Position: VP of Fan Development and Brand Marketing

Reports to: Executive Vice President of Revenue & Chief Business Officer

Overview

The VP of Fan Development and Brand Marketing works alongside the EVP of Revenue & CBO to develop innovative short and long-term marketing strategies through brand management, fan engagement/game presentation, and international marketing in alignment with club values. Using a data-based approach this role will grow and engage the Chicago Bears fan base to help activate and ultimately monetize all verticals including F&B, retail, ticketing, suites, partnerships and any other areas deemed important by the leadership team. This will include identifying new and emerging target audiences and building specific messaging and activations to engage and evolve their relationship with the club. The role will be responsible for overseeing the club’s brand and its positioning in both local, national, and assigned international markets (UK and Spain). Collaborating with other senior leadership and key departments will be vital to ensure our brand has a consistent message and feel across all team collateral, paid and owned channels.

This position is located at our team headquarters in Lake Forest, IL. Must be able to work every home game. Local, national, and international travel may be required as needed throughout the year.

Responsibilities

Marketing & Brand

Drive the creation and implementation of a comprehensive approach for the organization’s brand strategy, advertising and marketing that increase fan engagement and generate revenue.
Ensure the alignment and integration of the club’s marketing capabilities across departments through collaborative execution.
Ensure the application of research, data and fan insights into all marketing decision-making systems and processes. This includes prioritizing fan segmentation and developing specific strategies plans.
Responsible for the development of annual business plans with strategies and key metrics to drive brand and revenue growth. This includes the club’s international efforts within the UK and Spain.
Collaborate with corporate partnerships and premium teams to ensure events and activations meet partner needs while aligning with the club’s marketing strategy, vision and brand.
Establish vision for the club’s overall brand design, look and feel to ensure it remains consistent across the organization. Work collaboratively to ensure all marketing, branding, digital, content, and production elements are in perfect alignment with overall organizational messaging
Lead the creation, execution and evaluation of annual advertising campaigns to engage core fan segments/ and develop new diverse fan groups through growth audience strategy.
Responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of consistent brand standards across multiple departments and communication channels with the ability to successfully measure impact and ROI.
Build team’s internal and external promotional plan to grow fan base and understanding of team offerings
Collaborate with Business Analytics department to develop KPIs, tools and methodologies for measuring effectiveness of all facets of Bears marketing efforts.
Serve as internal champion to coordinate agency relationship with content-building departments and optimize year-round fan engagement
Collaborate with Tickets Sales & Service, Corporate Sales, Partnership Activation and other departments to maximize club revenue through game ticket sales, content consumption and new marketing initiatives for partners
Supervise the creation of an annual marketing and promotional calendar that allows key departments to work together to execute year-round fan outreach, build awareness and achieve revenue goals
Collaborate with content-producing departments to manage the Bears master content/sweepstakes calendar and identify opportunities to better communicate with fans

Events and Game Presentation

Oversee the development of the Chicago Bears game-day theme calendar and game entertainment strategy
Improve game day entertainment scores from the NFL’s voice of the fan surveys within the top 5
Ensure game day entertainment strategy aligns with our overall customer segmentation goals.
Ensure protection of the Bears homefield advantage at all times.

Team Leadership and Management

Recruit, mentor, develop, and manage high performing teams. This includes guiding and empowering staff while holding them accountable. Meet with assigned staff regularly on a 1:1 basis.
Set performance goals, assign responsibilities, set objectives, establish priorities, provide coaching and feedback, and conduct performance evaluations.
Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that encourages innovation and teamwork across the club. Building relationships with key stakeholders.
Demonstrate a leadership approach that promotes the core values of the club. Provide leadership and guidance to cross-functional teams and vendors to ensure alignment and collaboration.
Within assigned teams, ensure appropriate structure, level of staffing, clear responsibilities, and succession planning.
Establish goals and KPIs for assigned departments and create appropriate budgets and forecasts.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field.
Minimum ten (10) years of experience leading consumer brands, marketing strategy, or related field. Minimum of five (5) years in people management.
Previous experience in the sports industry (or adjacent to) is strongly preferred
Proven ability to build cohesive teams and execute marketing/brand programs
Strategic planning, creative problem solving, budgeting, media (cash and trade), and agency negotiations
Expertise in consumer media including mobile apps, social media, digital and email marketing, etc.
Strong computer skills, including database marketing, CRM, data warehouse and lead generation
Excellent writing and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated experience of successfully leading through change
Strong analytical skills and process oriented
Able to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings. This includes all home games that fall on weekends, evenings, and holidays as well as events that may also fall on those days.

Who We Are

As one of the founding franchises of the NFL, family is at the core of who we are. We are different from other companies. Our people represent a vast array of cultural backgrounds, human experiences, and perspectives, and we believe they, collectively and as authentic individuals, are our greatest resource. Our working environment is one where your talent and contributions are valued by the organization and the community. We believe every person matters, and we can collectively achieve success through integrity, respect, a team-first mentality, open communication, and trust.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Chicago Bears organization continues to deepen its commitment to establishing an inclusive, equitable work environment that reflects the diversity within our communities and fan base. We value, respect, and appreciate diversity at all levels, on and off the field, and are guided by a vision of success that includes integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our club's DNA and culture. As such, we recognize the additional hurdles marginalized communities may face when applying for a job. Do not meet every requirement for the role but feel you have many of the skills needed? Please apply! Our culture is rooted in providing the resources needed for all staff to succeed, including job-specific training. We want you to help us achieve our goals and to be part of one of the most storied franchises in all sports.

What We Offer

We remain committed to upholding the standard of being a first-class organization and employer of choice. Our goal is to provide quality support and a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for our most valuable resource, our people.

Benefits and Perks

Our full-time offerings include but are not limited to:

Core Coverage: 100% paid premium for healthcare and dental coverage, affordable vision offerings, 100% paid premium for disability and employee life insurance coverage.
Investments: employer-paid pension plan, 401K with matching.
Time to Recharge: generous paid time off plus 14 paid holidays, paid time off to volunteer, paid FMLA (including paid paternity leave), and flexible work-from-home options when applicable.
Experiences: complimentary home game tickets & parking, ability to buy tickets to away games and fan events.
Gear: a yearly Bears gear package plus 50% off at the Bears Pro Shop.
Wellness: FREE breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks, access to onsite fitness facilities and BearsFit, and complimentary Calm app access.
Connection: social events for staff and their families, DEI Council, Employee Resource Groups, and more.

Professional Development

We are deeply invested in the personal and professional development of each employee. Our goal is to provide each employee with the tools and guidance necessary for them to achieve their career goals. We offer complimentary LinkedIn Learning licenses, the ability to attend conferences, hear from guest speakers, participate in formal leadership training for all people managers, mentorship opportunities, and more.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

VICE PRESIDENT OF FAN DEVELOPMENT & BRAND MARKETING