Associate Director, Marketing

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Associate Director of Marketing plays a key leadership role in developing, implementing, and optimizing integrated marketing initiatives that advance Sundance Institute’s mission, programs, events, and audience engagement goals.

Reporting to the Director of Marketing, this position is responsible for translating strategic priorities into actionable marketing plans and campaigns that drive awareness, participation, audience growth, and engagement. Working collaboratively across departments, the Associate Director oversees campaign execution, digital marketing initiatives, audience development efforts, website strategy, and marketing operations while providing day-to-day leadership to members of the marketing team. This role serves as a critical connector between organizational priorities and execution, ensuring marketing initiatives are delivered on time, on budget, and aligned with the Institute’s brand, mission, and values.

This full-time position is based within a commutable distance to Boulder, CO to work onsite in a hybrid capacity. The role requires flexibility, including extended hours, evenings, and weekends during peak periods, including the Sundance Film Festival and programmatic milestones, as well as travel to Institute locations, events, and meetings as needed.

Top priorities include but are not limited to…

Marketing Campaign Planning & Execution

• Leading the planning, implementation, and optimization of integrated marketing campaigns that support Sundance Institute programs, events, and organizational priorities.

• Translating strategic direction established by the Director of Marketing into actionable campaign plans, timelines, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.

• Overseeing campaign execution across digital, email, web, social, paid media, and audience engagement channels.

• Coordinating campaign calendars, priorities, and workflows to ensure effective delivery across multiple concurrent initiatives.

• Ensuring marketing initiatives consistently reflect Sundance Institute’s brand standards, voice, and audience objectives.

• Ensuring marketing campaigns, content, and audience engagement efforts reflect Sundance Institute’s commitment to equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, and authentic representation.

Audience Development & Engagement

• Supporting the development and execution of audience growth and retention strategies that increase awareness, engagement, participation, and loyalty.

• Utilizing audience data, analytics, and performance insights to identify opportunities for growth and continuous improvement.

• Partnering with internal stakeholders to understand audience needs and develop marketing approaches that strengthen engagement across key constituent groups.

• Supporting audience segmentation, targeting, and personalization efforts that improve campaign effectiveness and user experience.

Digital Marketing & Website Management

• Leading day-to-day oversight of the Institute’s website ecosystem, ensuring content remains accurate, engaging, accessible, and aligned with marketing objectives.

• Partnering with Digital and Technology teams to improve website user experience, navigation, content hierarchy, accessibility, and conversion pathways.

• Overseeing website content updates and annual messaging refreshes to maintain consistency, clarity, and relevance.

• Monitoring digital performance metrics and making recommendations that improve engagement, conversion, and overall effectiveness.

• Supporting the ongoing development of marketing infrastructure, CRM capabilities, and audience engagement tools.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Partnership

• Serving as a primary marketing partner to internal teams including Artist Programs, Advancement, Festival, Community Programs, Ticketing, Partnerships, Communications, and Operations.

• Collaborating closely with colleagues across Marketing, Communications, Creative, Social Media, and Digital Marketing to develop integrated campaigns and cohesive audience experiences.

• Facilitating communication, alignment, and project coordination among stakeholders to ensure successful execution of marketing initiatives.

• Anticipating challenges, identify solutions, and proactively address barriers that may impact project timelines or outcomes.

Festival Marketing & Brand Activation

• Supporting implementation of the annual Sundance Film Festival Marketing Plan and related campaign initiatives.

• Partnering with the Director of Marketing, Creative Director, and external agencies to support Festival branding development, campaign execution, and asset deployment.

• Coordinating implementation of brand standards across marketing initiatives and audience-facing materials.

• Ensuring marketing deliverables are aligned with campaign objectives, organizational priorities, and audience expectations.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Leading, mentoring, and developing members of the marketing team by providing coaching, guidance, feedback, and professional development opportunities.

• Fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable team culture grounded in Sundance Institute’s mission and values.

• Supporting workforce planning, seasonal staffing, and freelance resource management to ensure successful execution of priorities.

• Managing external agencies, consultants, and vendors by establishing clear expectations, deliverables, timelines, and communication practices.

• Maintaining transparent communication with the Director of Marketing regarding project status, risks, opportunities, and resource needs.

Financial & Project Management

• Supporting management of campaign and project budgets while ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.

• Tracking project timelines, deliverables, and performance metrics to ensure successful completion of marketing initiatives.

• Utilizing data and reporting to evaluate campaign effectiveness and inform future recommendations.

• Ensuring operational excellence through effective planning, prioritization, and project management practices.

You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:

• 7+ years of progressive experience in marketing strategy, campaign management, digital marketing, audience engagement, or related disciplines.

• Demonstrated experience working within arts, culture, entertainment, media, or other mission-driven creative-sector organizations.

• Experience leading integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns from concept through execution and evaluation.

• Strong understanding of digital marketing, audience development, website management, CRM strategy, and marketing analytics.

• Proven ability to manage projects, stakeholders, vendors, and competing priorities in a collaborative environment.

• Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing employees.

• Strong understanding of equity-centered marketing practices, accessibility principles, and inclusive audience engagement strategies.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.

• Highly organized, adaptable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a data-informed approach to decision making.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

You will be successful in this role if you…

• Translate strategy into action and consistently deliver high-quality results.

• Build productive partnerships across departments and functions.

• Lead with curiosity, collaboration, accountability, and empathy.

• Balance creativity with operational excellence and attention to detail.

• Communicate clearly, proactively, and effectively with stakeholders at all levels.

• Create clarity amid complexity and keep projects moving forward.

• Support both the growth of the organization and the development of the people around you.

• Demonstrate a passion for independent storytelling, arts and culture, and Sundance Institute’s mission.

In addition to an annual salary of $80,000.00 to $100,000.00*, this position** is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package, highlights include:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance

• 25 paid Institute holidays plus accrued vacation time

• Paid sick, family, and medical leave

• Employee Wellness initiatives

• 401(k) with automatic 3% employer contribution after one year of employment

• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)

*Final rate of pay is determined based on the applicant's geographic location, relevant experience and skills, and internal equity among similar positions within our organization.

**Applications open 07/27/2026 and will be accepted for at least one week