Director of Marketing

Summary//

The Director of Marketing is responsible for assisting in developing our community and our brand, managing the creation of marketing materials and content to grow and retain memberships for The Front's three current locations, as well as preparations for expansion. They will also lead the charge in analyzing current and potential markets to expand the reach and sales pipeline of Vertical Solutions. This role will focus on creating & promoting content to highlight The Front Climbing Club's offerings, including our top-of-the line climbing walls & routes, climbing classes, events, retail sales, yoga and group fitness classes, Impact Co. partnerships, etc., as well as Vertical Solutions' offerings of designing and outfitting the world's best climbing facilities with walls, holds, and pads. The Director of Marketing will be directly overseeing the Creative Design Manager and Social Media Manager and indirectly managing our Graphic Designer. They will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer at both The Front Climbing Club and Vertical Solutions.

About You//

You can see the future. But really - While you are aware of current marketing trends and best practices, you are not stuck in the status quo. You have personal ownership of everything on the radar, and your organizational process ensures you don't drop the ball or miss an opportunity for creativity.

You possess a desire to further understand concepts that will help support and inform your long-term strategy and are inspired to research unfamiliar aspects of the market to help the team think outside the box. You thrive on calming the chaos that comes from working with multiple brands while keeping a cool head and directing your team accordingly. You understand the inherent value found in a robust internal communication system, especially when it comes to complex marketing campaigns rooted in data-driven outcomes. At the end of the day, your mind returns to the business, the sales, the revenue, and the steps your team will take to advance each of those elements. You finish each day proud of what you have accomplished.

About us//

The Front Climbing Club was Utah's first indoor rock climbing gym, and one of the first in the nation. From its humble beginnings as The Body Shop back in the 80's to three best-in-class facilities today, The Front has never lost its soul or connection to its roots.

This position is bigger than The Front - you will split your time between it and its sister company, Vertical Solutions.

Vertical Solutions offers everything needed to get climbers off the ground - walls, holds and pads... and is the largest domestic climbing wall builder. This manufacturing-heavy side of the gig requires broad skills and creativity.

We do not offer easy jobs, but we can offer a super fun place to work surrounded by exceptional people. We highly encourage you to shut off your devices and email and disappear into the mountains on your time off.

All that said, we also know how to have a good time.

Primary and Essential Functions

• Lead Strategic Planning for Yearly, Trimester, and Sprint Goals
• Determine marketing strategies to increase memberships, foster an engaged community for each gym location, and further promote The Front Climbing Club within the industry
• Coordinate & contribute to the production and implementation of multi-channel marketing campaigns and promotional materials. Materials and assets include, but are not limited to, websites, email templates/announcements, social media copy and design, videos and animations, & posters
• Works with the Sales Team at Vertical Solutions to produce materials for multichannel marketing efforts including all digital, print, photography and videography

• Works with the Social Media Manager to develop strategy, process development, and oversee implementation of social plan on all social media platforms
• Oversee email marketing campaigns (biweekly newsletters and targeted emails), ensuring content and design are in line with company goals and strategies
• Conduct market research to assess and improve The Front Climbing Club, Vertical Solutions, and Testpiece marketing strategies
• Measure and evaluate marketing efforts at The Front, Vertical Solutions, and Testpiece to determine their effectiveness
• Manage task assignment to marketing team, freelancers, interns, and anyone else under the Marketing umbrella

• Lead the recruitment and hiring process for the Marketing Department
• Develop, document, and enforce policies, processes, and procedures
• Ensure staff effectively execute and meet production and project deadlines
• Facilitate communication of marketing promotions and events to other staff members and educate the Front Desk Staff on details and best practices for promoting events to members

• Oversee the collaboration between Creative Team and Retail Manager to conceptualize and produce branded apparel for sale in the gear shop
• Meet daily with marketing team to go over daily tasks and proprieties and manage daily scrums
• Active member of the Leadership Team at The Front Climbing Club, Vertical Solutions, and Testpiece

• Proof and approve all marketing material (digital and physical). Nothing should be printed until approved by Director of Marketing to ensure error-free copy and consistent brand messaging
• Oversee design, content, copy, upkeep, and SEO on websites as needed
• Uphold our reputation and placement in the industry via various communication channels

• Travel to other gym locations to understand the area's specific market and needs/develop content specific to the local community
• Additional duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing, Communications, Design, Art, Multimedia, or related field with 8 years of relevant experience
• A minimum of five years of leadership experience and experience managing a team

• The ability to set vision and drive concepts through the entire creative and development process
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite- Photoshop, Illustrator, & InDesign
• Knowledge of HTML and/or WordPress experience is preferred

• Climbing experience/knowledge of climbing community preferred
• Must have a good understanding of typography, layout, and design trends
• Well-developed time management skills with the ability to prioritize effectively
• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgement

• High energy and positive attitude with a skill set to work well within a team environment
• Must take pride in and maintain integrity in their work
• Delegates responsibilities effectively
• Knowledge of Scrum and Agile process a bonus
• PR experience a bonus

• Be able to collaborate and innovate as a means to create exceptional value for our members, our company, and ourselves

Mission Statement:

The Front's mission is to create innovative spaces that maximize the climbing experience, inspire meaningful connections, and foster an engaged community.

Core Values:

1/Distinctive Facilities with Emotional Depth

We design and build outstanding and unique facilities that are the "3rd place" for the broader outdoor community, and we maintain and improve our facilities with the utmost attention to detail and care. This creates a foundation for organic and fostered emotional connections with our members and between our members, leading to long-term, loyal, and proud members.

We add depth and authenticity to our facilities by supporting and contributing to our local communities through volunteerism, educated activism, and both financial and non-financial support.

2/Operational Prowess and Superiority

We develop and continually improve elegant, efficient and documented operational processes that underpin a disciplined approach to effective facility operations. We look outside the climbing industry for guidance and inspiration, and strive to be at the industry forefront in all respects. We safeguard our industry edge and protect company assets through discretion and care.

We use data to inform and guide our operations. Data gathering and analytics are foundational in improving our facilities, increasing our operational efficiency, expanding our individual capacities, and facilitating efficient teamwork. We adhere to efficient and organized business practices that utilize technologies to continually improve the level of operational excellence we promise to our members.

3/Employee Excellence and Growth/

We value the positive contributions of our employees and strive to make The Front an enjoyable yet challenging environment to accomplish important work and experience personal growth.   

We value listening to and learning from one another. We endeavor to be clear and authentic in all our interactions. We value candor and diverse opinions, yet when decisions are made, we unite to achieve their success.     

We have high expectations of one another-to work hard and to be thoughtful. We take pride in and maintain integrity in our work. We are disciplined, focused, and resilient. We thrive on the sharp end. Falling short of a challenging goal, when a thoughtful and concerted effort is employed, is not failure. We undertake challenging projects with forethought and see them through to comprehensive completion.   

We collaborate and innovate as a means to create exceptional value for our members, our company, and ourselves.

EEOC//

The Front Climbing Clubs are committed to providing an equal employment opportunity environment of mutual respect for all its people. This work atmosphere is available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Front Climbing Clubs strongly believes that diversity and inclusion amongst our teams is critical to our success as an organization. We are driven to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. As such, we highly encourage those with diverse backgrounds to apply.