Senior Director, Marketing & Communications

Description

Job Summary

The Senior Director, Marketing and Communications (SDMC) leads The Marine Mammal Center's integrated marketing, communications, growth marketing, and retail function. The role turns the Center's rescue, research, and conservation work into stories, campaigns, and experiences that grow awareness, deepen engagement, and drive measurable support for the mission. The SDMC sets the strategy, leads a multidisciplinary team spanning brand, PR, content, digital, growth marketing, and retail, and is accountable for the full marketing funnel: audience growth, conversion, the donor and member pipeline, earned revenue, and conservation action. 

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership: 30%

• Develop and manage the annual and multi-year integrated marketing and communications plan, aligned with the Center's strategic plan, with defined audiences, priorities, and success metrics.
• Own the path from awareness to action: growing audiences and converting and retaining them as subscribers, donors, members, volunteers, and advocates. Set pipeline targets and report on the quantity and quality of MarCom-sourced and MarCom-influenced pipeline.
• Oversee a single measurement framework and CRM-linked dashboard, with consistent attribution across channels, that shows MarCom's contribution to the mission: reach, engagement, audience growth, conversion, earned media value, retail revenue, and influence on giving and conservation action. Use results to improve performance and inform the Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Team, and Board.
• Lead reputational, issues, and crisis communications, including high-profile animal cases and public health and environmental events, with the Chief Advancement Officer and Executive Team.

Marketing, Public Relations, Retail: 30%

• Ensure a consistent, accessible, and recognizable brand across all channels, publications, spaces, and products is supported by guidelines and templates used across the organization.
• Manage the cross-departmental editorial calendar and a year-round flow of stories across video, photography, social, and print. Personally write signature pieces, including the annual impact report and supporter newsletters.
• Through the Director, Growth Marketing, own the programs and systems that turn engagement into action: marketing technology, website optimization and testing, online forms, email and SMS automation, digital fundraising, and web analytics.
• Oversee a website that is on-brand, accessible (WCAG), and built to convert; an email program that deepens relationships and drives giving and advocacy; and social channels that build engaged communities across organic, paid, and emerging platforms.
• Responsible for the paid media strategy, channel mix, and budget to measurably grow awareness, fundraising, retail, and visitation.
• Establish the Center as a go-to source for media and policymakers and its leaders as trusted voices in marine mammal conservation, and lead advocacy campaigns that move supporters to act. Personally draft high-visibility communications such as press releases, remarks, and bylines.
• Ensure major gifts, partnerships, and grant-funded programs receive public recognition that honors supporters and inspires further giving.
• Lead responsible adoption of generative AI and creative tools, with clear standards for accuracy, attribution, image authenticity, privacy, and brand voice.
• Manage the on-site, online, and event retail as a brand extension and an earned-revenue and engagement channel, with products and in-store storytelling that reflect the Center's sustainability values and lead customers to deeper engagement.
• Oversee targets for sales, margin, inventory turn, conversion, and visitor-to-donor/donor capture, and use pilot results to recommend whether and how to scale.

Leadership/Management: 15%

• Provide thought partnership for organizational strategic planning, including leadership for their department/program and across departments/programs to address issues from a comprehensive organizational perspective.
• Hire and oversee the work of departments, teams, and staff; train and mentor staff members, assign duties, and monitor adherence to policies, protocols, and regulations.
• Meet with staff to identify and resolve problems; performs personnel actions, such as approving timesheets and evaluating performance.
• Establish, monitor, evaluate, and strengthen department internal communication; provide effective communication in collaboration with various Directors and Executive Team to ensure effective cross-department and organizational communication.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of methods and procedures; identifies opportunities for improvement and reviews with Executive Team member(s); directs the implementation of improvements 

Organizational Impact: 10%

• Actively participate on organizational wide leadership committee(s).
• Attend various board meetings as assigned. 
• Develop and execute comprehensive strategic priorities in collaboration with the Executive Team.
• Ensure department is staying on track with strategic priorities and department goals, working to understand why a priority or goal may not be met and developing steps to enable attainment of all goals.
• Based on area of expertise, significantly influences and affects the overall performance, structure, and culture of the Center. 
• Support and prioritize the Center’s DEI objectives and integrate as opportunities arise.
• Turn animal care, science, education, and conservation work into accurate, compelling stories, advocacy, and communications plans.

