The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) will play a crucial role in shaping and executing strategic marketing, circulation, and membership initiatives for Chicago Public Media (CPM), which includes the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ. This leadership position is focused on subscriber growth, retention, brand development, and organizational visibility while fostering collaboration across internal and external stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement strategies to expand the Chicago Sun-Times circulation and grow WBEZ’s membership base, currently 130,000 members/subscribers.
- Optimize single-copy sales for the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Execute advanced subscription marketing and recurring revenue models.
- Leverage direct mail, email, paid media, and social channels for subscriber acquisition.
- Innovate pricing and packaging strategies to boost subscriber engagement and revenue.
Marketing Leadership
- Lead and mentor a high-performing marketing team to achieve strategic goals.
- Drive brand identity, development, and positioning for CPM’s portfolio.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure unified, impactful marketing campaigns.
Communication Oversight
- Guide internal and external communications to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with CPM’s mission.
- Build relationships with media, community leaders, and stakeholders to enhance CPM’s reputation and reach.
Strategic & Organizational Leadership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and collaborate with the leadership team to define and execute strategic marketing campaigns.
- Recruit, train, and develop a dynamic marketing and communications team.
- Act as a visible advocate for public media and CPM’s mission.
Passion & Vision
- Demonstrated passion for public media and its role in fostering an informed democracy.
- Visionary leadership with the ability to communicate and execute a cohesive marketing strategy.
Cultural Competency & Collaboration
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.
- Strong collaborative skills to partner with internal and external stakeholders, including the CEO, Board of Directors, and development team.
Technical Proficiency
- Advanced understanding of marketing technologies, platforms, and tools.
- Ability to adapt to evolving trends in digital media and marketing strategies.
Qualifications
- Senior-level marketing experience, preferably in media or publishing.
- Expertise in subscription marketing, recurring revenue models, and audience growth.
- Proven success with direct mail, email marketing, paid media, and social campaigns.
- Strong skills in pricing strategy and subscriber retention.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Strategic thinker with a record of brand-building success.