Marketing and Operations Associate

Ponder Diversity Group (PDG) is seeking an experienced marketing and operations professional to manage the firm’s marketing, outreach, and operations strategy and the Government Contractor’s Business Forum (GCBF). The Marketing and Operations Associate will work with the support and participation of PDG’s CEO and its external marketing team to complete marketing and operations initiatives.

About the Firm:

PDG is a boutique legal and consulting firm at the forefront of government contracting, procurement, and compliance. Its clients range from public sector government agencies to private sector corporations. PDG serves a variety of practice industries including Construction, Transportation, Education, and Cannabis. Our innovative procurement and employment strategies cultivate a broader pool of talent, perspectives, and solutions. With our custom-made approaches, individually tailored to each client, we foster increased business innovation and workplace productivity—as well as greater customer loyalty, better employee retention rates, and stronger financial performance.

About the GCBF:

The Government Contractors Business Forum is a prestigious network established by Anita Ponder in 2009 and revived as a flagship initiative by PDG. The GCBF will serve as PDG’s ongoing, primary business development initiative as a dynamic business platform for government contractors and consultants nationwide, spanning from major corporations to mid-sized companies and diverse, small businesses. The GCBF is a highly curated, high-impact assembly connecting business leaders with senior agency decision-makers to discuss government bidding policies/procedures and unlock contract opportunities. Our mission is to empower established businesses, foster teaming/mentoring relationships for bidding credit, and shape the procurement landscape.

General Responsibilities:

• Create and coordinate marketing materials, newsletters, blogs, and promotional content;
• Conduct market research to identify trends in procurement, government contracting, compliance, and diversity and make recommendations on prioritizing the services of the firm;
• Create an annual and quarterly marketing plan with priorities, timelines, and measurable objectives;
• Assist in developing promotional strategies for events and outreach and ensure the website reflects current initiatives;
• Assist in creating and managing a social media content calendar;
• Monitor engagement, audience growth, and other relevant KPIs and provide regular reports and recommendations to leadership;
• Serve as primary liaison with external website development team on SEO initiatives;
• Business development support, such as assisting with creating pitch decks and proposals;
• Recommend and manage a CRM platform to effectively track and manage outreach efforts, referrals, prospective client relationships, and business development communications; and
• Support the firm and GCBF with additional tasks as needed.

Additional GCBF Responsibilities:

• Manage the full lifecycle of GCBF meetings and events, including scheduling, coordinating with GCBF leadership for venue selection, catering, managing invitations and outreach, and creating meeting agendas and other materials;
• Coordinate with event planners to organize A/V, panel moderation, physical and/or digital marketing materials, venue rental, and catering for in-person events;
• Assist in designing and managing an online marketing campaign;
• Serve as the primary contact point for speakers, their executive staff, and PDG attorneys, facilitating presentation topic development, coordinating content and expectations, and managing speaker inquiries; and
• Confidently communicate with senior legal, business, executive, and governmental professionals.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, Business, Political Science, Business Administration, or similar major;
• 3 years of relevant experience;
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams;
• Proficient with Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or similar program;
• Experience with social media management platforms such as Hootsuite or Sprout;
• Experience with Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar CRM;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage with high-level government officials, executive staff, event coordinators, and business leaders;
• Self-motivated and able to work independently and with the team;
• MBA or JD preferred; and
• Minimum 3.5 GPA preferred.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Work Schedule : Onsite; Full-time (minimum 35 hours per week)

Employment Type : Independent Contractor – 1099

Compensation: Flexible – monthly stipend or hourly rate

Attire : Professional