Managing Director of MARCOM works in close collaboration with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to transform key initiatives into actionable external campaigns. These campaigns are supported by the necessary collateral, communication plans, and measurement strategies.
The role involves directing and executing WEF’s overall marketing and communications strategy, positioning, media relations, audience development, KPIs and analytics, social media, messaging, and multimedia content, including video, podcasts, blogs, and live broadcast. This is achieved through a diverse mix of marketing, advertising, media, and strategic engagement campaigns using the full range of traditional and digital tools available. The Managing Director of MARCOM leads WEF’s communications and marketing department comprised of exempt full-time employees and consultants.
NOTE: This role is either hybrid (2 days working in WEF’s Alexandria, VA office every other week) or 100% remote. Remote work can be completed from anywhere in the United States in these states: AL, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, MA, MD, MN, NC, NM, OK, OR, PA, SD, VA (WEF HQ), WA. Travel may be required for key stakeholder meetings and events.
Principal Functions:
Strategic Planning
- Responsible for the general marketing, communications, and branding for WEF. Responsible for the creation, development and maintenance of all marketing publications and communications. Leads WEF’s efforts to raise awareness about the value of water and the contributions of water professionals to public health, the environment and community vitality, along with WEF’s leadership role in convening, training, and informing water sector professionals and shaping water solutions.
- Oversees the development, management of content, and maintenance of WEFs website, social media platforms, and other electronic communication channels.
- Partners with internal WEF program stakeholders to help set marketing and communications goals and requirements, advising on strategy, media, messaging, content, audience, and performance metrics, using marketing automation tools.
- Creates the strategic direction for the Communications department at WEF and leads WEF’s efforts to raise awareness about the value of water and the contributions of water professionals to public health, the environment, and community vitality, along with WEF’s leadership role in convening, training, and informing water sector professionals and shaping water solutions.
Brand Management
- Enhances and maintains WEF’s organizational brand identity, ensuring consistency across all marketing and communication materials.
- Leads and manages the development of creative content, including graphics, videos, and written materials that resonate with the target audience across all WEF platforms.
- Manages the organization’s visual and verbal brand guidelines.
- Partners with stakeholders to develop, manage, and implement WEF brand (and key sub-brand) strategies.
- Leads, designs, and manages WEF’s trademarks. Responsible for ensuring the trademarks are consistent with WEF brand.
Collaboration Engagement
- Works with WEF volunteer leaders, stakeholders, and staff to design, develop, and execute comprehensive multichannel communications and public outreach strategies to support WEF’s critical objectives and organization priorities.
- Partners with WEF program stakeholders to develop and execute efficient communications to effectively inform, educate and market WEF events, products, brands, advertisers, and content.
- Develops collateral to support sales enablement, demand fulfilment, and customer demand creation.
- Stays abreast of marketing, communications, and digital trends and uses this information to help WEF operate with initiative and innovation.
- Leads collaboration and content with key stakeholders to ensure WEF’s website aligns with marketing objectives, implementing industry best practices in user experience (UX), search engine optimization (SEO), and conversion optimization. Oversees the integration of clear, effective marketing messaging, strategically placed calls-to-action (CTAs), and functional design elements that drive engagement, lead generation, and event participation. Regularly assesses site performance, user behavior, and content effectiveness using automation tools to optimize digital marketing impact.
Campaign Development & Execution
- Works with cross-functional team to develop high-impact, integrated campaigns that contribute to WEFs achievement of its goals, mission, and vision.
- Evaluates marketing, web design, and communication plans based on business impact, resources, audience, and marketplace to identify the best use of resources and potential new market segments and expand market share.
- Develops and maintains a strategic perspective on UX, audience segments, market penetration, and marketplace and constituent needs to sustain the overall health of WEF’s business and to grow WEF’s brand awareness and revenue generation to new customers.
Digital Marketing
- Directs strategy and use of digital, multimedia, and social media tools in communications activities. Directs the design, development, and implementation of integrated, comprehensive, and global marketing strategies to support WEF’s critical objectives and organization priorities.
