Director of Marketing and Communications - Long Wharf Theatre - Long Wharf Theatre

“With citizenship, it’s about activating theatre as a public space for civic practice, where we see democracy in action. With inclusion, it’s about widening our circle so that we embrace a kaleidoscope. We must create theatre with, for, and by the people.”

- Jacob G. Padrón, Artistic Director (2018)



Organization

Long Wharf Theatre is embarking on an unprecedented journey, where art and activism will live side by side. It is committed to building a boundary-breaking theatre with, for, and by the New Haven community, working in partnership to reimagine the experiment that is the American theatre.



Jacob G. Padrón joined Long Wharf Theatre as Artistic Director in February 2019. Mr. Padrón combines extensive industry experience—posts at The Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival—with a vision for what is possible and what is next. In 2016 he founded The Sol Project, a national theatre initiative that showcases Latinx playwrights and artists of color through collaborative partnerships with leading theatres in New York and across the country, most recently with Yale Repertory Theatre (El Huracán). As its Founder and Artistic Director, The Sol Project cultivated a network of Off-Broadway and regional theatres committed to building a body of work by Latinx writers for the new American theatre. Mr. Padrón also recently served on the staff at WarnerMedia (HBO, Warner Bros., and Turner), where he helped lead the company’s philanthropy in theatre and film.



Long Wharf Theatre began in 1965 in the most intriguing of spaces―a vacant warehouse and food shipping terminal facing the New Haven Harbor―with the opening of Arthur Miller’s bold political play The Crucible, which ran for two weeks. Since then, Long Wharf Theatre has been a unique home for theatre artists from across the country and around the world, hosting some of the biggest names and talents in the field at various stages of their careers. As a result, Long Wharf Theatre has transferred more than 30 productions to Broadway or Off-Broadway, including classics like Wit (Pulitzer Prize); The Shadow Box (Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award/Best Play); American Buffalo, Quartermaine’s Terms (Obie Award/Best Play); The Gin Game (Pulitzer Prize); and The Changing Room. Recent shows such as Satchmo at the Waldorf; My Name is Asher Lev; Napoli, Brooklyn; and Meteor Shower were staged and developed at Long Wharf Theatre before playing in New York.



Long Wharf Theatre currently offers a season of five plays on its two stages and has made an expanded commitment to community engagement and educational programming. Long Wharf Theatre has approximately 2,800 subscribers and welcomes 60,000 theatregoers annually. Long Wharf Theatre is also an important venue for new play development. For more than 50 years, it has been a leader in American theatre, staging classic and modern plays for a contemporary audience, discovering new resonance in neglected works, and premiering new plays by new voices that—harkening to Long Wharf Theatre’s beginning―both investigate and celebrate the circumstances of our times.



Today, Long Wharf Theatre is seizing the change sweeping across American theatre, facing head-on both the provocative questions and new opportunities these times demand. Long Wharf Theatre is driven to be an exemplar in using the power of theatre to strengthen communities through its work onstage and offstage. It is committed to a culture of inclusion and anti-racism that inspires fellowship; sharing stories that provoke empathy, acceptance, and understanding; removing real or perceived barriers to learning and discourse; seeking renovated or new facilities that are inviting to all members of its expansive community; uncovering contemporary resonance in classic works; and nurturing new voices to help make sense of our times. In its next chapter under the leadership of Mr. Padrón and newly appointed Managing Director Kit Ingui, Long Wharf Theatre will use the power of theatre to build bridges, spur new thinking, and excite our collective imagination through performance, education, and community partnership.



“Long Wharf Theatre has been a great artistic home and has always been respectful of my vision. This play, I feel, hits close to home, and the reactions to my plays have been extremely personal. But, I think work is supposed to give us permission to get personal and feel comfort/discomfort, and I thank the Long Wharf profusely for taking this on.”

- Dael Orlandersmith, writer and actor, Yellowman, The Blue Album, Forever



Community

New Haven is the cultural capital of Connecticut—the place where artists, foodies, intellectuals, and creatives meet, gather, and live. Founded in 1638 and one of the first planned cities in America, New Haven is home to Yale University, whose presence offers access to top notch medical care at Yale New Haven Hospital, renowned art museums, music, theatre, and lectures featuring internationally known speakers. Greater New Haven hosts a rich diversity of higher education institutions, including Quinnipiac University, Wesleyan University, University of New Haven, Southern Connecticut State University, Albertus Magnus College, and Gateway Community College.



