Wilderness Inquiry’s mission is to connect people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities through shared outdoor adventures so that all people can equitably experience the benefits of time spent in nature.

At Wilderness Inquiry, we believe that everyone belongs. We work to ensure this belief holds true in our workplace, in our community, and in the outdoors. We pursue this belief through our mission and shared values of paddling together, nurturing inclusion, seeking the exceptional, and finding a way.  

Position Summary & Dimensions

Summary

Wilderness Inquiry seeks a Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications to serve as the leader of our new, centralized marketing function. This role reports directly to the Executive Director and is responsible for leading and executing the organization’s marketing and communications strategy, including ownership of the shared marketing calendar across programs/adventures, development, and organizational/brand communications.

The Senior Manager will be a highly collaborative, hands‑on leader who can:

• Translate organizational goals into clear marketing objectives, campaigns, and content
• Define and manage audience segmentation and targeting
• Lead through influence across departments
• Manage and leverage external agencies, contractors, tools, and paid media 

To support a successful transition, this role will initially be partnered with a fractional Chief Marketing Officer through June 2026. The fractional CMO will help design the central marketing structure, provide strategic partnership, and ensure the Senior Manager is set up with clear priorities, tools, and support as they build out the function. As the organization grows, there may be opportunities to shape additional resources and structure.

Dimensions

Position Classification: Senior Manager
Employment Conditions: Exempt
Department/Section: Leadership Team
Classification Range: $76,000 – $90,000
Reports To: Executive Director
Supervisory Responsibilities: No direct reports; however, the position directs work of embedded MarComm staff in departments: Development (0.5 FTE); Programs/Adventures (0.5 FTE); Finance/Operations (0.25 FTE); Leadership (0.15 FTE)

Essential Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility 1: Lead the organization’s centralized marketing strategy, planning, and calendar (50% FTE)

Tasks

1. In partnership with the Executive Director and leadership team, translate organizational goals (e.g., trip participation, earned revenue, individual giving, youth/partner impact, brand/equity objectives) into a clear marketing and communications strategy with measurable objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs).
2. Own the organization‑wide marketing and communications calendar, sequencing and prioritizing use of shared channels (email, newsletter, website, social, paid media) across development, programs/adventures, and organizational/brand communications.
3. Develop strategic marketing and communications plans that include:
   1. Clear audience definitions (e.g., travelers, donors, alumni, volunteers, partners/agencies, youth/educators, staff)
   2. Channel strategies and content themes by quarter and month
   3. High‑level campaign plans aligned with major organizational moments (seasons, campaigns, events).
4. Work cross‑functionally with all departments:
   1. To prioritize marketing and communications requests and make trade‑offs when channel conflicts arise.
   2. To ensure major campaigns and messages are aligned, sequenced, and on‑brand.
5. Create and manage the annual marketing and communications budget, including agency and vendor spend.

Responsibility 2: Define and execute audience, content, channel, and paid media strategies (20%)

Tasks

1. Develop and maintain a practical segmentation strategy (e.g., donors vs. travelers vs. partners vs. volunteers, and key sub‑segments) and ensure campaigns and content are appropriately targeted.
2. Lead the development of content themes and storytelling “ways in” that support our organizational goals (e.g., trip participation, earned revenue, fundraising, youth/partner engagement, brand/equity).
3. Direct and produce (with support from matrixed staff and vendors) high‑quality marketing content and assets, including:
   1. Email campaigns and newsletters.
   2. Web content and landing pages (in conjunction with web vendors).
   3. Social media content and campaigns.
   4. Basic collateral (e.g., one‑pagers, decks, program and development materials).
4. In partnership with external agencies and vendors, plan and oversee paid media campaigns (e.g., search, social, display), ensuring they are aligned with audience strategy, the shared calendar, and organizational goals.
5. Leverage and steward our existing brand and message guidelines and artificial intelligence (AI)‑enabled tools, helping internal teams, contractors, and partners apply them consistently and providing feedback to refine them over time.
6. Track and report on key performance metrics (e.g., email engagement, site traffic and conversion, campaign performance, segment growth) and use insights to refine our strategy.

