Marketing Director

“An unexpected message from a museum – come to learn about Navy SEALs. Leave with a desire to make the world a better place” POSITION DESCRIPTION Position Title: Director of Marketing Reports To: Executive Director, Navy SEAL Museum San Diego POSITION OVERVIEW The Navy SEAL Museum is entering an extraordinary period of growth. Founded in 1985 in Fort Pierce, Florida, the Museum expanded west in October 2025 with the opening of the Navy SEAL Museum San Diego Showcase. We are now building an iconic 85k square-foot waterfront museum in downtown San Diego, supported by an approximately $250 million capital campaign. The Director of Marketing will serve as our senior marketing strategist, leading the organization through this monumental next chapter. This is an entrepreneurial environment where the team is lean and expectations are high; the successful candidate must be equally comfortable setting high-level strategy and rolling up their sleeves to execute. The Role Reporting to the Executive Director of the San Diego museum, the Director of Marketing will lead integrated strategy across audience development, digital and social media, website and SEO, content, earned and paid media, PR, tourism and partnerships, events and rentals, and analytics. As a senior leader within the Museum, the Director will build and guide a high-performing marketing team, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities. The Director will work closely with Operations and Guest Services to connect marketing to the complete guest experience, and with Advancement to support donor engagement and the $250 million capital campaign. At the direction of the CEO, the Director will also contribute to selected national initiatives connecting San Diego and Fort Pierce. Additionally, as a member of the senior leadership team, the Director will assume Manager on Duty (MOD) responsibilities as needed to support overall museum operations. Duties and Responsibilities Marketing Strategy, Brand Management, and Market Intelligence Develop and implement comprehensive marketing and communications strategies that advance the Museum's strategic priorities, strengthen institutional reputation, and increase visibility. Lead brand positioning, messaging, and storytelling to support the Museum’s mission of making the values of service, teamwork, discipline, resilience, responsibility, and leadership relevant to people from every walk of life. Steward a large, globally recognized brand, leveraging the massive global reach, cultural resonance, and established identity of the U.S. Navy SEAL name, which sits on par with the world's most iconic brands. Establish annual marketing plans, goals, and performance measures, executing ongoing reviews to ensure alignment with executive initiatives. Digital Marketing, Audience Engagement, and Revenue Lead the digital marketing strategy, including website management, content marketing, social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, and digital advertising. Drive audience development, tourism partnerships, and events to grow our reach, relevance, audience, revenue, and impact. Monitor and analyze key performance indicators, including campaign effectiveness, audience engagement, conversion trends, and return on investment. Team Leadership and External Agency Management Recruit, supervise, and develop internal marketing staff, cultivating an environment of strategic thinking and measurable results. Serve as the Museum's primary liaison to external marketing agencies, consultants, and vendors. Establish priorities, budgets, timelines, and deliverables for external partners, holding vendors accountable for achieving agreed-upon goals and measurable results. Senior Leadership and Museum Operations Collaborate effectively across departments as a senior leader, building relationships with Operations, Guest Services, and Advancement. Serve as Manager on Duty (MOD) on a rotating or as-needed basis, providing executive oversight of daily operations, ensuring exceptional guest experiences, and responding to escalated operational or facility needs. Qualifications & Requirements Minimum of seven to ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in marketing, communications, brand management, or a related field. Demonstrated success in integrated strategy, audience growth, storytelling, digital marketing, communications, analytics, and measurable results. Substantive experience leading and developing people. Strong strategic judgment, executive communication skills, comfort with data and ROI, and experience managing budgets and external partners. Entrepreneurial mindset, demonstrating initiative and creativity with a focus on results. Note on Museum Experience: Museum experience is not required. Exceptional leaders from tourism, attractions, hospitality, entertainment, professional sports, consumer brands, agencies, and mission-driven organizations are highly encouraged to apply. However, experience working on or managing a large, globally recognized brand is preferred to properly steward the established identity and global recognition of the SEAL brand. Success in This Position Will Be Measured Through: Growth in audience reach, guest attendance, and revenue. Effectiveness of marketing campaigns in generating measurable return on investment and capital campaign support. Brand visibility, reputation enhancement, and market reach. Quality and performance of the internal marketing team and external agency partners. Compensation: This role is uniquely suited for a proven marketing executive seeking to transition from purely commercial enterprise to a legacy-defining, mission-driven role. The ideal candidate is an experienced leader who prioritizes the opportunity to serve a cause greater than oneself, bringing sophisticated corporate expertise to a patriotic institution where their next professional chapter will directly preserve military heritage, support Special Operations families, and make lasting impact in the broader community. Range: $130-150k commensurate with experience Benefits include health, dental, paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave #DirectorOfMarketing #MarketingLeadership #SanDiegoJobs #BrandManagement #MarketingStrategy #NavySEAL #ExecutiveSearch #HiringNow #BrandStrategy #MissionDriven #SanDiego #Leadership #J-18808-Ljbffr