A coastal city with New England charm and a distinct cosmopolitan influence, New Haven has a population of nearly 130,000 residents and is ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 100 best places to live. New Haven is recognized as a city of innovation and prosperity with a small town feel. New Haven Green, a privately owned park and recreation area, remains a social center even today. As the birthplace of wide variety of inventions—from the Frisbee to the hamburger—it is no surprise that New Haven’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well, whether in the start-ups at Science Park or the craft breweries and artisanal bakeries appearing in once-abandoned warehouses. The local economy is defined by health care and social services. There is a strong tech community and a world-renowned architecture and design sector with principals like César Pelli. Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital provide many of the area's job opportunities, attracting highly specialized physicians, researchers, and academics.



New Haven is also a welcoming city to immigrants and, as result, has seen a growing population in contrast to some other places in Connecticut and the Northeast. In fact, a recent study by FiveThirtyEight that reviewed the education level, age, and ethnic diversity of every metropolitan area in the United States concluded that, of any place in America, New Haven most accurately reflects the demographics of the country as a whole in those areas. Demographically, the city is approximately 35 percent black or African-American, 32 percent white, 27 percent Hispanic or Latino, 5 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 0.5 percent American Indian or Alaska Native, and 4 percent of people who identify as two or more races. Its surrounding region of 860,000 residents is 65 percent white, 14 percent black or African American, 17 percent Hispanic or Latino, 4 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 0.5 percent American Indian or Alaska Native, and 2 percent claiming two or more races. The changing face of America is personified in New Haven.



Sources: bls.gov; usnews.com; gnhcc.com; fivethirtyeight.com



Artistry. Collaboration and Inclusion. Accessibility. Discourse. Courage and Freedom of Expression. Sustainability.

- Long Wharf Theatre, Guiding Principles



Position Summary

The Director of Marketing and Communications will drive earned revenue through ticket sales, devise strategies to maximize public participation, and build brand awareness for Long Wharf Theatre. This individual will be a bridge builder who creates accessible pathways to audiences that have not otherwise been represented, with the goal of radical inclusion in all marketing materials, social media platforms, and press strategies. Reporting to the Managing Director and working closely with the Artistic Director and senior leadership team, the Director of Marketing and Communications will ensure that all advertising campaigns, external messaging, and collateral materials fully represent the mission, vision, and values of Long Wharf Theatre. This individual will speak with the voice of New Haven, have the capacity to represent that voice externally, and be a central hub for communication materials across all departments. Guided by the core pillars of artistic innovation, radical inclusion, and meaningful connection, the Director of Marketing and Communications will be a key member of the senior leadership team and serve as a thought-partner to both the Managing and Artistic Directors.





Roles and Responsibilities

Earned Revenue and Community Visibility

 Actively collaborate with the Artistic Director and other senior-level staff on artistic programming and season planning.



 Create and direct the implementation of an integrated marketing strategy and sales plan to support subscription, single ticket, and group sales goals through traditional tactics as well as in contemporary channels of digital media, direct response, and out-of-home advertising.



 Ensure that the highest level of customer service is delivered during all moments of the patron experience by proactively managing the Box Office and Front of House team.



 Manage content and messaging for website and digital communications, including targeted email marketing, video production, and social media.



 Serve as the brand manager and develop key messages for all of Long Wharf Theatre’s external communications.



 Cultivate opportunities for audience development and community connections that serve and engage underrepresented and marginalized audiences.



 Guide all media relations, including writing and approving press releases, providing timely responses to media requests, and generating consistent local, regional, and national media interest.



 Represent the Long Wharf Theatre as media spokesperson, as deemed appropriate by the Managing Director and Artistic Director.



 Negotiate media placement, marketing sponsorships, and promotional partnerships.



 Embrace other earned revenue and community visibility responsibilities as needed.



