Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) - Theater & Performing Arts

Our client, an award-winning theater, is seeking a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to play a defining role in shaping the next chapter of audience growth and institutional visibility. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the CMO will lead an integrated strategy that drives earned revenue, strengthens the customer experience, elevates the brand, and positions the organization as a compelling cultural destination locally and nationally. This is an opportunity for a forward-looking marketing leader who is energized by the possibilities of data, digital innovation, and emerging technology; who understands how to convert curiosity into action and audiences into advocates; and who can build excitement for the full breadth of the organization’s work onstage, in classrooms, and throughout the community. The Chief Marketing Officer will lead the strategy, execution, and performance of all marketing, communications, sales, audience engagement, and patron experience functions. This role is responsible for building demand, driving revenue, deepening loyalty, and translating the organization’s artistic and community impact into compelling, measurable audience growth. The CMO will champion a modern, insight-driven marketing function that uses technology thoughtfully, connects brand to experience, and increases awareness of the organization locally, regionally, and nationally. Key Responsibilities Drive earned revenue growth across subscriptions, single tickets, groups, and other audience-facing lines of business. Elevate the end-to-end customer experience, ensuring every audience touchpoint builds trust, loyalty, and advocacy. Lead a contemporary marketing model that embraces technology, analytics, automation, and experimentation to improve reach and results. Build cross-functional partnerships with Development, Education, and Community Engagement to align around shared audience relationships, deepen patron engagement, and maximize institutional revenue across all touchpoints. Increase the organization’s local visibility and deepen community presence while strategically expanding its national profile within cultural, media, and industry conversations. Strategic Leadership Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team spanning marketing, communications, sales, patron experience, and related audience engagement functions. Set clear priorities, goals, and performance expectations that connect daily work to revenue, brand, and audience outcomes. Manage budgets, timelines, and resources with discipline while encouraging innovation and smart risk-taking. Foster a collaborative, curious, and accountable culture that supports creativity, inclusion, and continuous improvement. Specifically, the Chief Marketing Officer will provide strategic leadership in the following areas: Develop and lead integrated campaigns that drive ticket sales, subscriptions, groups, and other earned-income opportunities. Use segmentation, forecasting, pricing strategy, and performance analysis to maximize attendance, revenue, and customer lifetime value. Translate artistic priorities and organizational goals into audience-centered campaigns that build excitement and broaden participation. Partner with Development, Education, and Community Engagement to establish a unified approach to audience relationship-building, creating shared frameworks, consistent touchpoints, and coordinated strategies that deepen patron engagement and expand revenue opportunities across all programs. Continuously refine the customer journey—from discovery through post-event follow-up—to improve conversion, retention, and satisfaction. Oversee digital strategy across the website, email, SMS, social media, paid media, and other audience-facing platforms. Champion the thoughtful use of Tessitura, automation, personalization, testing, and analytics to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Evaluate emerging tools and technologies with curiosity and discipline, identifying practical ways to strengthen marketing performance and customer experience. Build a culture of learning and experimentation that keeps the organization current with changing audience behavior and media consumption. Communications & Brand Management Steward and evolve the organization’s brand across all public-facing channels and experiences. Shape communications and storytelling that articulate the full range of the organization’s work onstage, in classrooms, and throughout the community. Increase local and national visibility through media strategy, partnerships, publicity, content, and audience advocacy. Collaborate with internal communications and cross-functional leadership to ensure cohesive messaging across the organization. Ensure all communications are clear, compelling, inclusive, and aligned with the organization’s mission. Patron Services & Front of House Champion the patron experience as a core driver of loyalty, revenue, and organizational reputation, ensuring every audience interaction—from first contact through post-event follow-up—reinforces the organization’s brand and deepens relationships. Partner with patron services, front-of-house, and cross-functional teams to establish and sustain best-in-class service standards, creating consistent frameworks that empower staff to deliver warm, confident, and memorable audience care. Use feedback, observation, and data to identify pain points and opportunities throughout the customer journey. Support systems, training, and service standards that empower teams to deliver warm, confident, and consistent audience care. Community Presence & Institutional Visibility Help the organization reach wider audiences by strengthening its local presence while expanding its visibility within national cultural and media conversations. Identify partnerships, platforms, and promotional opportunities that expand awareness, generate excitement, and connect more people to the organization’s work. Leadership Profile Our client is seeking a leader who combines strategic rigor, creative instinct, and a deep commitment to audience connection—someone who can deliver measurable business results while helping shape how people experience and talk about the organization. The successful candidate will be a collaborative and engaged senior leader who builds trust across departments, listens closely, and brings people together around shared goals for revenue, visibility, and customer experience. They will bring an enterprise-wide mindset, working fluidly across artistic, operational, education, development, and community-facing teams to ensure marketing is fully aligned with organizational priorities and opportunities. The ideal candidate will be both confident and adaptable—a thoughtful leader who can advocate for bold ideas, navigate complexity with diplomacy, and lead with clarity, accountability, and respect. They will be energized by innovation and curious about how technology can strengthen marketing impact, bringing a practical understanding of data, systems, testing, and digital behavior without losing sight of storytelling, mission, and human connection. This role requires resilience, sound judgment, and strong prioritization. The pace of work is high, and the CMO must be able to support their team, maintain momentum, and balance ambition with sustainable execution. The CMO will bring energy, curiosity, and optimism to a marketing function that drives revenue, strengthens loyalty, and builds excitement for the organization’s full range of work while contributing to its continued growth, momentum, and forward-looking vision. Preferred Qualifications 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in marketing, communications, sales, audience development, or related functions, ideally in performing arts, entertainment, hospitality, or mission-driven consumer-facing organizations. Demonstrated success developing integrated strategies that drive measurable revenue growth and stronger customer engagement. Strong expertise in digital marketing, analytics, audience segmentation, and performance optimization. Experience using technology, CRM systems (preferably Tessitura), and marketing tools to improve effectiveness, personalization, and customer experience. Proven ability to lead high-performing teams and collaborate across complex organizations. Strong financial and operational acumen, including budget management, forecasting, and performance analysis. Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate mission and creative work into compelling audience narratives. #J-18808-Ljbffr Corps Team