Marketing & Communications Manager (Maternity cover)

Contract: Maternity Cover / 1 year contract / 3 days a week / 9am – 5pm (evening and weekend work may sometimes be required
Start date: 3 January 2023. Up to 5 days available in December 2022 for induction.
Salary Band: £27,000 – £29,000 pro rata (depending on experience)
Responsible to: Head of Programming
Responsible for: Social Media Manager, Creative Director
Annual Leave: 25 days/year pro rata excluding public holidays

About Poplar Union

Poplar Union is an arts & community centre situated in Poplar between the Limehouse Cut canal and Bartlett Park.

Through a diverse and high-quality arts programme, we will nurture the untapped creativity in the local area, programming inspiring, life-enriching events and performances for, and with, our local communities.

Our goal: to empower, educate and bring people together through creativity.

Main Purposes of Role

We are looking for a Marketing and Communication Manager (maternity cover). This role holds responsibility for the planning, management, development and implementation of marketing, sales and communications strategies, and delivering data-driven targets and sales. You will build brand awareness, drawing in diverse audiences (new and old, local and further afield).

Reporting to and working closely with the Head of Programming you will manage the Marketing team to organise marketing development and planning, as well as the customer service plan and other initiatives to improve the visitor experience at Poplar Union. You will also keep up to date on key policy and communication developments across the creative sector.

Key Objectives

• Set, lead and deliver marketing and sales strategy, taking responsibility for effective delivery against target and budgets
• Lead in use of Spektrix box office system as an organisation-wide tool, to inform decisions around pricing, maximise income generation, data capture and analysis, and brand and audience development
• Raise awareness of the venue and its ongoing activities, based on an understanding of local communities, as well as audiences from a wider area
• Create and implement a plan to maximise the potential of digital marketing to support programme reach
• Work alongside the Programming leads to target key audiences and ensure that sales targets are met, and provide data-driven analysis for board reporting
• Provide line-management, support and direction for the Marketing Team: Social Media Manager & Creative Director, including conducting regular appraisals and check-ins, reporting any HR issues and queries to the Business Manager and Head of Programming
• Build the brand and profile of Poplar Union in all representations and marketing media and support the establishment of partnerships and collaborations
• Support the day to day running of Poplar Union where required, and work as a team player
• Develop Poplar Union’s local and regional positioning and identity across the cultural, creative and wellness sectors
• Create and implement a plan to maximise the opportunity for building revenue and loyalty through a loyalty/ membership scheme/ merchandise strategy
• Lead on growing donations (through Spektrix & website)
• Plan and manage the marketing department’s annual budget in conjunction with the Head of Programming

Strategic Planning

• Create a community outreach plan to further understand what the Poplar Community want to see/visit at Poplar Union
• Coordinate regular market research and provide regular customer feedback using the results to inform planning
• Create and update the Audience Development Plan and outreach strategy for the venue, with specific plans for targeting and engaging new audiences across all activity areas
• Create effective and imaginative marketing campaigns which maximise ticket sales through targeting both current and prospective audiences, developing promotional opportunities in print and online, forming marketing and media partnerships and managing advertising and investment budgets to create a strong return on investment
• Develop and manage the Press and PR strategy devising PR campaigns, writing press releases, handling press requests and devising and organising season launches

Communications

• Manage and develop Poplar Union’s varied communication channels alongside the Social Media Manager, and ensure a consistent tone and style and appropriately targeted messaging
• Lead and manage the development of a Brand Strategy for Poplar Union and ensure overall continuity of brand consistency and image
• Measure the effectiveness of communications messages and channels on an ongoing basis and ensure there are mechanisms in place for providing feedback
• Oversee and manage the website, its content and use of e-marketing strategies to support campaigns, including updating each seasons events as they are programmed
• Develop and build on relationships with external partners/organisations through collaborative campaigns and events
• Provide reports, project plans, budgets and other papers as required for the Board, funders, partners, potential sponsors and the Poplar Union Leadership team

Person Specification

Previous Experience

A proven track record in a similar/complementary marketing environment, with a minimum of three years’ experience
Experience of campaign planning, multi-tasking and working to deadlines
Experience of managing budgets, team management, hitting sales targets and maximising return on investment
Experience and understanding of data analysis and evaluation to meet business needs

Knowledge

A passion for, and knowledge of arts, culture and community
Good knowledge of how best to harness the power of traditional and digital marketing
A wide range of contacts and networks across the cultural and creative sectors is desirable
Knowledge of Spektrix, WordPress, Dotdigital

Skills/Competencies

Excellent written and spoken communication skills
The ability to think creatively, strategically and laterally
Strong social skills and an ability to network and deal with a range of people
Great organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload and work under pressure
The ability to build and apply a brand identity across all platforms, ensuring a consistent house style
Staff/team management skills and the ability to motivate and develop team members

Personal Qualities

Creative and engaged
Enthusiastic
Demonstrably committed to engaging local communities with art, culture and wellness, and an understanding of the local Poplar community

---

If you are interested in this role, to apply please email info@poplarunion.com with your CV and a covering letter setting out how you are suitable for the role against the job spec.

Please send the email with the subject line Marketing and Communications Manager (Maternity Cover) application by 10am Tuesday 15 November 2022

Interviews will take place during the week commencing 21 November 2022

We welcome and encourage applications from individuals without formal education and/or who identify as: D/deaf & disabled, Neurodiverse, Working Class, LGBTQ+, Black and Global majority and/or migrant and meet the criteria.