Marketing Department Manager

Lambs Farm is seeking a Marketing Department Manager to lead marketing and communications efforts that expand awareness of its mission, programs, businesses, fundraising initiatives, and community impact. This onsite role in Libertyville, IL will oversee marketing strategy, brand governance, external communications, advertising, and day-to-day leadership of the Marketing team while partnering across the organization.

Role Overview

The Marketing Department Manager will develop and execute an integrated marketing and communications approach aligned with Lambs Farm’s mission and strategic plan. The position also serves as the primary steward of the organization’s brand voice and external messaging, ensuring communications are accurate, consistent, and reflect the dignity and contributions of adults with developmental disabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overall marketing and communications strategy in alignment with Lambs Farm’s mission, strategic plan, fundraising priorities, and business objectives.
• Set annual and seasonal marketing priorities, including campaign objectives, target audiences, messaging strategies, timelines, and performance expectations.
• Create and maintain an integrated marketing calendar covering organizational campaigns, fundraising initiatives, events, business promotions, publications, digital communications, and community outreach.
• Prioritize incoming marketing requests and assign work based on organizational needs, deadlines, available resources, and team responsibilities.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, performance feedback, and direction to assigned Marketing staff.
• Define responsibilities across marketing strategy, digital execution, creative production, and event operations.
• Develop departmental processes, workflows, standards, and project management practices to support timely execution.
• Oversee the marketing budget and recommend how resources are allocated across advertising, printing, promotional materials, digital tools, vendors, and related marketing activities.
• Lead integrated campaign development across social media, email, digital, print, advertising, public relations, and community channels.
• Establish campaign objectives, key messages, calls to action, target audiences, distribution plans, and measures of success.
• Provide content and creative direction for team members supporting campaign execution and review/approve significant communications for alignment with brand standards and strategic objectives.
• Partner with Development leadership on fundraising communications, appeals, Giving Tuesday, donor-facing campaigns, and major fundraising initiatives.
• Coordinate cross-department promotion for programs, services, recruitment initiatives, events, and campus businesses.
• Maintain brand standards and ensure consistent representation of Lambs Farm across communication channels, including guidance on branding decisions and public-facing messaging.
• Ensure marketing materials authentically and respectfully represent adults with developmental disabilities, including their dignity, strengths, experiences, and contributions.
• Establish and monitor performance indicators for social media, email marketing, website content, digital advertising, community engagement, and other initiatives; use data to guide future strategy and resource allocation.
• Build relationships with media outlets, community organizations, businesses, sponsors, tourism partners, and other external stakeholders, and serve as a primary media contact for inquiries when appropriate.
• Develop press releases, media pitches, talking points, organizational statements, and other external communications as needed.
• Manage advertising, website, media, and other external marketing agencies and consultants, including evaluation of vendor performance and deliverables.
• Coordinate major website projects and technical updates outside routine internal maintenance.
• Support marketing strategy and execution for organizational and fundraising events, including audience definition, promotional timelines, messaging, marketing channels, and assignment of event-marketing deliverables.
• Participate in major organizational events as needed, with occasional evenings and weekends, and travel locally for community engagement and related needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business, or a related field.
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field.
• Experience coordinating the work of staff, vendors, agencies, or cross-functional project teams (preferred).
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns.
• Strong writing, editing, storytelling, presentation, and organizational communication skills.
• Knowledge of social media, email marketing, digital advertising, website content strategy, public relations, and content marketing.
• Experience using data and performance metrics to evaluate marketing effectiveness and guide decision-making.
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and Canva sufficient to review and provide direction on creative materials.
• Strong project management skills, including prioritization and coordination across competing deadlines and stakeholders.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with media, businesses, donors, sponsors, community partners, and internal teams.
• Strong professional judgment and ability to represent Lambs Farm effectively in external communications.
• Passion for working with and supporting adults with developmental disabilities.
• Proficiency in writing, speaking, and understanding English.
• Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, email, web-based platforms, digital communication tools, and marketing technology.
• Ability to work effectively in office, campus, community, event, retail, restaurant, and other public-facing environments as needed.
• Ability to participate in periodic evening and weekend organizational events.
• Ability to occasionally transport marketing or event materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

Technologies

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Canva

Location and Compensation

Location: Libertyville, IL (onsite)

Salary: USD 50,000 per year

Compensation note: The anticipated annual salary for this role is $50,000 per year.