Marketing Manager

Status: Full-time salaried exempt (not eligible for overtime), with 90-day introductory period (see details below)

Reports to: Director of Programming, Member Education

Location: Remote within USA

Compensation: $65,000-$70,000, eligible for benefits (see details below)

Job Summary:

If you are a word nerd who delights in finding creative ways to reach the right people at the right time with the right (expertly crafted) message and connecting them to resources that strengthen the independent news ecosystem, we want to talk with you about our Marketing Manager role!

LION Publishers is a professional journalism association that serves more than 450 (and growing!) independent news publishers across the U.S. and Canada. Many of these organizations don’t have access to small business services, which is where we come in: We provide members with resources, training and support as they build and develop sustainable news businesses that serve their communities. 

The Marketing Manager will play a critical role in our mission by owning LION’s editorial and marketing strategy, which aims to attract new publishers to participate in LION’s educational programs, communicate our impact on the independent news industry, and, ultimately, grow our membership. We’re particularly focused on reaching publishers who identify as BIPOC, low-wealth, LGBTQ+ or from immigrant communities.

Our ideal candidate has experience with a full range of marketing activities, from writing and editing, to campaign development and execution, to newsletter strategy. You understand that marketing is about conveying LION’s values and building trust with our current stakeholders and future supporters. You know how to meet people where they are and invite them into the conversation. And you are adept at marrying data insights with innovative outreach strategies to engage audiences from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. 

The role will report to our Director of Programming, Member Education, and work closely with our entire team (because we know that marketing plays an important role in everything we do!). Our team believes that relevant, accurate and culturally competent local news and information helps people fully engage in civic life, make more informed decisions and better understand the world around them. If you’re interested in helping us make this vision a reality and working in a space of optimism and growth, learn more about the job and how to apply below.

Key Responsibilities

• (70%) Build LION’s prospective member top-of-funnel by:  
  • Acting as a brand ambassador for LION
  • Designing direct outreach campaigns 
  • Designing an editorial and product strategy that demonstrates to prospective members what we offer
  • Collecting, evaluating and sharing data-based insights about prospective members’ needs to help inform our current membership offerings
  • Collaborating with the Programming team on other strategies to convert prospective members and help them engage with LION and our offerings 
• (20%) Increase LION’s visibility as a thought leader to stakeholders and supporters of the independent news industry by:
  • Iterating and executing on our editorial and product strategy to communicate LION’s impact on the independent news ecosystem and increase active newsletter subscribers
  • Promoting our members and their work to funders and the broader industry
  • Working closely with our existing staff to help brainstorm, produce, edit and promote posts about what they’re learning from their work with an eye toward marketing LION’s expertise

• (10%) Deliver value to LION’s sponsors by:
  • Executing branded content packages as part of LION’s sponsorship offerings
• Other duties as assigned

LION is an Equal Opportunity Employer

LION believes that a team with diversity of backgrounds and experiences will generate the most innovative ideas and ultimately do the best work in support of our mission. This is why we welcome contractors, vendors, staff and board members who contribute to a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment. We understand diversity as multi-dimensional and intersectional, encompassing aspects of our identities including race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, class, geography, lived experiences and more. We welcome and encourage all qualified candidates to apply to opportunities at LION so that we build a team that reflects the diversity of independent news entrepreneurs we wish to serve.

Skills and Qualifications for The Role

• Creative marketing experience. Can execute creative, efficient and effective digital campaigns and non-digital marketing opportunities to recruit educational programming participants beyond LION’s existing member base. Has experience using WordPress to manage websites, and Mailchimp for email marketing.
• Clear, concise, engaging writing. Able to clearly distill and promote the work LION does and the opportunities it provides for its members. 
• Delivers empathy-centered communication. Able to develop a comprehensive understanding of LION’s offerings and member needs, and translate that into communications that build empathy and trust, particularly with those from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
• Data-based approach. Knows how to collect, analyze, evaluate and act on qualitative and quantitative data and market research to identify and reach prospective members.
• Experience in the journalism space is not required, but is a plus.

Skills and Expectations for Teamwork at LION

• Work in a way that upholds and reflects our organizational values: Being data-informed, equitable and inclusive, people-centered, systems thinkers, transparent and iterative
• Use digital tools and platforms to stay organized, communicate transparently, and collaborate with team members remotely 
• Collaborate strategically with others, clearly defining processes for decision making
• Give and receive constructive feedback to help the team produce its best work
• Celebrate our wins and learning moments
• Take on an experimental mindset and demonstrate flexibility to iterate on our work, systems, and processes 
• Be willing and able to ask for help when needed, and demonstrate an ability to learn and grow in the role

Physical Requirements and Environmental Conditions

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position, at a desk or similar, 90% of the time. Time spent in a stationary location includes operating a computer and relevant peripherals and communicating via phone.

Travel Requirements

• Available to travel for staff retreats two times per year (approx. 2–3 days per retreat)

About LION

Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional journalism association for independent news publishers. While most of our 450+ members across the U.S. and Canada run local news businesses, we also have members who serve larger regions and specific identity-based communities across geographies. LION provides teaching, resources and community to independent news entrepreneurs as they build and develop sustainable businesses. One of our core values is being people-centered, and here are some ways we build that culture for our staff. 

90 Day Introductory Period

The first 90 days of employment is a probationary period, during which the new hire has clear goals, criteria for successful work product, and regular feedback from their manager. As a result of the new hire’s 90 day self-reflection and manager’s assessment, the two will discuss whether the new hire will stay on with LION and whether it will be in the role as originally scoped.

Benefits

• Medical PPO, Vision & Dental fully paid by employer; 50% paid for dependents
• Short-term disability, long-term disability, life, and worker’s compensation insurance paid by employer
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care HSA
• Paid Time Off (including sick days) is 20 days per year
• Paid holidays (including week of July 4 and Christmas Eve through New Years Day) is 17 days in 2023
• Up to 12 weeks fully paid family/caregiver leave
• 401K with employer match up to 3.5%
• Flexible working hours
• No-meeting Fridays
• Annual professional development budget
• Monthly work-from-home stipend
• For new hires: Health insurance stipend until eligible for employer medical coverage to begin
• Eligible for year-end, surplus-dependent bonus

How to Apply

Submit your materials using this form by 11 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday March 26. 

• Your resume
• Any online links that show your work (a Twitter profile, a portfolio page, etc.)
• Answers to the following questions:
  • Tell us about a time when you developed and executed a successful marketing campaign. Who was your audience? What was your goal? What was your message? Include details on how you incorporated data, your major challenges and successes and what you learned.
  • Tell us about a time when an outreach or marketing effort you designed fell flat. What went wrong? What did you learn?
  • LION Publishers has a commitment to building a diverse community that is inclusive and welcoming of all members, particularly those who identify as coming from an underserved community, including publishers who identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a person of color; LGBTQ+; or coming from a rural or low-income community. What is your approach to understanding the perspectives of audiences from diverse backgrounds in order to inform your marketing strategies?
  • Why are you interested in this role? How does it fit into your long-term career ambitions?

If you have questions about this role, reach out to Lisa Heyamoto at lisaheyamoto@lionpublishers.com to learn more.