Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Marketing & Communications Manager

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra

Marketing & Communications Manager

Reports to: Executive Director
Status: Part-time, approximately 20–25 hours per week
Compensation: $30,000–$35,000 per year, commensurate with experience

Location/Hours: Flagstaff, AZ; flexible/hybrid schedule with regular in-person presence required. Hours vary seasonally around concerts, marketing campaigns, and fundraising events. Some evening and weekend work required.
 

About Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra enriches, engages, and inspires our community through the performance of orchestral music. For more than seven decades, FSO has been an integral part of the cultural life of northern Arizona, presenting professional orchestral concerts alongside education programs, community performances, special events, and collaborative initiatives that connect thousands of people with live music each year.

Position Summary

The Marketing & Communications Manager leads Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra's marketing, communications, audience development, and special event fundraising and strategy. Working closely with the Executive Director, this position develops and executes data-informed strategies to increase attendance and earned revenue, grow and retain FSO's audience, strengthen patron loyalty, expand contributed revenue, and strengthen the orchestra's visibility throughout northern Arizona.

This is both a creative and analytical role, combining compelling storytelling and visual communication with audience data, campaign analysis, fundraising, and project management. The Marketing Manager will take meaningful ownership of FSO's marketing functions while collaborating with the Executive Director, contracted graphic designer, staff, musicians, guest artists, ticketing partners, media, and community organizations. As a key member of FSO's administrative team, the Marketing Manager will also develop a strong understanding of the organization's programs, systems, and annual operations, contributing to institutional continuity through documentation and cross-training.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Marketing, Advertising, & Campaign Management

• Collaborate with the Executive Director to develop and execute annual and concert-specific marketing campaigns that support ticket sales and subscription renewals, audience development, contributed revenue, education and community programs, and organizational visibility.

• Plan and manage paid advertising across digital, print, radio, and other appropriate channels, including media placement, creative development, budgets, and vendor relationships.

• Maintain a consistent FSO brand identity and voice across marketing campaigns and public-facing materials.

• Monitor campaign performance and use results to evaluate effectiveness, optimize strategies, and strengthen audience engagement and revenue outcomes.

Communications, Content, & Creative Production

• Manage FSO’s digital communications across social media, email marketing, and website, including content planning, copywriting, scheduling, publishing, and audience engagement.

• Create compelling written, visual, and multimedia content that showcases concerts, artists, musicians, education and community programs, fundraising initiatives, events, and organizational impact, including photography and video capture as needed.

• Produce marketing and communications materials, including graphics, flyers, advertisements, signage, and digital assets.

• Maintain an annual communications calendar and ensure website content and digital communications are accurate, timely, engaging, and aligned with FSO priorities.

• Organize and maintain brand assets, templates, photography, video, creative files, and archives of marketing campaigns, results, audience data, advertising, and press coverage.

• Document and maintain communications workflows, recurring deadlines, account access, vendor information, and other essential procedures to support consistency and continuity.

Public Relations & Audience Development

• Write and distribute press releases, media alerts, calendar listings, and other publicity materials.

• Develop and maintain relationships with local and regional media and identify opportunities for interviews, features, partnerships, cross-promotion, and earned media.

• Track and analyze patron retention, frequency of attendance, subscription conversion, lapsed patrons, purchasing patterns, and other key indicators.

• Understand campaign performance in conjunction with ticket-sales data to implement strategies that contribute to attendance, retention, and earned revenue.

Fundraising Events & Revenue Generation

• Assist in the development of fundraising strategies for events in collaboration with the Executive Director and Development Committee.

• Establish event revenue goals and create sponsorship opportunities and other fundraising activities, such as underwriting, auctions, advertising, and so forth.

• Support the Executive Director in major relationship stewardship and solicitations as appropriate.

• Develop a master project timeline for fundraising events, and help manage and oversee responsibilities across staff and committees.

• Track event revenue and fundraising performance and conduct post-event analysis.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Demonstrated experience in marketing, communications, audience development, fundraising, public relations, or a related field.

• Exceptional writing and copywriting skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for different audiences and platforms.

• Strong visual judgment and demonstrated graphic design ability for digital and print marketing.

• Experience with social media, email marketing, and digital content.

• Ability to interpret marketing, sales, and audience data and translate insights into action.

• Strong relationship-building and professional communication skills, with the confidence to solicit sponsorships and other event-related support from businesses, donors, and community partners. 

• Excellent organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and move projects forward efficiently.

• Strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and comfort learning new technologies and organizational systems.

• Ability to attend select evening and weekend concerts and events in Flagstaff.

Preferred

• Experience in arts and culture, nonprofit, entertainment, events, or another audience-driven field.

• Experience with Canva and/or Adobe Creative Suite.

• Experience with paid digital advertising, CRM or ticketing databases, email marketing platforms, and website content-management systems.

• Experience analyzing customer or patron retention and purchasing behavior.

• Experience with event fundraising, sponsorship solicitation, or other revenue-generating initiatives. 

• Familiarity with classical music or the performing arts is welcome but not required; curiosity about FSO's work and a willingness to learn are essential.

To Apply

Please submit a résumé, cover letter, list of references, and three examples of marketing work demonstrating relevant skills in areas such as social media, graphic design, email marketing, advertising, writing, and/or other related areas to Michelle Wachter, Executive Director, at mwachter@flagstaffsymphony.org by November 6.