- Identifies appropriate methods/channels/digital platforms to publish content, develop awareness, and generate leads.
Communications & Public Relations
- Creates innovative communications resources for press releases, media kits, materials, high-impact speeches, and presentations for WEF leadership and staff and other promotional materials.
- Builds and maintains relationships with media representatives, sponsors, and community partners.
- Serves as primary WEF spokesperson with the media and elevates WEF’s profile as the go-to source of information on water sector initiatives for journalists and public policy makers.
- Liaisons with Public Outreach and Communications Committee, as well as the Marketing Department lead, on WEFTEC Oversight Committee, WE&T Strategy Team, and WEF Data Repository
Membership Engagement
- Collaborates with Membership departments to help develop, manage, and implement WEF brand (and key sub-brand) strategies to its membership.
- Manages the development of and access to timely WEF developed or sponsored content for Member Associations (MAs), the House of Delegates (HOD), and Community Leadership Council (CLC) communities to use for their own newsletters in partnership with Community Engagement.
Team Leadership and Development
- Leads and develops a team of Marketing, Web Services, and Communication professionals, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment. Selects, leads, guides, motivates, evaluates, and develops a team of employees to ensure that the department achieves the organizations objectives and comply with relevant regulations and laws.
- Provides regular feedback, professional development opportunities, and performance evaluations to team members.
- Manages ongoing and incidental professional services relationships with vendors and consultants, including contract negotiation and management.
- Plans, leads, and coordinates budgets in accordance with organizational goals.
- Responsible for WEFs marketing technology stack and other marketing operations. Ensures all staff who utilize marketing technologies and applications are trained properly, the training materials are current, and that WEFs marketing operations are functioning as expected.
Reporting and Analysis
- Monitors and analyzes the effectiveness of marketing and communication efforts using data and analytics tools.
- Uses data and analytics to determine optimal approaches and establish, track, and report on key performance metrics.
- Develops and manages methodologies and workflow processes to optimize marketing and communications operations and ensure alignment and consistency across channels.
Other duties as assigned within the scope of the role.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in a marketing or communications related area, or commensurate experience.
- 12+ years’ experience in a similar role, preferably with a public utility, water service provider, water educational association, or government/regulatory agency.
- 5+ years of people leadership experience and preferable experience with managing a departmental budget.
- Water sector background strongly preferred. An understanding of public health, beneficial and disparate customer and community impacts related to water sector functions, and environmental issues a plus.
- Strong background in developing and implementing innovative marketing strategies, and communications campaigns using relevant tools in multi-channel campaign-driven environments within a complex and rapidly changing environment.
- Demonstrated experience with marketing automation, digital marketing and communications channels and technology including social media, Google Tag Manager, Analytics, and Ads.
- Strong computer background with expertise in project management software, Microsoft Office, and Association Management Software (AMS) in a Salesforce platform. Knowledge of Marketo, Adobe Creative Suite preferred.
- Demonstrated technology acumen and ability to understand marketing technology configurations, integrations, and retargeting and how they can be used to achieve goals.
- Successful history using analytics and metrics to improve performance.
- Excellent project management skills.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with full capability to author articles, position statements, print, and e-communications.
- Experience in establishing and managing marketing and communications budgets.
- Skilled in developing and launching new products and services.
- Demonstrated leadership in brand development.
- Demonstrated ability to creatively target and engage a wide range of audiences (e.g. managers, technical experts, and operators) and interests (e.g. science and engineering, community education, and operations and maintenance).
- A keen eye for operational efficiency and optimal use of resources.
- Successful history for translating strategic thinking into action plans, high functioning teams, and results.
- Experience working with executive management, volunteer boards, and other high-level leadership.
- A proven record of accomplishment of building, leading, and mentoring a team.
- Participation as a media spokesperson.
- Ability to travel to key stakeholder meetings and events.
This person will work primarily in an office environment using standard office equipment.
WEF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