Budget & Financial Management: 10%

• Actively participate in budget conversations, working as a thought-partner to Executive Team members during the annual budget creation and ongoing throughout the year to ensure department/program budget actions are working within the constraints of the financial bottom line, which can include but are not limited to boosting revenue and cutting expenses.
• Responsible for leading the process to source new revenue opportunities to fund strategic priorities within department/program by utilizing the Center’s Decision-Making Tool.
• Responsible for directing the development of budget alignment with strategic priorities; gain approval for annual revenue and expenditure budget for department; manages and tracks results to ensure alignment with key financial targets for expenses and/or revenue; direct the forecast of funds and additional funds needed for department; approves and directs the monitoring of department expenditures. 
• Monitor department expenses and analyze budget reports; recommend changes and adapt as necessary. 
• Prepare regular reports on progress, budgets, receipts, and expenditures related to department/program and management of department/program activities.

Other Duties as Assigned: 5%

• Perform special projects and research as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned 

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct reports:

• Director, Growth Marketing (1)
• Associate Director, Public Relations (1)
• Communications Senior Manager (1)
• Digital Media Manager (1)
• Retail Marketing & Operations Manager (1)
• Integrated Content Manager (1)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep commitment to the mission and strategic priorities of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Track record of building and executing integrated, multi-channel marketing and communications strategies for a large, complex, mission-driven or consumer-facing organization.
• Experience leading growth or performance marketing, and proven ability to measure impact: setting KPIs, building dashboards, interpreting analytics, and connecting marketing to audience growth, pipeline, and revenue.
• Experience working within a culture of philanthropy and partnering closely with fundraising teams; familiarity with donor and member journeys, acquisition, and stewardship.
• Fluency with the marketing technology stack, including social media management and listening, content and digital asset management, web analytics (e.g., Google Analytics 4), email and marketing automation, and CRM and fundraising databases (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser's Edge NXT).
• Working knowledge and responsible use of generative AI tools.
• Strong media relations, issues management, and crisis communications experience, including building executive thought leadership programs.
• Skilled writer and communicator who translates complex science and conservation topics for diverse audiences and builds strong relationships with staff, volunteers, partners, media, and the public.
• Knowledge of conservation, ocean, and environmental issues and policies.
• Strong strategic thinking, prioritization, and project management skills; able to balance long-term planning with fast-moving, real-time needs.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience building, leading, and coaching diverse, multidisciplinary teams, including managers who lead their own teams.
• Retail or earned-revenue experience preferred, such as e-commerce, point-of-sale systems, merchandising, or launching a new physical location.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word, Teams) and collaboration tools (Slack, Zoom).
• Willingness to support and participate in The Marine Mammal Center's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs.

Certifications and/or Licenses

• None

Preferred Education and Experience

A combination of education and/or experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, environmental science, or a related field; and 12 years of relevant experience in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field.

Requirements

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• This position operates in a professional office, laboratory, hospital, and retail environment, both indoors and outdoors, with access to other parts of the facilities via outdoor pathways.
• Routinely uses standard office equipment requiring repetitive motion in tasks.
• Ability to work at a desk for extended periods using a computer.
• Ability to drive/operate a vehicle for extended periods of time.
• Ability to move up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to spend extended periods on your feet, walking, standing, crouching, and climbing stairs (potentially in inclement weather conditions).
• Limited exposure to allergens and zoonotic diseases.
• May involve smells associated with animals and the care of animals.

Position Type, Expected Hours of Work, and Travel:

• This is a full-time, hybrid position, with 2–3 days on site and 2–3 days remote.
• Days and hours of work may vary according to the needs of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Evening, weekend, and holiday work may be required as job duties demand. 
• Travel within California, the Hawaiian Islands, and other national travel may also be expected.

Benefits:

• Holidays, Sick Time, Vacation
• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable, and supportive work environment. We strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint.

OUR MISSION

The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education.

ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

The Marine Mammal Center is leading the field in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary medicine, science, and education. For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at www.marinemammalcenter.org

To Apply: Please submit your resume and cover letter with a brief description of how your experience aligns with the role.

We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. The Center is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.