Marketing & Communications Manager Jobs

Organization and Position Overview

The Food + Farm Exploration Center (Exploration Center), in partnership with Farming for the Future Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to educate current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability. The Exploration Center will promote agricultural literacy, increase the understanding of the origins of food, and deepen the relationship between farmers and consumers. The Exploration Center will be a state-of-the-art manifestation of the Foundation’s educational mission. It will be a centralized place for people to come together on a journey into the world of modern agriculture, meet the people behind food production, build science and engineering skills, connect, play, and learn. It will be a teaching farm, a children’s museum, a science center, and a community workshop all rolled into a tantalizing celebration of food and farming. The Exploration Center will create common ground where people can learn directly from the Ag industry. It is important for people to know where their food comes from, and farmers are eager to share those stories. Located in Plover Wisconsin, the Exploration Center will be the cornerstone of innovation and exploration as it relates to food grown for human consumption.

We are looking for a creative Marketing & Communications Manager who will report directly to the Executive Director and can successfully tell the Food + Farm Exploration story to a broad range of internal and external audiences. The Marketing Communications Manager will help to strategically shape and position the Exploration Center by enhancing brand awareness by sharpening the offline/online communications. This position will give a new edge to our marketing strategies and develop ideas to improve communications utilizing effective and timely messaging to attract new visitors, develop strategies specific to different media platforms, and networking for brand awareness. This position requires strong project management skills, keen attention to details, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and the ability to adapt quickly to take advantage of new opportunities.

To learn more, please visit us at https://foodandfarm.us

Essential Responsibilities

● Develop content and raise brand awareness for the Food + Farm Exploration Center.

● Create a variety of marketing collateral materials in collaboration with leadership team.

● Ensure innovation in communication to reach today’s youth and broad audiences connecting consumers with the importance of modern agricultural topics, sustainability, and technology.

● Develop and implement a fully comprehensive marketing and communications plan which defines strategies and goals to attract a broad audience of all ages and drive visitation to the Food + Farm Exploration Center.

● Facilitate a successful Grand Opening in October 2023, by implementing a robust marketing and communications plan working with the in-house team and external partners.

● Assist the Donor Development Manager with creation and flow of ongoing donor communication, including a quarterly newsletter, eFlash’s and annual reports, and specific marketing materials and messaging for membership solicitations and renewals.

● Prepare press releases and develop relationships with local, regional, and national media to continue to generate interest and drive visitors to the Exploration Center.

● Represent the Food + Farm Exploration Center in media appearances and at public speaking engagements, as well as help prepare and support the leadership team on conducting media interviews and giving presentations/speeches.

● Develop a content strategy and social media calendar to manage consistent, accurate, relevant, and timely posts and messaging on several social channels/platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, LinkedIn.

● Oversee management/content/updates of the Exploration Center’s website.

● Collaborate with Visitor Experience & Event Management to market the Exploration Center as an iconic event/wedding/corporate meeting venue with event planning and management.

● Integrate marketing efforts with all Center functions & departments including exhibition and education programming, farm and grounds, donor development/membership, facility space rental, and other departments/ activities as needed.

● Collaborate with Donor Development Manager to create and implement a prospective membership solicitation program and marketing materials.

● Collaborate with Visitor Experience & Events team to market fundraising events that effectively communicate the mission of the organization.

● Keep current in overarching best practices related to marketing and communications as well as best practices in production agricultural, science, and STEM education.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

● Strategic thinker and dynamic leader who demonstrates professionalism, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, and a customer focused approach.

● Strong written, verbal, and oral presentation skills; ability to communicate effectively with the public, staff, vendors, and contractors.

● Strong leadership, management, problem-solving and decision-making skills.

● Driven, energetic, highly collaborative and results oriented.

● High level of accountability and efficiency, especially while handling multiple tasks.

● Strong research, planning, and organizational skills; strong work ethic and follow-through; and excellent attention to detail.

● Demonstrated commitment to the community, with an interest in and enthusiasm for museums, science education and/or farming education.

● 5-8 years of experience with previous supervisory experience preferred in a nonprofit visitor/membership/association context, or in public customer service.

● Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is required.

● Experience with donor development/capitol campaign efforts desired.

● The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving organization is a must.

● Flexible weekday and weekend schedule necessary.

Exploration Center Commitments

▪ The annual salary range for this leadership position starts at $60K.

▪ PTO offered, and eight paid holidays.

▪ A Reimbursement option for Healthcare and Dental Services to all employees.

▪ A 401K plan is offered following one year of employment.

▪ Offers of employment are contingent upon results of thorough background and reference checks.

▪ All inquiries about and interactions with candidates are kept in strict confidence.

▪ This position will remain open until filled.

Instructions for Applicants

Interested applicants will please assemble and email the following pieces of information, combined into one document, to Kathleen O'Leary at [email protected] no later than 1:00 p.m. CST on July 14, 2023: A letter describing your qualifications for this position and your interest in the Food + Farm Exploration Center, a detailed and updated resume and the names of, your relationship to, and the contact information for, three professional references.

* References will not be contacted without candidate permission.