Marketing Manager

Marketing Manager / GS 23

Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities

The City of Alexandria is in Northern Virginia bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. Once within the original boundary stones that marked the area of the Nation's Capital, Alexandria is a part of the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. With a population of approximately 161,000 Alexandria is the sixth largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unique and historic, Alexandria is a place that is experiencing substantial redevelopment appeal and business growth opportunities because of a high market demand for urban living in a quality environment. About one-quarter of the City's 15.47 square miles has been designated as a national or local historic district.

The City of Alexandria is an independent city with no county affiliation and derives its governing authority from a Charter granted by the Virginia General Assembly. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, allowing local governments only the authority expressly granted to them by the Virginia Constitution or by the Virginia General Assembly in the City Charter or in general law. The City Council is the governing body, which formulates policies for the administration of the City. The mayor is chosen on a separate ballot and presides over sessions of the Council. Alexandria is a Council/Manager form of government.

If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for the position of our Marketing Manager for Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA).

• The mission of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities is to enrich the City of Alexandria by creating meaningful experiences through public spaces, cultural activities, and programming.

• The Department's vision is to improve the well-being of every person in our community by connecting them to each other and their environment.

Overview

The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Department (RPCA) supports the well-being of Alexandria's residents by ensuring access to a variety of quality recreation, park, and cultural experiences. There are over 900 acres of publicly accessible open space (this includes both public and private land that is open for public use) 566 acres of it is publicly owned park land, 51 programmed recreation and park facilities, hundreds of classes, and a City Marina. The Department is comprised of four operating Divisions: Recreation Services; Leadership & Management; Cultural Activities; and Park Services. These four Divisions work to offer the full range of programs, facilities, and parks. The Marketing Manager has budget and staff responsibility for all departmental marketing functions. The Torpedo Factory Art Center has its own marketing, program, and event staff and reports to the Deputy Director for Cultural Arts.

The department's Marketing Manager is responsible for data collection, analysis, and research for recreation, parks and cultural activities reflecting the department's competitive position, relative to pricing, products, market position, and places of service. Increasing the public's use of parks, cultural venues, recreation facilities, and open space though marketing campaigns, public information, and brand awareness. Managing marketing materials and placement including concepts, electronic and print graphic design, publication, and distribution including social media. Managing the department's public information function for effective two-way communication with the public and customers. Managing department online presence including web site, registration software, social media, and enews. The Marketing Manager is a member of the department's senior leadership team along with the Director, (3) Deputy Directors, Administrative Division Chief, and Human Resource Manager. The manager is responsible for managing the department marketing budget, supervising (3) public information specialists, contract staff, and coordinating with division marketing liaisons.

The marketing function organizational chart is shown below:

The Marketing Manager distinguishing characteristics:

• Responsible for data collection strategy, analysis, and research for recreation, parks and cultural activities reflecting the department's competitive position relative to its target audiences, pricing, products, market position, and place of service.

• Strategic direction on Increasing the public's use of parks, cultural venues, recreation facilities, and open space though marketing campaigns, public engagement, public information, and brand awareness.

• Direction on creation and production of marketing materials and placement including concepts, electronic and print graphic design, publication, and distribution including social media.

• Direction for the mechanisms to execute the department's public engagement and information function for effective two-way communication with the public and customers.

• Direct strategy to expand department's online presence including web site, registration software, social media, enews, and other emerging formats.

• Member of the department senior leadership team along with the Director, (3) Deputy Directors, Administrative Division Chief, and Human Resource Manager II.

• Direct and lead the marketing liaison team for RPCA and interface with Office of Communication and Customer Engagement (OCCE) coordination of public information and communication strategy.

• Responsible for managing the RPCA marketing budget, supervising (3) public information specialists, and coordinating with division marketing liaisons.

The Marketing Manager key work projects FY25-FY26:

• Manage community survey methods including phone, mail, phone, and in-person to determine program needs, satisfaction, engagement, and experience.

• Collaborate with Park Planning to conduct an annual marketplace scan for the department to detail strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

• Manage mystery shopper program to determine customer experience with customer service counters, phone transactions, staff contact, and visits.

• Manage RPCA Customer Care program in collaboration with the Customer Care Council to determine standards, training, marketing, and evaluation.

• Develop an annual department marketing and communications plan compliant with industry and CAPRA standards.

• Determine the methods, cost, and placement of marketing materials to support participation in parks, programs, special events, and culture venues.

• Create graphic design and graphic materials to support marketing of programs and facilities, and to support marketing campaigns.

• To determine and deploy an online presence for department programs, facilities, environmental education, and leisure education through web sites and social media.

• Manages the content, sourcing, timeline, design, production, and distribution of all department publications and promotional material.

• Supervises the public information specialist (3) including development of annual work plans, development plan, and performance evaluation.

• Manages the marketing budget, procurement, and P-card activity.

• Develops public speaking materials to support department staff and represents the department at public meetings, boards and commission, and City Council.

• Collaborates with the Office of Communication and Customer Engagement (OCCE), and other department PIOs to support the overall City communication plan and engagement efforts.

Key Work Aspects of RPCA and the City of Alexandria:

Based on your reporting relationship, you are tasked with creating an environment of success in the department such that staff are highly engaged to focus on results that support organizational attainment of our mission and strategic plan. Our purpose is to build an organizational cultural "that supports each of us and inspires excellence."

RPCA Strategic Plan

• Each leader is expected to implement the mission, vision, values, and the three strategic themes as determined through the department strategic plan, business plan and the budget process. It is expected that all decisions will be made considering the values and theme areas.

Statement of Workplace Excellence

• We believe every RPCA staff member has the right to a safe, healthy, efficient, and pleasant working environment where all organization members adhere to the highest standards of behavior, personal integrity, and truthfulness. Each staff member demonstrates full support and acts on deploying workplace excellence.

Shared Leadership Approach

• We are "we" centered leaders where actions consider the needs, objectives, and challenges of others. They matter as we matter. We hold ourselves accountable for work performance and development. Organizational improvement comes through mindset change, behavior change, and systems change.

Customer Service Guarantee- We are committed to delivering a consistently superior customer experience to all who participate in our programs or visit our parks and facilities. Service will be:

• Responsive - respond in a timely manner to all residents and customers both external and internal. We own the request we receive and do not shift the responsibility.

• Professional - represent the department in appropriate appearance, decorum, and communication.

• Courteous

• Treat everyone with respect. Treat everyone fairly. Treat everyone with dignity.

• Accountable

• Demonstrate a bias toward action. Ensure follow-up and follow-through with appropriate results.

What You Should Bring

Each member of our team is accountable for the outstanding delivery of services. You will bring your expertise on parks and recreation, employee engagement, high performing organizational culture, and change management; you will have a demonstrated ability to work with employees throughout the department and City of Alexandria; your personal mission and values align with those of the organization, and you can analyze, synthesize and make data-informed professional recommendations. You will deliver work products that meet the high standards of excellence determined by residents and visitors.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

4-year College Degree with successful completion of college-level courses in fine arts or business management; five years of progressively-responsible marketing experience or a combination of experience and training.

Preferred Qualifications

Progressively responsible experience marketing for a public sector or caused based organization.

Notes

This position requires successful completion of a criminal records background check.