Senior Vice President, Marketing

About The Kennedy Center

“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – President John F. Kennedy

The Kennedy Center is the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra. 

At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. 

Mission Statement: As the nation's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across America and around the world, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts. 

Why Join Us

We offer a comprehensive range of benefits to all full-time employees including: 

• Staff offers for discount tickets
• Retirement plan with organization matching (after 1 year of employment)
• Qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Commuter programs including pre-tax options for discounted parking and SmartBenefits (WMATA)
• Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Days available immediately upon hire
• 11 paid holidays per year 
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with FSA and HSA options, and paid FMLA
• Flexible work arrangements
• We like to have fun! Check out the Kennedy Center National Dance Day 2023 staff video!

Job Description

The Senior Vice President of Marketing at the Kennedy Center is the chief marketing officer responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the brand proposition for the Center, its programs and affiliate organizations.  Working collaboratively with the senior management team in the Office of the President, the SVP Marketing has the primary responsibility for leading the marketing initiatives to fulfill the Center’s strategic plans and institutional initiatives.  These include world class artistic endeavors, powerful national and local education programs and the expanding reach of the Living Memorial of President John F. Kennedy, for whom the Center is named.  The SVP Marketing leads a sophisticated professional team to develop and implement annual and long-range marketing strategies including the creation and maintenance of a robust customer relationship management (CRM) approach.  The SVP leads and manages the Marketing, Sales, Digital Media, and Retail Operations Departments.  The Kennedy Center is a complex, dynamic performing arts organization with collaborative, matrixed reporting relationships.  The role is extremely varied, spanning a wide range of activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for the Kennedy Center brand proposition, ensuring broad and thorough implementation and effectiveness through all physical and virtual channels, programs and activities.  Provide strong collaborative leadership with Center colleagues to ensure understanding, enthusiastic adoption and implementation. Carry out research on market trends, market opportunity, and competitor and target customer analysis to inform future value propositions. Keep abreast of new and emerging marketing techniques and new channels.
• Lead all facets of marketing and sales to achieve participation and engagement goals for the Center, whether through attendance at events (paid and unpaid) and visitor/tourism objectives.  Provide strategic and annual direction to assist in meeting artistic and financial goals and objectives.  Work with artistic leadership in planning programs and seasons.  Supervise marketing/ticket sales campaigns and strategies for approximately 750 Kennedy Center presented events across the course of a 52 week season, including oversight of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera marketing operations. 
• Institute and manage a robust Customer Relationship Management approach  across the center in coordination with IT and Development.  Oversee integrated, cross-functional strategies to increase lifetime value of current patrons. Identifying opportunities for new business ventures by researching industries and markets trends. Conduct market research to inform customer-facing strategies organization-wide as well as identifying potential customers and develop strategies to reach them.  Provide oversight in the ongoing execution and advancement of the Kennedy Center’s customer experience initiatives in collaboration with the SVP Operations.
• Guide the evolving digital and social media strategies.  Ensure the strategic integration of social media, website and digital content strategies achieve marketing, customer relationship and strategic communications goals. Work with the IT/Digital Committee in furtherance of digital objectives at the Board level.
• Provide ongoing input and development of new programmatic activities responding to and leading customer taste and interests.  Identify and access new market segments and deepen existing segments in order to broaden patron engagement.
• Supervise effective, high performing customer-facing services including Box Office, Instant Charge and retail Operations.  This includes leading and managing complex  teams, ensuring full alignment with and consistent execution of the organization’s mission and goals and collaborating with colleagues across the center to identify and maximize cross-functional/cross-market opportunities.
• Fosters the culture and talent critical to advancing our mission in the most compelling way. This includes attracting, engaging and developing a diverse, highly engaged staff team that values collaboration, trust, communication, continuous learning and accountability.
• Act as Kennedy Center leadership with external agencies and organizations including Destination DC, DC Visitors and Tourism, Performing Arts Center Consortium Marketing team, and others. Other duties as may be assigned.

Key Qualifications

Education/Experience

• A minimum of 7-10 years senior level marketing and advertising experience at a managerial level
• Executive-level experience with major non-profit cultural institution, preferably a presenting organization of Performing Arts Center
• Experience/skill in marketing events within extremely competitive environment
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area

Minimum Skills and/or Knowledge Required

• Brand management
• Direct marketing, including direct mail and telemarketing
• Database marketing
• Relationship and loyalty marketing
• Advertising
• Digital marketing, including social media
• Consumer research
• Customer experience and guest service management
• Revenue and expense budgeting
• Project Management