VP of Marketing & Communications

Responsibilities

• Own marketing strategy, positioning, and the annual plan, translating department priorities into quarterly commitments
• Carry accountability for marketing's contribution to Tillman Scholar applications and to donor acquisition, in partnership with Programs and Development
• Own campaign marketing and promotion for Pat's Run, coordinated with Event Operations for continuity
• Own the website relationship and the email and marketing automation platform, partnering with Development on donor and monthly giving sends
• Own PR and earned media strategy: media relationships, pitching, reactive communications, and crisis response
• Pitch and place national and local press directly, targeting placements that build reputation and convert to donors
• Own social strategy and the content calendar across all PTF channels
• Tell Tillman Scholar and program stories, sourced in partnership with the Programs team
• Own how signature efforts show up publicly, such as the “Huddle,” with program owners leading on substance
• Serve as keeper of the brand system, guidelines, templates, and asset library, and protect brand integrity across the organization

Requirements

• Eight or more years in marketing, communications, or public relations, including at least three years leading and developing a team
• Hands-on fluency with marketing attribution and analytics, including GA4, Google Tag Manager, and UTM governance, with willingness to be accountable for the numbers reported
• Mission judgment before marketing craft. Experience with military, veteran, or comparably high-stakes mission audiences, and the judgment to hold final sign-off on everything that goes out under PTF's name
• Comfort holding the standard. A track record of holding a quality or brand standard under internal pressure, including with senior leadership
• Earned media, not managed media. A record of pitching and placing national and Chicago press personally, with your own name on the relationships
• Accountability for growth, not output. Willingness to carry a number for marketing's contribution to Scholar applications and donor acquisition, and to be measured on funnel contribution rather than activity
• Player-coach range. Two direct reports and no standing agency, so you lead and develop the team and still write, pitch, and ship yourself
• Presence where it counts. Public-facing, event-facing, and partner-facing, on the ground for Pat's Run, donor moments, and in-market press, and credible in the room with national partners
• Hands-on fluency with marketing attribution and analytics, including GA4, Google Tag Manager, and UTM governance, with willingness to be accountable for the numbers reported

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package: Medical, Vision, Dental + annual wellness stipend
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account Options
• Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance
• Eligibility for student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• 401(k) retirement savings plan available (employee-funded)
• Time Off: Competitive PTO at 4 weeks annually, 5 sick days annually, 12 paid holidays annually, 75 days of parental leave
• Monthly premiums paid for the employee (+50% of dependents) for medical, dental, and short/long term disability.