Marketing Coordinator

Description

Live Arts is seeking a full-time marketing coordinator to plan and execute all digital and traditional marketing, media relations, and internal communications for Live Arts theater in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. The coordinator is responsible for content development, web and social media, promotions, and the oversight of graphic design and photography. With primary focus on the artistic season, the coordinator also provides marketing support to the development, volunteer recruitment, and education departments. It serves as the primary media relations contact for this volunteer-powered theater. 

This exempt position reports to both the executive director and artistic director and includes full benefits. This is an entry-level position with opportunity for growth. 

Job Duties

Season Marketing

• Assist the artistic director in creating the season theme and graphic images.
• Produce a subscription season brochure and one-sheet flier. 
• Assist with planning and promotion of the annual Season Reveal event.
• Promote the sale of subscription packages using digital and traditional media.

Show-Specific Marketing

• In collaboration with the artistic director, create and execute a marketing plan for each show. 
• Create and distribute show-specific marketing materials, including targeted e-newsletters and email blasts, social media campaigns, print postcards and posters, signage, promotional events, and ads.
• Monitor engagement on all digital platforms and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Work with the artistic director to draft media releases and secure coverage/interviews. Maintain samples of media coverage for every show.  
• Work with the artistic director to promote show auditions through the website, social media posts, and e-newsletters.
• Attend production meetings and weekly staff meetings to stay abreast of changes and opportunities to tell the Live Arts story. 
• Produce playbills for five-to-seven shows per year, including advertising placements and sponsor recognition.
• Write welcome speeches for every play and coordinate presenters to deliver the remarks. 
• Regularly update the ticketing site through Patron Manager CRM.
• Coordinate promotional photoshoots and manage the photo library.

Program Marketing

• Assist the development team in crafting fundraising messages, materials, and campaigns. Help create sponsorship and advertising packets. 
• Work with the volunteer manager to produce a volunteer e-newsletter, thank you postcards, social media posts, and other recruitment and engagement tools.
• Help drive enrollment in youth summer camps and year-round education programming. 

Institutional Marketing

• Create and optimize content for website pages that clearly and effectively communicates the organization’s brand, tone, and values. Monitor website performance and analytics.  
• Regularly update content and calendar on livearts.org. 
• Maintain an active presence on Live Arts’ social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn. Serve as administrator for all platforms. 
• Negotiate ad contracts, trades and placements with local media. 
• Produce institutional signage, as needed.
• Provide marketing support to all departments, as needed.
• Regularly update the list of subscribers in the MailChimp email account.
• Coordinate photography for Live Arts events.
• Provide media relations for non-show events.

Skills Required

Attributes

• A love of theater and the people who make it.   
• A strong appreciation for Live Arts’ legacy as a volunteer-powered community theater.  
• An abiding commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Live Arts and in the community.   
• Willingness to model Live Arts’ values of community, social change, creativity, learning, equity, and artistic courage. 
• High emotional intelligence and an ability to build relationships of trust. 
• Ability to collaborate with a tight-knit team.   

Skills

• Strong writing skills, with an emphasis on crafting engaging and effective marketing messages. 
• Basic knowledge of graphic design software; proficiency in Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign) and/or Canva a plus. 
• Excellent organization skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Experience in website management preferred.
• Basic knowledge of SEO practices preferred.
• Experience managing email campaigns and social media platforms; MailChimp experience a plus.
• Experience in PatronManager (Salesforce) a plus.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, English, arts administration or theater – or equivalent work experience.
• Experience in digital marketing and communications, especially theater-related. Formal, informal, and cross-disciplinary experiences will be considered.
• Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends, reflective of the dynamic schedule of a theater.  

Work Schedule

The typical schedule is Monday through Friday, plus some evenings and weekends reflective of the dynamic schedule of a producing theater.  

Additional Info

Benefits

• Individual health and dental insurance after 45 days of employment. Live Arts pays 80% of the premium.
• 20 days a year of paid time off during the first five years of continuous employment.  
• Nine paid holidays each year, including one “floater holiday” to be used at the employee’s discretion. 
• Subsidized parking.
• Two complimentary tickets to every show.

To Apply 

Email resume and cover letter to anne@livearts.org by August 21. Position will remain open until filled. Estimated start date is September 1, 2023.  

About Live Arts

Founded in 1990, Live Arts is a national model for engaged community theater. For the last three decades, we have dedicated ourselves to the mission of “forging theater and community.” Our engagement in the community runs deep, and the quality of our volunteer-staged productions is high.

Facilities

We are the anchor tenant in a four-story performance space in the heart of downtown Charlottesville and attract participants, students, and audiences from across Central Virginia. Our building is owned and managed by a separate nonprofit, Charlottesville Contemporary Arts, Inc. 

Programming 

In a typical year, we present a compelling season of mainstage plays and musicals produced by more than 900 volunteers. We launch a month-long new works festival each May that celebrates untold stories by emerging playwrights. We also run a year-round lab that helps local playwrights develop their work. We welcome hundreds of people to our year-round education workshops and youth summer camps. And for more 25 years, we have provided tech support to high school and college theater companies performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Live Arts is working to become a more welcoming, inclusive theater. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any individual based on any non-merit factor. We are committed to an equitable workplace where everyone is treated as a respected and valued member of the team. We actively seek to build and retain a diverse staff with regard to race, culture, ethnicity, class, religion, physical ability, age, gender, and sexual orientation. 

As an organization working to advance equity, we are committed to elevating the voices of people of color, Native people, LGBTQ+ and transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people, and people with disabilities. We encourage people from these communities to apply.