Responsibility 3: Manage external partners, vendors, tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) (15%)

Tasks

1. Serve as primary strategic counterpart to marketing/communications agencies and key vendors (including digital and paid media partners), ensuring scope and outputs align with the organization’s strategy and calendar.
2. Identify and manage external contractors to support execution (e.g., design, email build, social scheduling, web updates) as needed.
3. Lead the adoption and effective use of marketing tools, including:
   1. Website content management system (CMS), email platform, social tools, and basic analytics.
   2. A Wilderness Inquiry‑specific AI assistant (being developed in partnership with the Executive Director) to support drafting, consistency, and reuse of content.
4. Support external partnership communications (e.g., government relations, program partners) by aligning partner messaging with the organization’s brand and strategy.

Responsibility 4: Support leadership communications, training, and crisis response (15%)

Tasks

1. Advise and support the Executive Director and leadership team on key external communications, including:
   1. Organizational announcements.
   2. Major funding or partnership news.
   3. Key presentations that shape our organizational brand and positioning.
2. Provide basic training and coaching to staff and spokespersons on our brand, key messages, and effective public communication.
3. In partnership with the Executive Director and relevant leaders, implement our crisis communications plan when needed (this role supports and coordinates; it is not solely responsible for all crisis response).
4. Support major organizational events (e.g., seasonal staff training, Great River Race, Opportunity Fund, board meetings) from a marketing/communications perspective (e.g., pre‑event promotion, talking points, recap stories).

Responsibility 5: Embrace Values, Community Agreements and Other Roles/Responsibilities as Assigned

Tasks

1. Support organizational special events including Seasonal Staff Training (May & September), Great River Race, Opportunity Fund, Quarterly Board Meetings, and other in office gatherings.
2. Perform all job responsibilities in a manner that centers Wilderness Inquiry values and supports a healthy, safe, and productive work environment for all employees by adhering to Workplace Community Agreements.

Please note: These are not intended to encompass all roles and responsibilities of this position; other duties may be assigned at the discretion of the supervisor.

Qualifications and Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years managerial experience in marketing and communications (nonprofit or mission‑driven context preferred);
  OR, 5+ years in a senior marketing and communications managerial role with demonstrated experience in the tasks described in the position description.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement marketing strategies and plans that support organizational goals.
• Experience owning or co‑owning a shared marketing calendar and making prioritization decisions across multiple internal stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to lead through influence, articulate goals and desired outcomes, and state a clear, informed point of view.
• Proven ability to produce or direct high‑quality communications and presentations.
• Experience collaborating effectively across departments and with senior leadership.
• Knowledge and experience with:
  • Website content management
  • Email marketing platforms
  • Social media management
  • Basic analytics and reporting
• Ability to analyze data and trends and translate them into actionable insights.
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills; comfort managing multiple initiatives and deadlines.
• Experience managing or partnering with external agencies/vendors for marketing, communications, or digital services. 

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics: 

• Passion for Wilderness Inquiry’s inclusive mission, outdoor adventure, and connecting people to the benefits of nature.
• A self‑starter who takes initiative and is comfortable leading in a centralized role.
• Collaborative, team‑oriented, and able to lead by influence in a matrix organization with embedded marketing/communications staff roles.
• Willingness to listen, learn, and continuously improve; open to feedback.
• Flexible, persistent, and attentive to detail; able to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on execution.
• Experience working with and developing partnerships.
• Experience with digital marketing and paid media, ideally in collaboration with agencies (e.g., search, social, display).
• Experience with CRM/segmentation and website platforms.
• Some experience with crisis management and communications or demonstrated ability to respond thoughtfully to unexpected events.
• Enthusiasm and confidence in making persuasive presentations.
• Comfort collaborating with a fractional CMO in the near term, and interest in shaping the long‑term central marketing structure as the organization grows.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to use a telephone and computer.
• Must be able to lift 25 lbs.
• Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment:

This is a hybrid position that reports to Wilderness Inquiry’s Headquarters in Bloomington, MN. Individuals can expect 2-3 days in-person each week, with opportunities for remote work when responsibilities allow. 

Application deadline: Thursday, February 12th