Wilderness Inquiry · 4 days ago
Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications
Bloomington, MN
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$76K/yr - $90K/yr
3+ years expWilderness Inquiry seeks a Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications to lead their centralized marketing function. This role involves developing and executing the organization's marketing strategy, managing a shared marketing calendar, and collaborating across departments to enhance brand communications and engagement.
Health Care
Responsibilities
Lead the organization’s centralized marketing strategy, planning, and calendar (50% FTE)
In partnership with the Executive Director and leadership team, translate organizational goals (e.g., trip participation, earned revenue, individual giving, youth/partner impact, brand/equity objectives) into a clear marketing and communications strategy with measurable objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs)
Own the organization-wide marketing and communications calendar, sequencing and prioritizing use of shared channels (email, newsletter, website, social, paid media) across development, programs/adventures, and organizational/brand communications
Develop strategic marketing and communications plans that include:
Clear audience definitions (e.g., travelers, donors, alumni, volunteers, partners/agencies, youth/educators, staff)
Channel strategies and content themes by quarter and month
High-level campaign plans aligned with major organizational moments (seasons, campaigns, events)
Work cross-functionally with all departments:
To prioritize marketing and communications requests and make trade-offs when channel conflicts arise
To ensure major campaigns and messages are aligned, sequenced, and on-brand
Create and manage the annual marketing and communications budget, including agency and vendor spend
Define and execute audience, content, channel, and paid media strategies (20%)
Develop and maintain a practical segmentation strategy (e.g., donors vs. travelers vs. partners vs. volunteers, and key sub-segments) and ensure campaigns and content are appropriately targeted
Lead the development of content themes and storytelling “ways in” that support our organizational goals (e.g., trip participation, earned revenue, fundraising, youth/partner engagement, brand/equity)
Direct and produce (with support from matrixed staff and vendors) high-quality marketing content and assets, including:
Email campaigns and newsletters
Web content and landing pages (in conjunction with web vendors)
Social media content and campaigns
Basic collateral (e.g., one-pagers, decks, program and development materials)
In partnership with external agencies and vendors, plan and oversee paid media campaigns (e.g., search, social, display), ensuring they are aligned with audience strategy, the shared calendar, and organizational goals
Leverage and steward our existing brand and message guidelines and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools, helping internal teams, contractors, and partners apply them consistently and providing feedback to refine them over time
Track and report on key performance metrics (e.g., email engagement, site traffic and conversion, campaign performance, segment growth) and use insights to refine our strategy
Manage external partners, vendors, tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) (15%)
Serve as primary strategic counterpart to marketing/communications agencies and key vendors (including digital and paid media partners), ensuring scope and outputs align with the organization’s strategy and calendar
Identify and manage external contractors to support execution (e.g., design, email build, social scheduling, web updates) as needed
Lead the adoption and effective use of marketing tools, including:
Website content management system (CMS), email platform, social tools, and basic analytics
A Wilderness Inquiry-specific AI assistant (being developed in partnership with the Executive Director) to support drafting, consistency, and reuse of content
Support external partnership communications (e.g., government relations, program partners) by aligning partner messaging with the organization’s brand and strategy
Support leadership communications, training, and crisis response (15%)
Advise and support the Executive Director and leadership team on key external communications, including:
Organizational announcements
Major funding or partnership news
Key presentations that shape our organizational brand and positioning
Provide basic training and coaching to staff and spokespersons on our brand, key messages, and effective public communication
In partnership with the Executive Director and relevant leaders, implement our crisis communications plan when needed (this role supports and coordinates; it is not solely responsible for all crisis response)
Support major organizational events (e.g., seasonal staff training, Great River Race, Opportunity Fund, board meetings) from a marketing/communications perspective (e.g., pre-event promotion, talking points, recap stories)
Embrace Values, Community Agreements and Other Roles/Responsibilities as Assigned
Support organizational special events including Seasonal Staff Training (May & September), Great River Race, Opportunity Fund, Quarterly Board Meetings, and other in office gatherings
Perform all job responsibilities in a manner that centers Wilderness Inquiry values and supports a healthy, safe, and productive work environment for all employees by adhering to Workplace Community Agreements
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree and 3+ years managerial experience in marketing and communications (nonprofit or mission‑driven context preferred)
OR, 5+ years in a senior marketing and communications managerial role with demonstrated experience in the tasks described in the position description
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement marketing strategies and plans that support organizational goals
Experience owning or co‑owning a shared marketing calendar and making prioritization decisions across multiple internal stakeholders
Strong communication skills with the ability to lead through influence, articulate goals and desired outcomes, and state a clear, informed point of view
Proven ability to produce or direct high‑quality communications and presentations
Experience collaborating effectively across departments and with senior leadership
Knowledge and experience with: Website content management, Email marketing platforms, Social media management, Basic analytics and reporting
Ability to analyze data and trends and translate them into actionable insights
Demonstrated project management and organizational skills; comfort managing multiple initiatives and deadlines
Experience managing or partnering with external agencies/vendors for marketing, communications, or digital services
Preferred
Passion for Wilderness Inquiry's inclusive mission, outdoor adventure, and connecting people to the benefits of nature
A self‑starter who takes initiative and is comfortable leading in a centralized role
Collaborative, team‑oriented, and able to lead by influence in a matrix organization with embedded marketing/communications staff roles
Willingness to listen, learn, and continuously improve; open to feedback
Flexible, persistent, and attentive to detail; able to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on execution
Experience working with and developing partnerships
Experience with digital marketing and paid media, ideally in collaboration with agencies (e.g., search, social, display)
Experience with CRM/segmentation and website platforms
Some experience with crisis management and communications or demonstrated ability to respond thoughtfully to unexpected events
Enthusiasm and confidence in making persuasive presentations
Comfort collaborating with a fractional CMO in the near term, and interest in shaping the long‑term central marketing structure as the organization grows
Company
Wilderness Inquiry
Wilderness Inquiry’s mission is to connect people from all walks of life to the natural world through shared outdoor adventures.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageRecent News
2025-08-20
Finance & Commerce
2024-05-20
Minnesota Reformer
2023-12-25
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