Job Description

POSITION TITLE: TBD: Director or VP of Marketing & Communications 

REPORTS TO: President & CEO 

SUPERVISES : Four (4) Marketing and Placemaking Staff 

LOCATION: Downtown Los Angeles, CA (RELOCATION FEES NOT OFFERED) 

SALARY: Title (Director or VP) and salary commensurate with experience. Salary range anticipated: $130,000 - $150,000 

POSITION SUMMARY:  

The DTLA Alliance, a 501(c)(6) organization with 12 employees and an $8 million budget, provides clean, safe, homeless outreach, marketing, and economic development services for the Downtown Center business improvement district of Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA).

This position leads all of the organization’s marketing efforts and is a key member of the senior management team. Responsibilities include developing and implementing promotional campaigns, digital marketing strategies, and public relations initiatives that promote Downtown Los Angeles, with a focus on the Downtown Center business improvement district area. The role also oversees placemaking efforts and public and private events. This position is responsible for managing departmental personnel and the marketing budget, cultivating funding to support program needs, and ensuring brand consistency across the DTLA Alliance and DowntownLA.com. The role collaborates closely with the Economic Development and Operations teams to support their marketing needs. 

This position will play a key role in overseeing and managing the DTLA Alliance Community Trust activities, a newly established 501(c)(3), that will serve as a catalyst for advancing the DTLA Alliance’s strategic objectives.

The ideal candidate is passionate about Downtown LA, committed to the DTLA Alliance’s mission, and eager to actively participate in the DTLA community. 

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:  

Department Management, Strategic Planning, and Brand Leadership:  

• Identifies opportunities and builds strategic marketing plans with measurable results for growing awareness of DTLA as a destination for visitors, residents, businesses, and investors. 

• Develops annual marketing and placemaking budgets, coordinates contracts, and manages expenses for all marketing and placemaking activities. 

• Envisions, creates, and implements targeted campaigns such as DTLA Here & Now, DTLA for the Summer, and DTLA for the Holidays, including paid advertising. 

• Supervises planning, execution, and measurement of digital and social media programs and campaigns, establishing KPIs and providing monthly performance reporting. 

• Leads Marketing Ad Hoc committee in advising the Board of Directors on development and execution of DTLA Alliance objectives. 

• Spearheads office worker engagement strategy, including serving as the liaison with the office property managers and overseeing staff-led initiatives like office worker events and The 9-5ish monthly newsletter. 

• Ensures the optimization of the CRM in partnership with the VP of Administration with a focus on expanding its use in marketing efforts. 

• Supports the marketing efforts of the Economic Development and Operations Departments. 

• Represents the DTLA Alliance at designated events, meetings, and presentations. 

External Partner Management:  

• Manages external PR firm to create communications plans that promote a positive image of DTLA; reviews and edits press releases. 

• Manages external digital agency, website vendor, and others while staying abreast of new SEO and SEM tools to continually optimize the organization’s website (DowntownLA.com). 

• Manages external social media consultant to implement content strategy, review monthly social media performance, and create plans to increase engagement and followers. 

Marketing Team Management:  

Manages the daily operations of the marketing department, including establishing clear priorities and handling competing timelines.

Supervises Director Placemaking & Events by: 

• Overseeing placemaking and event efforts to ensure alignment with strategic plan, promotional campaigns, and key objectives. 

• Providing oversight and management support for the DTLA Alliance Community Trust’s activities, a newly established 501(c)(3) organization created to advance the DTLA Alliance’s strategic objectives. 

Supervises Content Marketing Manager and Program & Communications Manager by: 

• Guiding creation and implementation of the overall email marketing strategy with staff-led newsletters including This Week in DTLA, BID Alerts, The 9-5ish, Business News and Insights, and The DTLA Story. 

• Editing content for DTLA website and publications to ensure that it is creative and compelling. 

Supervises Design Director by:

• Overseeing creation of all collateral materials for the DTLA Alliance to ensure consistent and effective branding and communications. 

Other Duties:  

• Additional duties may be assigned, or functions modified, according to business necessity. 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, or similar fields 
• At least 5-10 years’ experience in marketing/communications, including at least 3 years in a leadership or management role 
• Proven experience in staff management, contract negotiation, budgeting, and multiple project management 
• Flexibility and willingness to occasionally work irregular hours, nights, and weekends in support of District programs, events, and promotions 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Self-starter able to efficiently execute initiatives and actively manage deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and all computer programs required to meet the above duties and responsibilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Creative thinker with a passion for developing fresh, out-of-the-box ideas 
• Experience with, or strong working knowledge of: 
• Digital marketing strategy 
• Social media strategy and analytics 
• Content distribution expertise spanning owned, earned, and paid digital channels 
• Advertising and media buying 
• Website and SEO management 
• Analysis and publishing tools such as: Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Sprout Social, Later 
• CRMs, marketing automation, and project management software (experience with Mail Chimp, Zoho, and Asana a plus)
• Promotions 
• Public relations 
• Event planning
• Non-profit management
• Empowering and managing subordinate staff 

This position outline is a general guide to the responsibilities of the Director/VP of Marketing and Communications. This document does not create an employment contract and/or agreement, implied or otherwise. This position is a salaried, exempt , AT-WILL position. Duties and responsibilities are subject to modification from time to time, with or without prior notice. In order to perform the necessary duties and responsibilities of this position, the selected person must possess the skills, aptitude, and abilities to perform all of the listed duties and responsibilities proficiently. 

TO APPLY : Please e-mail cover letter and resume to Bree von Faith at bvonfaith@downtownla.com no later than April 30, 2025. A resume must be accompanied by a cover letter. Submissions without a cover letter will not be considered. 

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