Data Analytics and Financial Accountability

 Regularly conduct and analyze audience and market research to assess audience satisfaction, understand demographic and psychographic profiles, and hone tactics for increasing audience size and market footprint.



 Prepare annual income goals for earned revenue with the Managing Director.



 Create and manage expense budgets for all ticket sales campaigns, institutional marketing, and other related expenses.



 Monitor sales, forecast revenue, and provide analysis of season and single ticket sales throughout the season.



 Recommend appropriate demand-based pricing adjustments resulting from sales analysis.



 Initiate additional promotions for events that experience lagging sales in a committed effort to achieve attendance and revenue goals.



 Establish standardized reporting metrics to provide business intelligence regarding direct response rates and website data analytics.



 Embrace other data analytics and financial accountability responsibilities as needed.



Team Building and Internal Communication

 Manage the performance of and inspire a results-driven environment for the marketing and communications team.



 Effectively delegate, actively initiate, and personally complete marketing projects.



 Establish and maintain productive and collaborative working relationships with senior staff and board members.



 Collaborate with the Director of Philanthropic Engagement to ensure necessary support for Long Wharf Theatre’s fundraising and organizational advancement initiatives.



 Provide strategic marketing and public relations support for all education and community partnership programs.



 Share research and results, revenue and expense projections, and other marketing updates with the marketing team, senior staff, and board committees as required.



Traits and Characteristics

As the company enters a new era, the Director of Marketing and Communications will provide focused and strategic leadership that is grounded in rigor, curiosity, and joy. This individual will also be instrumental in supporting the theatre’s work in all areas of inclusion and anti-racism. A nuanced understanding of this work with demonstrated leadership will be essential. Long Wharf Theatre is looking to build a boundary-breaking future and is seeking a dynamic marketing director to help make this a reality.



The Director of Marketing and Communications will exhibit a commitment to life-long learning with a healthy disregard for the status quo and a relentless curiosity. This individual will be a collaborative senior leader and an organized project manager with a robust understanding of organizational culture and change management. The Director of Marketing and Communications will be a participative manager who inspires a team by modeling behavior that achieves revenue goals through integrated marketing plans and a commitment to reaching new audiences. They will effectively communicate with judicious directness, both internally and externally. The Director of Marketing and Communications will be an enthusiastic supporter of the theatre arts with a proven track record of success.



Other key competencies include:



 Creativity and Innovation – The ability to imagine, research, and implement new approaches, processes, and systems to achieve organizational goals. A willingness to suggest calculated risks as an active pathway to reach beyond what has been accomplished in the past.



 Project Management, Planning, and Organizing ‬– The capacity to develop procedures, processes, and systems for order, accuracy, efficiency, and productivity and to deliver desired outcomes within allotted timeframes.



 Diplomacy – The adeptness to demonstrate superior cultural competence and awareness; effectively communicate with people across hierarchical and functional boundaries; understand cultural climate and organizational issues; and build rapport and display a sincere interest in the professional success of others.



 Customer Focused – The aptitude to anticipate internal and external customer needs, wants, and expectations and to demonstrate initiative and willingness to work with the goal of meeting or exceeding those needs.



 Goal Orientation – The willingness to take ownership of situations, accept responsibility for actions and results, and prioritize and complete tasks necessary to meet deadlines and achieve revenue goals.



 Flexibility – The agility to embrace and implement change when needed, serving as an inspiring leader.



Qualifications

A minimum of five to seven years of proven leadership experience in the field of marketing, public relations, and communications with increasing financial responsibilities is required. Experience in interpreting statistical data that advances decision making and a demonstrable track record of earned revenue results are also necessary. Excellent verbal, written, and listening communication skills are critical to success in the role.



Compensation and Benefits

Long Wharf Theatre offers competitive compensation, commensurate with experience, and a benefits package that includes paid time off, health insurance, dental insurance, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance.



Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments, please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact us at LongWharf@ArtsConsulting.com.



Ms. Ronda Helton

Vice President

Arts Consulting Group

4636 Lebanon Pike, Suite 352

Nashville, TN 37076-1316

Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 218

Email LongWharf@ArtsConsulting.com



Long Wharf Theatre is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes and values diversity, inclusion, and equity in all forms.